Turkish Stuffed Green Peppers: Meatless and Savory

Turkish stuffed green peppers is highly appreciated and popular in Turkey and abroad.

So today I wanted to prepare for you my special Turkish biber dolma recipe in the meatless version.

Commonly this recipe is being prepared with meat.

But I cooked that recipe in the Turkish stuffed peppers vegan version for my vegan and vegetarian firends and they loved it so much.

So I have decided to cook the both versions in order.

First, we start with the meatless and olive oiled version.

My blog is not a vegan-specific blog.

But Turkish cuisine is so rich and there is room for everybody in this cuisine.

When I prepare a vegan-friendly recipe I precise it in the recipe but I can not describe my blog as a vegan food blog.

Today we will see together step-by-step how to make easy stuffed green peppers recipe with olive oil.

This version is so delicious, light and tasty in the same time.

When there is olive oil in the stage, the taste is almost guaranteed. ✌

If you are ready, let’s get started our journey to obtain the most delicious Turkish stuffed peppers with rice. 

What is Turkish Stuffed Green Peppers Biber Dolma?

PIN THIS SAVORY STUFFED GREEN PEPPERS WITH OLIVE OIL RECIPE TO SAVE IT FOR LATER 😊

stuffed-green-peppers-with-olive-oil and tomatoes

Turkish stuffed green peppers is a very special dish in Tuskish cuisine.

It’s been prepared with green peppers stuffed with several different combinations of ingredients according to the Turkish regions.

It’s been served hot as a main dish most of the time with Turkish yogurt and pasta. 

Commonly it contains meat but the verison that I prepare for you is the easy and meatless version of the recipe.

The Turkish stuffed green peppers is so loved and demanded by the kids as well.

Since the meatless stuffed green pepper is a well-cooked vegetable full of nutritious ingredients, this special taste offers a very savory eating experience.

Some families prefer to cook the Turkish stuffed green peppers with rice and ground beef according to their preference.

In Turkey we call this dish “dolma”.

The Turkish verb “doldurmak” means “to fill” expressing the ingredients that you fill in the peppers.

So, it’s so easy to prepare because you only need to decide what ingredients you will “fill” in the peppers.

The stuffed green peppers have made their first entry into the history stage in South American countires such as Mexico and Chile.

Then they have been brought into the Ottoman Empire with help of  Jewish traders, merchants and freemasons who had official permisson to travel freely.

The Ottoman sultans have permitted the importation of the green peppers.

So the Ottoman Palace chefs have started creating Turkish stuffed green peppers with rice recipes and several other versions.

From then the Turkish stuffed green peppers recipe has been an indispensable and tasty specialties in the Turkish cuisine.

How To Cook Vegan Stuffed Peppers With Rice Easily?

Let’s start with our ingredients preparation first.

STEP 1 : Preparation of the rice and onions

Put 1 cup of rice and 1 tea cup (100 ml) of brown bulgur in a container and cover them with water at room temperature for 1 hour.

After 1 one hour, drain them.

Add chopped onions, tomato paste, salt, ground paprika, mint, olive oil and cumin.

Knead them all for 5 minutes so that all the flavors get mingled with each other.

STEP 2 : Preparation of The Green Peppers and Tomatoes

green-peppers-and-chopped-tomatoes

Cut the heads of prewashed green peppers.

Hollow out the green peppers with help of a knife and pierce slightly the bottom of every green pepper with knife.

This step will help the stuffed green peppers to be cooked properly and balanced inside and out. 👌

Chop the tomatoes.

(I used small sized tomatoes but you may prefer the regular size by dividing them to 4 as well.)

STEP 3 : FILLING THE GREEN PEPPERS

meatless-stuffed-green-peppers-recipe

Fill the green peppers with rice&brown bulgur.

Leave one finger tickness of space on top to add the tomatoe piece.

Place tomato pieces and cut potatoes tightly.

Do not leave space between them in the pot so that they don’t move in the pot while cooking.

STEP 4: Preperation of the Savor Maximazing Sauce 

stuffed-green-peppers-sauce-recipe

Poor 1/4 tea glass of olive oil in the pot.

Add 1 table spoon of tomatoe paste and 1 tea spoon of salt.

Cook them for 5 minutes with help of a wooden spoon.

Add 3 cup of hot water.

Stir them all and poor the sauce on the stuffed green peppers.

Be sure to poor the sauce on all the peppers one-by-one so that they absorb it deeply.

Then poor all the sauce into the pot.

Place a plate on top in reverse position.

Close the lid and put it on the stove.

STEP 5 COOKING THE STUFFED PEPPERS 

Wait until it boils on high heat.

When boiled, minimize the heat to medium and let it cook for 1 hour.

Let it cool for 20 minutes and serve 😋😊😉

Turkish Stuffed Green Peppers Serving Suggestions

Turkish authentic stuffed green peppers meatless version is so popular in Turkey.

Some cooks prefer to serve it as main dish and some serve it with main meat dishes, Turkish yogurt and Turkish pasta.

If you prefered to cook this meatless version to match it with a meat dish you may combine it with Turkish kofte meatballs.

You may enrich the menu with Turkish salads or Turkish side dish meze variations as well.

What is my Turkish Stuffed Green Peppers Storage Method?

