Lentil & Couscous Stuffed Peppers
These healthy vegetarian stuffed peppers are full of lentils, couscous, basil and feta! They're simple to make and go great with a side salad.
Updated by Kathryne Taylor on August 30, 2024
Well hello! I’m in a tizzy with good news this morning and can’t wait to share with you all. There’s excitement in air, too. Can you feel it? Summer might be winding down, but I just spied a pumpkin at the store and I’m looking forward to all the fun activities that fall brings.
Before I get ahead of myself, I thought we’d better make good use of those glorious end-of-summer bell peppers. I wanted to make stuffed bell peppers that weren’t super heavy and cheesy, so I drew some inspiration from Middle Eastern mujaddara and stuffed them with a simplified couscous version.
Basically, the peppers roast in the oven while lentils simmer away on the stove, which then gives you some free time to properly season the couscous with aromatics and tomatoes. Then you just toss the cooked lentils and couscous together with feta and basil, stuff the peppers and serve them right away.
I chose Bob’s Red Mill’s petite green lentils for this recipe because they retain their shape and look far more appetizing than the standard brown version. They’re cute, right? Like all lentils, they’re rich in fiber and iron, but this variety has more flavor than the rest.
I’ve bought lentils from bulk bins that have taken thirty to forty minutes to cook because they’ve been sitting on the shelf for so long, but these Bob’s Red Mill lentils took just over twenty minutes, which I take as a sign of their superior freshness.
These stuffed peppers are a light meal, for sure, so I’d suggest pairing them with a big green salad. This one is my go-to, and the lemony dressing would go so well with the lemony lentils. Please let me know how you like this one! In hindsight, this recipe reminds me of Jeanine’s recent stuffed peppers recipe, so check out those beauties, too!
Want to try something different? Make my Vegetarian Stuffed Peppers, which have a Mexican flair!
Lentil & Couscous Stuffed Peppers
These healthy vegetarian stuffed peppers are full of lentils, couscous, basil and feta! They’re simple to make and go great with a side salad. Recipe yields 8 stuffed peppers (which I’d say is 4 servings, since these are light!).
Ingredients
Roasted peppers
- 4 large red bell peppers, halved vertically, seeded and membranes removed
- 2 tablespoons olive oil, or more as needed
- Salt and pepper
Lentils
- ½ cup French green lentils, sorted through for debris and rinsed
- 1 ¼ cups vegetable broth or water
- 1 bay leaf
Couscous
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 small yellow onion, chopped (to yield 1 cup chopped onion)
- 2 garlic cloves, pressed or minced
- 1 large tomato, chopped
- ½ cup whole wheat couscous
- ½ cup vegetable broth or water
Everything else
- ½ cup crumbled feta
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- ¼ cup chopped fresh basil, plus extra for garnishing
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ⅛ teaspoon red pepper flakes
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit and line a large, rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Place the prepared peppers on the sheet and drizzle with 2 tablespoons olive oil. Use your hands to rub the oil all over both sides of the peppers, then arrange them with the cut side up and sprinkle them with salt and pepper. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until the peppers are tender and a little blistered around the edges.
- Meanwhile, combine the lentils, broth or water and bay leaf in a small pot. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce heat to maintain a gentle simmer and cook until the lentils are tender, about 23 to 25 minutes. (Add another splash of water if necessary to prevent the lentils from scorching.) Drain off the excess water and return the lentils to the pot. Discard the bay leaf.
- While the lentils cook, warm 1 tablespoon olive oil in a heavy-bottomed, medium pot over medium heat. Add the chopped onion and a sprinkle of salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions have softened and are turning golden on the edges, about 10 to 12 minutes. Add the garlic and tomato and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Remove from heat and pour in the couscous and ½ cup broth or water. Cover and set aside for 5 minutes, then remove the lid and fluff the mixture with a fork.
- In a medium serving bowl, combine the cooked lentils and couscous. Add the crumbled feta, 1 tablespoon olive oil, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, chopped basil, ¼ teaspoon salt and red pepper flakes. Stir to combine and season to taste with additional salt, pepper and lemon juice, if necessary.
- Spoon a generous amount of filling into each roasted pepper halve and sprinkle with a little more chopped basil. Serve these with a fork and a knife, for slicing!
Notes
Make it dairy free/vegan: Omit the feta. You might try adding some thinly sliced Kalamata olives to make up for the feta’s salty punch.
Make it gluten free: Substitute quinoa for the couscous (add the water and quinoa at the same time, stir, cover and simmer for 15 minutes, then remove from heat and let it steam for 5 minutes, then fluff with a fork and carry on.)
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice. See our full nutrition disclosure here.
This post was created in partnership with Bob’s Red Mill and I received compensation for my participation. Opinions are my own, always. Thank you for supporting the sponsors who support C+K!
I just made these and daammmnnnn! I served them with the recommended Tzakiki sauce recipe, some left over pesto I had in the frig and a bed of arugula. My husband loved it! I ate the veggie version, and I served a turkey burger along with the stuffed peppers for my husband. Making this again!
I love it! Sounds delicious! I appreciate the review.
Substituted the lentils with green beans (all I had home) but tasted very yummy. Only took me 20 minutes to make it :)
Thank you for sharing Fizza!
Made this for dinner last night (and just had the leftovers for lunch!) Such a treat! My partner is a great cook, so it’s refreshing to be able to wow him with something I’ve made every now and then. Your site has quickly become my go to for satisfying, tasty meals that are easy to prepare. Thank you :)
These stuffed peppers were excellent. Very healthy tasting. I was able to use green lentils from a bag and they cooked in 20 minutes no problem. I also used red, orange and yellow peppers.
Thank you for sharing, Sharon!
