These couscous stuffed tomatoes are bursting with Mediterranean flavor. They’re great as a vegetarian main course or as a perfect side to any meat dish. Serve them cool or warm but, always with lots of feta!
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These Mediterranean stuffed tomatoes are packed with couscous and Greek flavor. It’s a light and refreshing summertime dish that can be served warm or at room temperature. So, make it before your guests arrive for a barbecue or serve it to your family for veggie night!
How do you core tomatoes for stuffing?
Coring a tomato might seem intimidating, but it’s not as difficult as it may seem. Start with large tomatoes so you can stuff them full. Cut the top of the tomato with the stem off, and save them for later. Then, use a small pairing knife to cut between the seeds and the outer pulp of the tomato. Be sure not to cut through the tomato because you’re just trying to remove the middle of the tomato. Next, use a spoon to very carefully remove the seeds and center pulp. Place all of the pulp in a bowl to use in the filling, and place the hollowed tomatoes in a baking dish.
Packed with Mediterranean flavor
- Large tomatoes –large works best to be able to stuff
- Olive oil
- Couscous
- Vegetable broth or water
- Scallions –a small onion or leek would be delicious too!
- Garlic cloves –grated works best, so it melts into the filling
- Spinach leaves –roughly chopped
- Kalamata olives –pitted and chopped
- Feta cheese –crumble from a block to avoid tasteless pre-crumbled feta
- Salt, to taste
- Freshly cracked black pepper, to taste
- Parsley –mint or dill would be nice too. Whatever you like best.
Tips and tricks
Tomatoes are a little acidic, so you can sprinkle a little sugar in the hollowed tomatoes to balance that. You can also push the pulp through a strainer to get rid of the seeds if they bother you. It leaves you with a much smoother tomato pulp. I don’t mind the seeds, so I just chop the pulp. You could even puree the tomatoes in a mixer.
To clean your scallions, cut them all the way down and add them to a cool bowl of water. Swirl them around to allow the dirt to settle to the bottom. Then, scoop out the scallion slices and pat dry with a paper towel.
Cutting everything in similar bite-sized pieces for the filling allows you to get a little bit of everything with each bite. Be sure not to pack the filling into your tomatoes, but don’t worry about mounding your filling on top. There’s no such thing as too much delicious Mediterranean stuffing!
Why these stuffed tomatoes will be a summertime favorite
- Tender tomato
- Light, refreshing filling
- Veggie packed
- A great dish to serve at room temperature!
Substitutes & gluten-free version
You don’t have to use tomatoes at all! You can stuff bell peppers, zucchini, or even portabella mushrooms. I just like the fresh summery tomatoes, but you can use your favorite vegetable.
You can also add veggies to the filling. Roated red peppers, mushrooms, and red onion would all be great additions.
To make this gluten-free, try quinoa or rice in place of the couscous. Cooked quinoa has a very similar appearance to couscous, and rice is very easy to use as a substitute. They both absorb liquid differently than cousous, so cook them separately before adding to your filling.
How to make Mediterranean stuffed tomatoes with couscous
- Preheat the oven to 400 °F, 200 °C.
- Cut the tops of the tomatoes off and set them aside. Scoop out the pulp and finely chop it. Set aside.
- Arrange the tomatoes in a baking dish and drizzle with some olive oil. Season the insides with some salt.
- In a skillet over medium heat, add the scallions and cook for 3-4 minutes or until softened. Add the garlic and warm through for a few seconds.
- Then, add the reserved tomato pulp and cook for about 10 minutes or until it breaks down and is soft.
- Add in the couscous, salt, pepper, and vegetable broth, along with the spinach. Bring to a boil and cover the skillet with the lid. Turn the heat off, and the couscous will be ready in 5 minutes—fluff with a fork and taste. Adjust seasoning if needed.
- Fill the tomatoes with the couscous.
- Bake on the center rack of the preheated oven for 20 minutes.
Serving
The best thing about these Mediterranean stuffed tomatoes is that they can be served warm or cool. I love them at room temperature! It makes them perfect for a picnic or as a side dish at a gathering. To keep it vegetarian, serve as a main dish with a Greek side salad. If you’d like to serve these stuffed tomatoes as a side dish, they would be perfect with anything you want to grill. Enjoy!
More Stuffed Vegetable Dishes:
- Mediterranean Stuffed Zucchini Boats
- Greek Stuffed Cabbage Rolls (Vegetarian)
- Roasted Peppers & Zucchini Stuffed with Pastitsio
- Gemista: Classic Greek Stuffed Peppers & Tomatoes
Mediterranean Stuffed Tomatoes with Couscous
Ingredients
- 4 large tomatoes
- 3-4 tablespoons olive oil plus more for drizzling
- 1/2 cup uncooked couscous
- 1 cup vegetable broth or water
- 4-5 scallions, thinly sliced
- 3 garlic cloves, grated
- 6 ounces spinach leaves, roughly chopped
- 10 Kalamata olives, pitted and chopped
- 4 ounces feta cheese
- salt, to taste
- freshly cracked black pepper, to taste
- 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh mint or parsley
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 400 °F, 200 °C.
Cut the tops of the tomatoes off and set aside. Scoop out the pulp and finely chop it. Set aside.
Arrange the tomatoes in a baking dish and drizzle with some olive oil. Season the insides with some salt.
In a skillet that is over medium heat, add the scallions and cook for 3-4 minutes or until softened. Add the garlic and warm through for a few seconds.
Add the reserved tomato pulp and cook for about 10. minutes or until it breaks down and is soft.
Add the couscous, salt, pepper, and vegetable broth, along with the spinach. Bring to a boil and cover the skillet with the lid. Turn the heat off and the couscous will be ready in 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork and taste. Add the feta and olives along with the parsley. Adjust seasoning if needed.
Fill the tomatoes with the couscous.
Bake on the center rack of the preheated oven for 20 minutes.
Serve with salad and tzatziki. Kali Orexi!
Notes
These stuffed tomatoes taste best at room temperature but can also be served cold. They're great as a vegetarian meal or as a side to any meat dish.
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you left out some steps in the instructions as to when to add the feta olives parsley, places where you add salt and olive oil. I had to try and find you video to add to instructions .
This looks delicious however you don’t mention when to add the feta and olives?