Food Recipes Falafel-Inspired Stuffed Peppers Be the first to rate & review! These spiced chickpea-stuffed peppers are packed with freshness and flavor, which can only mean one thing: your new weeknight dinner go-to. By Melissa Gray Melissa Gray Melissa Gray is a Recipe Developer and Food Stylist for Dotdash Meredith. She attended The Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, New York, where she studied Culinary Arts and Culinary Arts Management. She's been working in food publishing since 2015 and joined the Dotdash Meredith test kitchens in 2019. During her career, she has developed over 1,500 original recipes and food styled in hundreds of photoshoots. Real Simple's Editorial Guidelines Published on September 07, 2024 Rate PRINT Share Close Photo: Greg Dupree, Prop Stylist: Julia Bayless , Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall Prep Time: 25 mins Total Time: 45 mins Servings: 4 Jump to Nutrition Facts All the flavors of falafel shine through in this stuffed peppers recipe. A medley of chickpeas and tomato is seasoned with cumin and parsley to take you straight to falafel land. Then the mixture is stuffed into pepper halves which nestle in a baking dish ready for a cozy trip in the oven. The chickpeas pick up a crispness not dissimilar to actual falafel and it all comes together with a generous drizzle of a perky tahini sauce. The latter is a simple combo of tahini, lemon juice, and oil that ties this recipe together beautifully. Think of it as the secret sauce. To properly cut the peppers lengthwise, slice through the stem to end up with two mirrored sides of a pepper. Use the tip of a paring knife to remove the seeds and membranes. Ingredients 4 medium bell peppers, halved lengthwise and seeded 2 tsp. kosher salt, divided 3 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil, divided 1 large yellow onion, chopped (about 2 cups) 2 15-oz. cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed 1/2 cup finely chopped plum tomato (from 1 tomato), plus more for garnish 1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley, plus more for garnish 1 tsp. ground cumin 2 Tbsp. tahini 2 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice (from 1 lemon) Directions Arrange peppers in baking dish: Preheat oven to 400°F. Arrange peppers, cut side up, in a 13-by-9-inch baking dish. Sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon salt. Make falafel and add to peppers; bake: Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large skillet over medium. Add onion; cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, 3 to 5 minutes. Remove skillet from heat. Stir in chickpeas, tomato, parsley, cumin, and 1 teaspoon salt until combined. Using the back of a spoon, mash about 1/4 of chickpeas to thicken mixture. Divide mixture among peppers. Bake until peppers are tender, about 30 minutes. Make tahini dressing; spoon over baked peppers: Meanwhile, whisk tahini, lemon juice, and remaining 2 tablespoons oil and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a small bowl. (Whisk in 1 tablespoon water if mixture is too thick to drizzle.) Spoon tahini dressing over baked peppers. Garnish with tomato and parsley. Make-Ahead: Assemble and refrigerate this dish up to a day before baking. Leftovers will keep in the fridge for up to 3 days. Rate It Print Nutrition Facts (per serving) 451 Calories 18g Fat 61g Carbs 17g Protein Show Full Nutrition Label Hide Full Nutrition Label Nutrition Facts Servings Per Recipe 4 Calories 451 % Daily Value * Total Fat 18g 24% Saturated Fat 2g 12% Cholesterol 0mg 0% Sodium 1243mg 54% Total Carbohydrate 61g 22% Dietary Fiber 14g 51% Total Sugars 15g Protein 17g 33% Vitamin C 80mg 89% Calcium 135mg 10% Iron 6mg 32% Potassium 860mg 18% *The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.