Mediterranean Stuffed Halloween Peppers (Vegan Gluten-Free)
Delicious Mediterranean Stuffed Halloween Peppers with an olive, sun-dried tomato and creamy orzo filling made with plant-based cream cheese alternative. Cut out eye and a mouth for the best and tastiest peppers.
These have to be the most fun I’ve had making stuffed peppers as the faces really bring them to life. While they may take some concentration, they are totally worth the extra effort of cutting out the eyes, nose and mouth and then carrying on as you would with a normal stuffed pepper. The filling is so amazing and uses my favourite plant-based and whole-food bases NUSH creamy spread (which is a cream cheese spread alternative) and adds tons of chive flavour while making the orzo filling so creamy. Read on to find out more about these peppers.
Why will I love them?
These peppers are delicious:
- Fun, seasonal and perfect for Halloween
- Made with fresh, wholesome and good-for-you ingredients
- Tender sticky sweet peppers
- Filled with a mediterranean orzo
- Packed with olives and sun-dried tomatoes
- Made creamy with vegan cream cheese
- Bakes in 30 minutes
- Great to make ahead of time
- Ideal for parties and gatherings
- Naturally plant-based, dairy-free and egg-free
- Easily gluten-free and nut-free
- Delicious for all your family and friends
- The recipe can be increased or decreased
- Makes great leftovers
If you already love the sound of these stuffed peppers, then skip ahead to the recipe card below. Or, first let’s discuss the recipe in more detail.
What ingredients do I need?
You can see the ingredients with weights in the recipe card and see my recommended and favourites in the “shop the recipe” section.
For the peppers:
- Red peppers: choose peppers they stand up well (so have a flat bottom) and the large the pepper, the more filling you can fit inside. You can use other coloured peppers, too.
- Orzo: I love using this small pasta shape but this also works with rice or other grains like quinoa.
- Olive oil: to fry off the onion.
- Red onion: or use white onion, spring onion or shallots.
- Garlic: for flavour.
- Chilli flakes: for a little heat.
- Cavolo nero, kale or spinach: use whatever greens you have to hand and chop them small so they mix inw ell.
- Sun-dried tomatoes: these add so much flavour.
- Olives: you can use black or green olives here, make sure they are pitted and chop them small.
- Cream cheese spread (dairy-free): I use the NUSH chive creamy spread which is so delicious, really creamy and made with great ingredients. They also have a natural one too, and both are almond-based.
- Salt and pepper: to season the mix.
To serve, I like to add some salad to plates, but you can also serve with roasted potatoes, wedges or a mix of salads, dips and veggies like a mezze board.
Are these gluten-free and nut-free?
These are easily gluten-free as long as you use gluten-free orzo pasta or rice. To make these nut-free use a nut-free cream cheese.
How do I make them?
These are ready in a few steps:
- Trim the tops off the peppers: either in a zigzag patter or straight off. Scoop out the insides and seeds.
- Cut out triangle eyes and noses and a mouth: and keep these small bits of pepper.
- Cook the orzo until al dente: and leave to one side.
- Fry off the onion and garlic: until softened.
- Add in the peppers and kale: and continue to cook.
- Add the orzo, fried onion mix, olives and sun-dried tomatoes: to a large bowl.
- Spoon in the cream cheese: and stir to fully combine.
- Scroop the filling into the peppers: and place the lids on top.
- Light brush with olive oil: and cover with tin foil.
- Bake for 25 minutes then remove the foil: and bake for a further 5-10 minutes.
- Enjoy hot with salads: or allow to cool and store.
How long will they last?
These are best eaten fresh but you can keep them, once cool, in a sealed container in the fridge for 1-2 days. Eat cold or warm back up in the oven for 10 minutes.
What other recipes can I try?
For more Halloween savoury and autumnal recipes:
- Roasted Pumpkin and Bean Chilli
- Easy Vegan Pumpkin Mac and Cheese
- Smoked Pumpkin Hummus
- Sun-Dried Tomato Beans and Roasted Aubergine
- Super Greens and Beans Soup
Mediterranean Stuffed Halloween Peppers (Vegan Gluten-Free)
Delicious Mediterranean Stuffed Halloween Peppers with an olive, sun-dried tomato and creamy orzo filling made with plant-based cream cheese alternative. Cut out eye and a mouth for the best and tastiest peppers.
Ingredients
- 4 large or 6 smaller red peppers
- 150g orzo (GF, where needed)
- 1 tbsp olive oil, plus extra
- 1 red onion, small dice
- 3 garlic cloves, crushed
- Pinch chilli flakes
- 30g cavolo nero, kale or spinach, chopped small
- 60g sun-dried tomatoes, chopped small
- 60g pitted olives, chopped small
- 1 sprig fresh basil, chopped small
- 100g NUSH Chive Creamy Almond M*lk Spread
- Salt and pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180Fan/200ºC and have a large, deep dish to hand.
- Put the orzo onto cook in a pan of summery water and cook for 7 minutes, until al dente. Drain and leave to one side.
- Meanwhile, prepare the peppers. Choose a flat side of each pepper and cut out triangle-shaped eyes, noses and then a mouth, saving these bits of pepper to one side. Also slice off the top of the peppers, either in one straight line, or using a zigzag pattern around the top. Remove the top and scoop out the white parts of the peppers, as well as the seeds at the top.
- Now heat a small non-stick frying pan with the olive oil and add the onion and garlic. Cook for 5 minutes with salt and pepper. Chop the pepper scraps into small pieces and add to the pan with the kale and chilli flakes. Cook for another 5 minutes to soften.
- Pour the orzo into a large mixing bowl and now add in the onion-kale mix, the sun-dried tomatoes, olives, basil and the NUSH Chive Creamy Almond M*lk Spread. Stir well until creamy.
- Divide the orzo mix between the peppers and place the lids on the peppers. Brush the tops with a little olive oil.
- Nestle the peppers into the tray and cover loosely with tin foil.
- Bake for 25 minutes, now remove the foil and cook for a further 5-10 minutes, until blistering on top.
- Enjoy straight away with salads. Or, allow the peppers to cool down and keep for the next 1-2 days in the fridge in a sealed container, although they look best fresh. You can eat them cold or warm back in the oven for 10 minutes.
Shop the recipe
Stay in touch
I look forward to heading what you think of these Mediterranean Stuffed Halloween Peppers so please let me know in the comments below and leave a star review above. If you do make these, I’d love to see so please tag me, I’m @nourishing.amy on Instagram and use the hashtag #nourishingamy. I’m also on Twitter, Facebook and Pinterest so please say hello!
With spooky pepper love x
p.s. this recipe was first made with NUSH but this blog post is not sponsored and all opinions are my own.
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