Mediterranean Quinoa Stuffed Tomatoes
Nutrition per serving
Ingredients
- 4 large ripe tomatoes (beefsteak)
- 150g quinoa, uncooked, rinsed
- 300ml water or vegetable stock
- 100g feta cheese, crumbled
- 400g canned chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 60g pitted Kalamata olives, halved
- 40g sun-dried tomatoes, chopped
- 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
- 1 tbsp chopped fresh mint
- Salt and freshly cracked black pepper, to taste
Instructions
Simmer the quinoa in the water or stock for 15 minutes until the liquid is absorbed, then cover and rest for 5 minutes and fluff with a fork. Preheat the oven to 190°C.
Slice the tops off the tomatoes and set them aside, then scoop out the pulp with a spoon, leaving a thick wall, and lightly salt the insides.
Mix the cooked quinoa with the chickpeas, feta, olives, sun-dried tomatoes, garlic, parsley, mint, lemon juice, and 1 tbsp of the olive oil, and season with salt and pepper.
Fill each tomato generously with the mixture, arrange them in a baking dish, and drizzle over the remaining olive oil.
Bake the stuffed tomatoes for 25 minutes until slightly softened and heated right through.
Rest for 5 minutes, then serve with extra parsley and a squeeze of lemon.
This is the lunch I make when I want something filling that doesn't weigh me down. I hollow out big, ripe tomatoes and pack them with cooked quinoa, chickpeas, crumbled feta, olives, and fresh herbs, then bake them until the tomatoes soften just a little and the filling is warmed right through. It's a one-dish lunch, it looks lovely on the table, and it stays light enough for the rest of the day.