YUM!! The filling for this is SO GOOD (I may or may not be sitting here eating it with pita chips). Definitely will make again :)
Thank you for your review, Mary Kate!
I just discovered your blog and I am in love! Making this recipe for the second time and it is delicious. I used Israeli Couscous and adjusted the amount of liquid for it and it was perfect. Thank you!
Welcome, Kristin! I’m so happy you are enjoying the recipes.
Would regular green lentils work here? I’m having trouble finding French Green.
That should work. Just watch the cooking time so they don’t turn to mush.
This is the best stuffed pepper recipe I have ever made! (Including recipes with meat). Such a great blend of flavors with an amazing aroma. I have to admit when I am short on time (as this is now a staple recipe) I use canned lentils which also works well. Thank you for this recipe!
I love to hear that! Thanks for sharing, Losina.
Great dish. I substituted a half of the lemon juice with balsamic vinegar to add depth and body, and found it a great addition. Since I was unable to use basil, I substituted with oregano of the same quantity — and it sufficed! Thanks for a delicious item!
Made this for our dinner today. Really tasty – the feta cheese added that zing!
So, SO good!! I used quinoa instead of couscous and dry basil because I couldn’t find fresh. Flavor was very fresh.
This turned out really good. Tastes good with green bell peppers too. My personal twist: added sliced green olives to the stuffing, more feta(coz I love it) and garnished with some mint .
This is my favorite recipe of all time. I swear, if I could have one meal for the rest of my life, I would never tire of it! I’ve made it several times, and it’s always been a hit. Today I tried using beyond beef instead of lentils, and it was super great! Reminded me of regular stuffed peppers my mom made when I was a kid :D
Wow! Just tried this recipe tonight. Had to change up some of the ingredients since not everything is available in the store right now. But WOW! Let me say, I’m not known for my cooking, but I’m trying. This was relatively easy, even though I had 3 things going at once. I’m also trying not to gain, so it fit perfectly in that plan too. Thank you!! Looking forward to exploring more of your recipes!!
Fantastic, Zoe! Thank you for sharing.
This was so delicious! I subbed a few tiny Roma tomatoes and unexpected cheddar from TJ’s instead of feta, because that’s what I had in my fridge. I honestly am not a big tomato or onion fan, but these totally converted me. The flavors were amazing together! I also have to say that roasting the peppers separately from the stuffing was genius – most recipes put it together at the end in the oven, and I find this makes them mushy, overcooked, and takes too long. I loved how easy and quick this recipe came together! It was also really adaptable, as my meat-eating partner just subbed ground meat instead of lentils, and the flavors were still good according to him. It was wonderful to find a recipe we could both eat and adapt to our dietary needs. Thanks for another winner recipe Kate! :)
Hi Samantha! I’m glad this one is a winner to you. Thank you for taking the time to comment and review.
Hi,
I love this recipe and have made it several times! I always use different color peppers to make it more colorful. I only use 3 so I can save the extra filling to chill and eat as a salad the next day. I also like to roast the garlic with the peppers and add it to the filling rather than add it with the tomatoes. Cherry tomatoes are my favorite when they are in season. Thanks so much for sharing this as it is a great alternative to the recipe I grew up with.
Juanita
P.S. “Halve” is a verb but you used it as a noun in sentence 5 (it should be “half.” No biggie, just noticed! :-)
Made this last night for dinner with a couple adjustments based on what I had in the cupboards. It was delicious. I love when I can use a recipe for inspiration and not have to worry that substituting ingredients will negatively impact the flavour. I will be making this again.
I am so happy I found your site; I try at least 2 new recipes a week from your site; so far, so good! Thanks for sharing your talents.
Perfect recipe on a hot summer lunch (we ate it at room temperature). Prep time was NOT 15 minutes in my kitchen… more like a 45 minutes. I used mint instead of basil and fonio (an African cereal) instead of couscous (cupboard cleaning !). Tasty and pleasantly unusual!
Hi! This is the second time I make the recipe, and it turns out awesome, but I don’t think I’m really understanding the couscous directions. When I follow yours and take it off the heat and add the broth and couscous, the couscous doesn’t cook and the liquid just sits there and I have to heat it up again for it to absorb and actually cook. I also tried boiling the broth beforehand, but it still wasn’t working. Any hints or suggested would be awesome! Thanks! Giving 5 stars cos it tastes amazing and is fun to make!
Made these last night exactly as written – delicious!! The filling itself could make a great bowl meal. I also really love the cooking method for the couscous – I’m going to use this again for a side dish. Another one to add to the rotation for sure!
Every single recipe you share is an absolute delight! This one… a favourite. Thank you x
You’re welcome, Louise! Thank you for your review.
Super yummy! I stumbled across this recipe after picking up some organic Good and Gathered French green lentils from Target. My husband who’s swear to hate lentils decided he would at least give them another chance so this is the recipe I settled on after looking at what seemed like a million and I was not disappointed and neither was the hubs. We both absolutely loved these peppers!!! Will definitely be making these again and again…
Fantastic recipe, great combination of flavors. I used cherry tomatoes because that is what I had and what is currently available in our stores. Also, great recipe if you are looking to add more fiber into your diet.
These were just awesome with flavour and very appealing to the eye!
I’m glad you enjoyed them, Karen!
I saw the crunch rice comment, but I was going to try these with brown rice instead of couscous, which my family doesn’t like. Should I prepare any differently to keep the rice from drying out?
Your recipes never disappoint! Made these peppers for dinner tonight and they were delicious!
I love to hear that, Niki!
do these freeze well? thank you joe
These peppers are delicious! I have been making stuffed peppers for years but these are the best I’ve had in years-thank you! We loved how roasting them prior to filling them lets the flavor come through. I think the only thing I might add next time (and there will be many more next times) I would consider adding a little panko or something for a crispy topping. They also make great leftovers