These stuffed peppers are cooked on the grill and combine pearl couscous and fresh veggies for a light summer meal!
One of the fun things about food blogging is that sometimes I have to push myself to try new things. These lovely, and very tasty, stuffed grilled peppers are a good example. While I'm a fan of bell peppers, more so raw than cooked, stuffed peppers are not something I'd normally think about making. The more I blog, the more I come up with new and different ideas and ways of combining ingredients. That's part of the adventure of cooking!
We've been having a bit of a heat wave here in Chicago this week, so the idea of heating up my kitchen by turning on the oven is not very appealing. So that means grilling - which is actually one of my favorite things to do on a nice summer evening! It's a great way to take advantage of nice weather and a good excuse to sit outside with a nice glass of wine. The night I made these peppers the wine was a lovely Pinot Gris from Eyrie Vineyards.
Making this a vegetarian dish allows it to be a really nice light summer meal. You could also add some grilled chicken if you wanted a little bit more protein.
If you don't happen to have a grill, or you want to make these in the winter and not have to go outside, you can use a grill pan for the peppers. The cook time will be a little longer since you won't have the extra heat circulating like you do when the grill cover is closed. I always list full cooking and prep times for my recipes, so you know how long you'll be "working" when you make something, that said, you can definitely start grilling the peppers while the couscous is cooking.
Tips for Grilling Peppers
Like most grilled veggies, grilled peppers are really easy to make.
- Brush the skin of the peppers with oil. I like avocado oil for grilling due to its high smoke point.
- Start with the skin side down so you get nice grill marks on the outside of the peppers.
- Keep the heat at a medium temperature - about 350°F if your grill has a built-in temperature gauge.
- Except for when you need to turn the peppers, keep the lid closed when cooking.
notes from the kitchen
- When grilling peppers you want to get a nice char on all sides of the pepper, so turning them frequently is key. It's ok to let them blister a bit as it gives them a nice smokey flavor.
- I find pearl couscous to be much better in salads and recipes like this; I actually prefer it overall. It's so much more hearty than traditional couscous and I think it picks up the flavors of the seasonings in a recipe much better.
I designed this recipe as it if were a main dish, so the serving size is two peppers per person. If you want to use these peppers side dish you can serve four. The couscous salad also makes a great side dish on its own - I've already served it a few times this summer!!
For some other great light summer dinners on the grill check out this Grilled Salmon with Mustard Sauce and this Sticky Asian Grilled Chicken.
More vegetarian recipes
- Roasted Tomato Ricotta Crostini
- Ancient Grains Vegetarian Buddha Bowl
- Sweet Potato Hash
- Fresh English Pea Salad with Meyer Lemon Vinaigrette
Stuffed Grilled Peppers
Ingredients
For the peppers:
- 1 ½ cups water
- 1 cup Bob's Red Mill Pearl Couscous
- 4 orange or yellow bell peppers
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ½ cup Cherubs or grape tomatoes, cut into quarters
- ⅓ cup cucumber, seeded and diced
- ¼ cup finely diced red onion
- ¼ cup chopped fresh herbs, use any combination you like
- ½ cup crumbled feta cheese
- ¼ cup diced bell pepper
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
For the sauce:
- ¼ cup plain greek yogurt
- 2 tablespoon white wine vinegar
- ½ teaspoon dried shallots
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
- dash ground black pepper
- dash dried lemon peel
Instructions
- Preheat grill to medium heat, about 350°F.
- Make the couscous. In a medium saucepan bring the water to a boil. Add couscous and return to a boil. Cover and reduce heat to simmer. Cook for 10 minutes or until water is absorbed. Remove couscous from heat, keep covered and let cool.
- Prepare the peppers. Cut the tops off the peppers and clean the insides by removing the membranes and seeds. Brush lightly with olive oil.
- Grill the peppers. Place the peppers on the grill; grill for 5 minutes then turn and grill an additional 3-5 minutes on each side until cooked. Remove from grill and let cool slightly.
