Mediterranean Rice Stuffed Tomatoes

Coming at you with Mediterranean Rice Stuffed Tomatoes to make the most of summer’s peak-season bounty! They’re mounded with a delicious filling of brown rice, caramelized corn, green onions, pistachios, feta, fresh basil and oregano. Finished with a healthy drizzle of fresh tomato vinaigrette to make this vegetarian, gluten-free dish even tastier.

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How to Make Stuffed Tomatoes

All I can say is living in the Garden State, especially this time of year, brings sheer joy. When we came home from vacay, tomatoes and corn were at the forefront of my culinary brain. Hitting our local farmer’s market was a top priority, and these deliciously stuffed beauties were the result. Ruby red beefsteak tomatoes perfectly showcase this summery, versatile recipe.

Key Ingredients & Substitutions

• Ripe but firm tomatoes! If they’re too soft, they’ll fall apart when roasting.
• Base Filling! Rice, small pasta or quinoa are a terrific start.
• Mixed in Veggies! Corn was a no-brainer for us, but finely chopped zucchini, peppers, eggplant, mushrooms or broccoli would be great too.
• Onion! I don’t think I have a savory recipe that doesn’t include some form of onion. They’re a must-have staple. I used green, but finely chopped red, yellow or leeks will work as well.
• Cheese! Felt the Mediterranean vibe so went with feta, but any grated cheese will be delish. Or, omit to make the recipe vegan.
• Crunch! Bring on the pistachios, pine nuts, cashews, or walnuts. As long as there isn’t an allergy, you can’t go wrong.
• Fresh Herbs! I used a combo of basil and oregano because of the huge pot I have of them on my patio, but you could also use dill, mint, thyme, or tarragon.

Once the filling is made, start mounding the hollowed tomatoes. Juice from the removed pulp is the base of the vinaigrette that gets mixed into the filling and drizzled again when serving. The beauty of this recipe too is you can prep them a day in advance before baking, and they reheat perfectly if there are any leftover.

What to Serve

So love super tasty recipes that can be prepped ahead and make entertaining or getting dinner on the table easy. These stuffed tomatoes can be served warm or at room temperature, and easily stand on their own as a meatless meal. Here are a few main dish ideas these Mediterranean Rice Stuffed Tomatoes will complement deliciously.

Greek Lamb Burgers w/ Avocado Tzatziki

Jumbo Lump Crabcakes

Grilled Tequila Lime Chicken w/ Fruit Salsa

Easy Summer Kitchen Clambake

Hope you enjoy and cheers to hanging on to summer!! xx, Kim

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Mediterranean Rice Stuffed Tomatoes

Make the most of summer’s peak-season, vine-ripened tomatoes! In this delicious, vegetarian and gluten-free recipe they’re stuffed with brown rice, toasted corn, green onion, feta and pistachios then drizzled with a tomato vinaigrette. Plus, you can prep them ahead!

5 from 4 votes

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Course: Dinner, Side Dish

Cuisine: Gluten Free, Mediterranean, Vegetarian

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Servings: 4 main dish; 8-10 side dish

Author: Kim Peterson

Ingredients

• 7 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
• 1 cup fresh, or frozen and thawed, corn kernels
• 7-8 firm-ripe tomatoes, 10-12 ounces each
• 2 teaspoons white balsamic or sherry vinegar
• 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
• Kosher salt and pepper
• 4 cups cooked brown rice (you can use any rice you like, couscous, orzo or quinoa)
• ½ cup roasted pistachios, chopped (salted or unsalted)
• ½ cup green onions, thinly sliced
• ¾ cup crumbled feta
• ¼ cup fresh basil leaves, thinly sliced plus more for garnish
• 2 tablespoons fresh oregano, chopped plus more for garnish
• ½ lemon, juiced plus extra wedges for serving

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 375°F.
• Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat.
• Add corn and evenly spread over the skillet’s surface. Cook 3 minutes without stirring.
• Stir corn and evenly spread again over the skillet. Cook 3 minutes more or until kernels are slightly browned and caramelized. Remove from heat and transfer to a large bowl.
• Place a fine-mesh sieve over a medium bowl. Use a sharp serrated knife to cut off the top ½ inch of the tomatoes; reserve tops if you like. Cut out the tomatoes’ cores leaving at least ¼-inch of flesh on the sides.
• Place the removed pulp into the sieve to drain. Use the back of a spoon to press the juice through the sieve.
• Transfer ½ cup of the tomato juice to a liquid measuring cup. Discard the rest of the juice and pulp, or save for another use.
• Add the vinegar and sugar to the reserved tomato juice. Whisk in 4 tablespoons olive oil until well combined. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Set aside.
• Drizzle remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil over bottom of a 9×13-inch baking dish or 12-inch cast iron skillet.
• Gently roll the cored tomatoes in the oiled baking dish or skillet to coat, then stand them upright to fill.
• Lightly sprinkle the tomato cavities with salt and pepper. Place reserved tomato tops in baking dish if desired (I did not do this, but you certainly can if you like).
• Add the cooked rice, pistachios, green onion, and about half of the tomato vinaigrette to the cooled corn.
• Gently stir in the crumbled feta, fresh herbs and lemon juice. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
• Use a large spoon to stuff the rice mixture into the tomato cavities and mound on top. Scatter any remaining rice on the bottom of the baking dish for a crispy garnish to serve with the tomatoes. (Stuffed tomatoes can be prepped 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate. Let stand at room temperature 1 hour before baking.)
• Roast the tomatoes in preheated oven for 15 minutes. Turn oven on broil and let char 2-3 minutes, watching carefully so they don’t burn.
• You want the tomatoes to be tender but still hold their shape. Roast 10 minutes for smaller tomatoes and up to 20 minutes for larger ones.
• Garnish with more basil and oregano leaves. Pass remaining vinaigrette separately and serve with extra lemon wedges. Enjoy!

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