Ingredients
- 4 large red or yellow peppers, halved lengthways and deseeded
- 2 tbsp olive oil, plus extra for drizzling
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, crushed
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 250 g cooked green or Puy lentils (or a 400 g tin, drained)
- 100 g cooked brown rice or quinoa
- 200 g cherry tomatoes, chopped
- 2 tbsp tomato purée
- A large handful of parsley and mint, chopped
- 30 g pine nuts, toasted
- Zest of 1 lemon
- 50 g feta or plant-based cheese, crumbled (optional)
Method
- Roast the peppers: heat the oven to 200°C (180°C fan). Put the pepper halves cut-side up in a roasting tin, drizzle with oil, season and roast for 15 minutes to soften.
- Make the filling: heat the oil in a frying pan and cook the onion for 8 minutes. Add the garlic and spices for 1 minute, then stir in the lentils, rice, tomatoes and tomato purée and cook for 5 minutes. Stir in the herbs, pine nuts and lemon zest, and season well.Lighter option: soften the vegetables in a few tablespoons of water or stock instead of oil, adding a splash more whenever the pan starts to look dry. Each tablespoon of oil you leave out saves around 120 calories, and most people find the dish tastes just as good.
- Stuff: spoon the filling into the peppers and top with feta, if using.
- Bake: bake for 20–25 minutes, until the peppers are tender and the tops golden.
- Serve: serve with a green salad and a spoon of yoghurt or tahini.
Why it's good for you: Red peppers are one of the richest sources of vitamin C, gram for gram providing more than oranges, and that vitamin C helps the body absorb the iron from the lentils. Lentils add plant protein and fibre. (Read more in You Are What You Absorb.)
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