- Prepare the couscous mixture. After the couscous has cooled slightly add the tomatoes, cucumber, red onion, herbs, feta, bell pepper and ground pepper to the couscous pan. Mix well.
- Make the sauce. In a small bowl combine the yogurt, vinegar, shallots, oregano, lemon juice, ground pepper, and lemon peel. Stir well and refrigerate until ready to serve.
- Assemble the peppers. Place each pepper upright on a plate. Divide the couscous mixture among the four peppers. Drizzle with the yogurt sauce and serve immediately.
Deena says
These looks delicious Kath! I love the yogurt drizzle on top, can't wait to try out.
Jordan @ Jordan's Onion says
oh yum! I can't wait to try out this recipe. I love stuffed peppers and couscous but have never thought to combine them.
FoodieGirlChicago says
Thanks Jordan! These have become one of my favorite summer meals! 🙂
J @ A Hot Southern Mess says
Grilling the stuffed peppers! What a great idea! I will have to try this! My mind has been blown!
Manal says
I love the use of couscous instead of rice... Yummy the pics are amazing and mouth watering!!!
Mary @ StrawmarySmith says
Hi Kathryn! These stuffed peppers look amazing, and I've been OBSESSED with couscous lately! Can't wait to try these 🙂
Renee says
Yummy, stuffed peppers! Yours look and sound delicious, I can't wait to give them a try!!
Cathleen @ A Taste Of Madness says
I have yet to grill anything this summer, but I really need to start. These stuffed peppers look so tasty!
Lisa @ Healthy Nibbles & Bits says
These stuffed peppers look like the perfect meal! I usually put bulgur in there, but I should try it with pearled couscous next time!
Amanda@ChewTown says
I grew up with my mother making stuffed capsicum. We always had ours with rice and Italian flavors, but I'm loving your use of Cous cous. Especially pearl cous cous - its a favourite of mine.
Christine | No Gojis, No Glory says
I agree Kathryn, through food blogging I've tried and discovered so many foods that I'm not sure I would've been exposed to otherwise. These peppers look outstanding!
Steph @ Steph in Thyme says
Yummmm this looks so good. So colorful, and that drizzle of Greek yogurt! What a healthy and flavorful meal.
Kelly @ TastingPage says
I'd definitely love to eat these as a main dish. There's so much flavor going on. I love it!
Laura @MotherWouldKnow says
I love this take on grilled/stuffed peppers. I roast peppers directly on a gas flame, but when I put them in a paper bag, they collapse. Now I'm going to try your method. This is such a great meatless meal, though I think I'll provide only 1 per person and use it as a substantial side.
Malinda @mybrownpaperpackages says
Looks delicious, what a great idea. Glad you pushed yourself 😉 #FFF
Lauren @ Create Bake Make says
What a gorgeous looking recipe, I can't wait to try it! Thanks for linking up with us for Fabulous Foodie Fridays, I hope you have a lovely weekend 🙂
Lizzie {Strayed Table} says
YUMMO, those peppers look amazing and love Israele couscous.
Stopping by from fabulous foodie fridays
Monica says
OK, I'm officially inspired!
Dominique | Perchance to Cook says
Love the added couscous here. This sounds sooooo delightful! I'd love to take a big bite!
Michelle | The Last Food Blog says
These look delicious! Perfect for a lovely light summery meal.
Tara says
Yum! I love that yogurt sauce drizzled down the sides of the pepper. Such a great dish for summer.
Amy says
I love the sound of these! I actually really like stuffed peppers but have only done them with rice and not couscous! Cannot wait to give this version a try!
FoodieGirlChicago says
Thanks Amy - enjoy!!
Marlee says
These look incredible. I love the idea of stuffing them with Israeli couscous! I will definitely have to give these a try!
Sharon says
These grilled peppers are so delicious stiffed with filling couscous and topped with a delicious creamy dressing.
Jere Cassidy says
I like that you added couscous to this recipe and the yogurt dressing just adds a delicious creamy texture.