Sometimes I decide to prepare them upfront and not to cook the same day.

So how do I store them so that they keep all their fressness?

If you use my method your Turkish stuffed green peppers dont get brownish.

Step 1. Wash them all.

Step 2. Cut thier heads with help of a knife.

Step 3. Hollow the green peppers out.

Step 4. Make them wait in a tray for 1 night so they get totally dry.

Step5. Put them all in a vacuum refrigerator bags.

You may store them in the refrigerator bags up to 10 days.

When you decide to cook them, keep them in the refrigerator until the filling is totally ready.

When ready, start filling the peppers without waiting for them to melt.

If you take them out of the refrigerator too early,

your green peppers would let go of their inner juice and you can’t obtain the wished taste.

PIN THIS DELICIOUS STUFFED GREEN PEPPERS WITH OLIVE OIL RECIPE TO SAVE IT FOR LATER 😊

vegan-green-peppers-recipe

You may send me your feedback about this vegan friendly and savory recipe via my contact page and below in the comments section.

I will be so happy to read your experience with my recipe.

You may request from me all the recipes that you wish to see at turkishfoodpro.com via comment section below.

You may follow my recipes on Turkish FoodPro Pinterest boards as well.

Thank you in advance for your time.😊

Authentic Meatless Turkish Stuffed Green Peppers With Olive Oil

So nutritious and tasty vegan recipe consumable both in lunch or dinner

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 1 hour hr 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 1 hour hr

Resting Time 20 minutes mins

Total Time 2 hours hrs 30 minutes mins

Course Main Course, Side Dish

Cuisine Turkish

Servings 4 people

Ingredients

  

• 1 cup white rice long grain
• 1 tea glass brown bulgur
• 2 pieces onion middle sized
• 1 tbsp tomato paste
• 1 dessert spoon salt
• 1 dessert spoon chili pepper
• 1 tea spoon mint
• 1/2 tea spoon cumin
• 1 tea glass olive oil extra virgin
• 15 pieces green pepper
• 3 pieces potatoes
• 7 pieces cherry tomatoes to use on to filled green peppers

Green Peppers Sauce Ingredients

• 1 tbsp tomato paste
• 1/2 tea glass olive oil extra virgin
• 3 cups water
• 1 tea spoon salt

Instructions

 

• Peel them off in "zebra style" and cut their heads.

  Chop the eggplants and make them rest in salted cold water for 15 minutes.
  
• Peel off the tomatoes.

  Chop the 3 of tomatoes into small cubes.

  Chop the last tomatoe in rings.

  Chop the 2 of green chili peppers. (to place on top in later.)

  Chop the rest in small pieces for the sauce.

  Chop the onions thinly.

  Chop the garlics and pasley very thinly.
  
• Wash the salted and rested eggplants; drain and dry them with help of kitchen paper towel.
  
• Pour 1 liter of sunflower oil in the pan and heat it for 2 minutes.

  Add eggplants within the oil.

   

  When the eggplants turn into golden brown color, take them off the heat.

  Place them on a plate with paper towel.
  
• Make them rest for 15-20 minutes.

Notes

Step 1. Preparation of the rice and oignons

Put 1 cup of rice and 1 tea cup (100 ml) of brown bulgur in a container and cover them with water at room temperature for 1 hour.

After 1 one hour, drain them.

Add chopped onions, tomato paste, salt, ground paprika, mint, olive oil and cumin.

Knead them all for 5 minutes so that all the flavors get mingled with each other.

 

STEP 2. Preparation of Tomatoes and Green Peppers

Cut the heads of prewashed green peppers.

Hollow out the green peppers with help of a knife and pierce slightly the bottom of every green pepper with knife.

Chop the tomatoes.

(I used small sized tomatoes but you may prefer the regular size by dividing them to 4 as well.)

STEP 3. Filling The Green Peppers 

Start filling the green peppers with rice&brown bulgur.

Leave one finger tickness of space on top to add the cherry tomatoe piece.

Place tomato pieces and cut potatoes tightly.

Place them tightly in the pot so that they stay stable in the pot during the cooking step. 

STEP 4. Preparation of The Sauce

Poor 1/4 tea glass of olive oil in the pot.

Add 1 table spoon of tomatoe paste and 1 tea spoon of salt.

Cook them for 5 minutes continiously with help of a wooden spoon.

Add 3 cup of hot water.

 

Stir them all.

Poor the sauce on the stuffed green peppers.

Be sure to poor the sauce on all the peppers one-by-one so that they absorb it deeply.

Then poor all the sauce into the pot.

Place a plate on top in reverse position.

Close the lid and put it on the stove. 

STEP5. Cooking 

Wait until it boils on high heat.

When boiled, minimize the heat to medium and let it cook for 1 hour.

 

STEP 6. Cooling 

Let them rest for 20 minutes so that all the flavors get blended well to maximize the final taste. 

Serving Suggestions 

This specialty of the Turkish cuisine can be consumed both as main course or a perfect side dish. 

You may prefer to serve it with authentic home made Turkish yoghurt or with pasta. 

I hope you enjoy this meatless and very tasty stuffed green peppers recipe and you cook it for your friends and family. 

I will be so happy if you share your experience with my recipe on Instagram as well. 

 

 

 

Keyword mediterranean, olive oil, vegan-friendly