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Meat, South and mountains

Niçoise stuffed vegetables with rice

Niçoise stuffed vegetables are summer tomatoes, zucchini and bell peppers filled with a meat, herb and parmesan stuffing, baked and served with rice. This recipe serves 4, takes 1h15, is medium difficulty, and costs about €3.10 per person. The key is cooking the stuffing mixture thoroughly before filling, so the vegetables don't turn watery.

Tonight it's a little celebration, Niçoise stuffed vegetables, tomatoes, zucchini and bell peppers filled with meat and herbs, served with rice.

Niçoise stuffed vegetables with rice
Total time
1 h 15
Difficulty
Medium
Cost per person
€3.10
Calories per person
710 kcalcalculated by Kiloach, your weight coach
Season
Summer
The kids
They generally like it

Niçoise stuffed vegetables play on contrast, soft vegetables that almost melt in the oven against a dense meat filling seasoned with basil and sharpened with parmesan. The flesh scooped from the vegetables goes right back into the stuffing, so every bite tastes more intensely of tomato, zucchini and pepper. Rice, spooned with the baking juices, rounds out the plate without weighing it down.

This is a peak summer dish, best made when tomatoes and zucchini are at their finest, and a good way to fill a slow Sunday without spending the whole day in the kitchen. Kids usually enjoy helping scoop out the vegetables or picking their favorite color of bell pepper. Mon Chou pairs this version with rice, so you get a full meal from a single trip to the oven.

The ingredients

4 people

Fruits and vegetables

  • round tomatoes 4
  • round or long zucchini 2
  • bell peppers 2
  • onions 2
  • garlic 2 cloves
  • basil 6 sprigs

Butcher

  • ground beef 300 g
  • sausage meat 200 g

Bakery

  • stale bread 2 slices

Dairy

  • grated parmesan 50 g

Pantry

  • riceoften in the pantry 250 g
  • olive oiloften in the pantry 4 tbsp
  • saltoften in the pantry 1 pinch
  • pepperoften in the pantry 1 pinch

Allergens Gluten, Lactose

The step by step recipe

  1. Preheat the oven to 190 degrees, cut a lid off the tomatoes, halve the zucchini and bell peppers and scoop them out, keeping the flesh.

    Salt the inside of the tomatoes and turn them upside down for ten minutes, they release their water.

  2. Chop the scooped vegetable flesh with the garlic and onion and cook it all in the olive oil. 8 min

    Cook until the liquid has evaporated, otherwise the filling turns soggy.

  3. Mix the ground beef, sausage meat, cooked vegetable mixture, bread soaked in a little water, basil, parmesan, salt and pepper.

    Taste a spoonful of the filling cooked in a pan to adjust the seasoning.

  4. Fill the vegetables with the stuffing, place them in an oiled baking dish, drizzle with olive oil and bake. 45 min

    Put the lids back on the tomatoes so they don't dry out.

  5. Cook the rice and serve it alongside the stuffed vegetables. 11 min

    Spoon the baking juices over the rice, there's plenty of it.

Our tips to get it right

  • Pick firm tomatoes and zucchini, they hold their shape better in the oven instead of collapsing.
  • Trim a thin slice from the base of halved zucchini and peppers so they sit flat and steady in the baking dish.
  • If the filling looks dry once mixed, loosen it with a spoonful of the liquid from the scooped vegetables instead of water.

The variations

  • Swap the ground beef and sausage meat for cooked lentils and chopped mushrooms for a vegetarian version that stays just as satisfying.
  • Use sausage meat only if you don't have ground beef on hand, the result stays moist and tender.
  • For quick kid-friendly portions, stuff cherry tomatoes and baby zucchini instead, easier to eat in just a few bites.

What to serve it with

  • A simple green salad
  • An extra drizzle of olive oil
  • Cold water with lemon

Storage

Stuffed vegetables keep 2 to 3 days in the fridge in a sealed container. They freeze well once cooked and cooled, and reheat best covered in the oven. Keep the rice separate and reheat it in a pan with a splash of water or over steam.

Questions about this dish

Can you make these ahead of time?

Yes, you can stuff the vegetables the day before and keep them covered in the fridge. Just bake them the next day, adding a few extra minutes since they'll go into the oven cold.

Can you replace the sausage meat?

You can use ground beef alone, or a mix of ground beef and veal. The texture will be slightly less tender but the dish still works well.

How do you keep the vegetables from getting watery?

Salt the inside of the tomatoes and let the scooped vegetables drain for a few minutes before filling them. The flesh you blend into the stuffing should also be cooked down so its water evaporates.

Can you freeze stuffed vegetables?

Yes, once cooked and fully cooled, they freeze well in an airtight container. Thaw in the fridge before reheating in the oven.

How long does it take to make Niçoise stuffed vegetables with rice?

Count 1 h 15 in total, prep and cooking included. The recipe is rated “medium”.

How many calories are in Niçoise stuffed vegetables with rice?

About 710 kcal per serving, for a recipe meant for 4 people. Calories are calculated by Kiloach, your weight coach, the app that partners with Mon Chou.

How much does Niçoise stuffed vegetables with rice cost?

About €3.10 per serving, or €12.40 for 4 people, based on average supermarket prices.

What allergens does this recipe contain?

This recipe contains gluten, lactose. Always check the labels of the products you buy.

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