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Barley Stuffed Peppers with Chickpeas and Feta

Flossie
Hearty barley stuffed peppers filled with mushrooms, chickpeas, feta, and herbs - a tidy, cheesy weeknight dinner that holds well and tastes even better the next day.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 35 minutes
Total Time 50 minutes
Course lunch, Main Course
Cuisine Mediterranean
Servings 3
Calories 570 kcal

Equipment

  • Baking sheet
  • baking dish
  • frying pan

Ingredients
  

  • 3 peppers cored and halved
  • 200 g pearl barley cooked in stock and cooled
  • 3 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 large onion finely chopped
  • 250 g mushrooms finely chopped
  • 1 carrot finely grated
  • 1 can chickpeas drained (reserve the canning liquid)
  • 2 heaped tbsp tomato paste
  • 11/2 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp black pepper
  • 1 tsp Harissa spices (or any spices you like)
  • 100 g feta cheese crumbled
  • Handful of parsley or dill chopped
  • Zest of 1 lemon
  • 1 egg (optional)
  • Grated cheddar or mozzarella to top (optional)
  • Creme fraiche or sour cream to serve (optional)

Instructions
 

Roast the peppers

  • Core and halve the peppers. Brush the halves with olive oil, sprinkle with a little salt and roast on a baking sheet at 200°C (400°F) for 20 minutes.
    3 peppers, 3 tbsp olive oil

Saute the vegetables

  • Sauté the onion in olive oil until properly golden, about 5 minutes. Add the grated carrot and chopped mushrooms and cook for 5-7 minutes, until there's a bit of caramelization going. Push everything to one side, drop a bit more oil into the gap, and let the spices and tomato paste cook there on for a minute before stirring through.
    3 tbsp olive oil, 1 large onion, 250 g mushrooms, 1 carrot, 2 heaped tbsp tomato paste, 1 tsp black pepper, 1 tsp Harissa spices

Make the filling

  • Add the drained chickpeas. Mash half of the chickpeas into the mixture as you go.
    1 can chickpeas
  • Off the heat, stir through the cooled barley, feta, chopped herbs, lemon zest, and egg if using. Add a splash of the reserved chickpea liquid (aquafaba) if the mixture feels too dry.
    200 g pearl barley, 11/2 tsp salt, 100 g feta cheese, Handful of parsley or dill, Zest of 1 lemon

Stuff and bake

  • Transfer the roasted peppers to an oiled baking dish where they can sit snugly, and pack each half generously with filling. Bake at 200°C (400°F) for 12-15 minutes.

Top and serve

  • If topping with cheese, add it for the last 3-5 minutes so it melts without drying out. Scatter with more chopped herbs and serve with creme fraiche or sour cream.
    Grated cheddar or mozzarella, Creme fraiche or sour cream

Notes

Cook the barley in stock rather than plain water for the best-seasoned filling. If cooking the barley fresh, add 35-40 minutes.
Reserve the chickpea liquid when draining - a splash loosens the filling if it feels too dry.
You will have quite a bit of filling left, it's great for meal prep, it freezes well or you can stuff more peppers another time.
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Nutrition

Calories: 570kcalCarbohydrates: 57gProtein: 22gFat: 31gSaturated Fat: 10gPolyunsaturated Fat: 4gMonounsaturated Fat: 14gCholesterol: 47mgSodium: 2183mgPotassium: 1014mgFiber: 14gSugar: 9gVitamin A: 4339IUVitamin C: 104mgCalcium: 379mgIron: 4mg
Keyword barley stuffed peppers, stuffed peppers, vegetarian stuffed peppers
Tried this recipe?Tag me @candyflossiecooks on Instagram! I'd love to see how your dish turns out ! ✨