Easy Feta-Stuffed Tomatoes Recipe

Stuffing foods inside other foods is an ancient art. According to Medium, the original "four and twenty blackbirds baked in a pie" once graced the tables of 16^th-century France. Very elaborate stuffed foods fell out of favor over the centuries, as, in fact, did most such elaborate dishes. While we still have that edible matryoshka known as turducken, this isn't a dish that finds its way onto most Thanksgiving tables. Stuffed veggies, on the other hand, are a dinnertime standby in many households. Stuffed peppers make for a hearty all-in-one package meal, but for a lighter alternative, recipe developer and private practice registered dietician Kristen Carli chose to stuff tomatoes instead.

"I love the idea of using peppers and tomatoes to stuff with other goodness," Carli says. She goes on to note, "Feta and tomatoes are a natural pairing," and figures that "having a plant-based protein and whole grain would make this a complete meal on its own."

Feta-stuffed tomatoes work well to prepare for so many plans you may have. Whether it's a light lunch with friends or a side dish you're serving with a steak dinner, you really can't go wrong with this recipe! It's colorful, delicious, and incredibly easy to prepare.

Carli says the flavor profile she was looking for when she dreamed up the idea of these feta-stuffed tomatoes was "bright, refreshing, and savory." In order to achieve this, she uses fresh tomatoes and parsley, plus some fresh lemon juice to add a little zing. She also adds feta for some cheesy goodness, and that rising star amongst ancient grains, quinoa, completes the dish. We have say that Carli definitely achieves her aim here, as this ingredient combo adds up to something that's just perfect for a summertime side or light meal.

The quinoa in this dish is something Carli describes as "the nutritional star." She refers to quinoa as "an excellent plant based protein and whole grain — [one that] will keep you full and energized [as] it is filled with fiber. "

In order to cook the quinoa, boil 1 cup of water in a small saucepan. Bring the water to a boil, then turn the heat down to a simmer. Let the quinoa simmer for 15 minutes. After it's done cooking, drain any excess water out of the pan.

Once the quinoa is cooked, it is time to make the filling for the stuffed tomatoes. Squeeze the juice from the lemon, strain out the seeds (a little pulp won't make any difference, but the seeds aren't too tasty), chop the parsley, and, if necessary, crumble the feta.

Mix the cooked quinoa with the lemon juice, parsley, and feta, then season the stuffing mixture with ½ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Stir the stuffing so all of the ingredients are well combined.

Preheat the oven to 350 F before you begin prepping the tomatoes, that way it should be close to ready by the time they're ready to bake. Use a paring knife to core each tomato, then take a spoon, and scoop out any remaining bits of the core as well as most of the pulp. Spoon the quinoa mixture into each tomato.

Spray an 8x8-inch baking dish with cooking spray, then arrange the tomatoes in the dish. Bake the tomatoes for 15 minutes.

"I love that these [stuffed tomatoes] can be a side or a main," says Carli. She goes on to say, "They are complete on their own if you were to serve two to three for a main dish," but suggests that if you'd like to use them as a side dish, "They would pair nicely with roasted salmon, too!"

If you want to whip up a super cute app, you can even use the quinoa mixture to stuff a pint of cherry tomatoes, although Carli cautions that this tweak "would require steady, careful hands to fill those small tomatoes." An even simpler recipe hack involves making this plant-based dish vegan, since all you would need to do would be to swap out the feta cheese for a crumbly non-dairy cheese.

So whether you're looking to serve a unique, Pinterest-worthy meal to serve your friends or family, or you're thinking of a fun dish to pair with happy hour cocktails, feta-stuffed tomatoes are the perfect choice.