Simon Majumdar’s Stuffed Bell Peppers with Chickpeas

Simon Majumdar’s Stuffed Bell Peppers with Chickpeas

Born from a “what’s in the fridge?” moment—Simon’s pantry-pull stuffed peppers bake right on a saucy chickpea-tomato base. I love this one because it’s forgiving, hearty, and weeknight-doable. .

Simon comes to my house not often enough, and we cook together. So, I thought I'd include one of his recipes here along with his social media account. Here is a fun one we did together during the pandemic.

Ingredients

Stuffed Peppers

• 3 bell peppers — halved lengthwise, deseeded
• 1½ lb ground beef (or pork/turkey)
• ½ onion, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, diced
• 1 tsp red pepper flakes
• 1 tsp oregano (dry or fresh)
• 3 Tbsp sour cream
• ½ cup grated cheese (Gruyère or Parmesan)
• 1 tsp tomato paste
• ½ cup water or beef stock
• Kosher salt & black pepper
• ¼ cup olive oil (for sautéing)

Chickpea Base

• 2 cans chickpeas, rinsed & drained
• 1 can chopped tomatoes
• ½ onion, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tsp oregano
• Kosher salt & black pepper
• ¼ cup olive oil

To Finish

• ¼ cup Parmesan cheese
• ¼ cup chopped fresh parsley

Ingredient groupings and measures mirror Simon’s post, organized for quick prep. :contentReference[oaicite:2]{index=2}

Method

1. Brown the meat: In a large saucepan over medium, sauté ground meat until fully browned. Remove to a bowl. :contentReference[oaicite:3]{index=3}
2. Aromatics: Add olive oil; cook onion with a pinch of salt/pepper 2–3 minutes. Add garlic 1–2 minutes; stir in red pepper flakes, tomato paste, and oregano. :contentReference[oaicite:4]{index=4}
3. Make the filling: Return meat to pan; add water/stock. Simmer gently until almost evaporated. Off heat, cool slightly; fold in sour cream and grated cheese. Spoon into pepper halves. :contentReference[oaicite:5]{index=5}
4. Chickpea base: In an oven-safe pan, warm olive oil; sauté onion with salt/pepper 2–3 minutes. Add garlic 1–2 minutes. Stir in tomatoes and oregano; simmer 5 minutes, then fold in chickpeas. :contentReference[oaicite:6]{index=6}
5. Bake: Nestle stuffed peppers (meat side up) over chickpeas. Bake at 350°F for 45 minutes. Finish with Parmesan and parsley. :contentReference[oaicite:7]{index=7}

Mediterranean Diet Points (approx.)

• Legumes: chickpea base ≈ 1 point per serving.
• Vegetables (peppers, onion, tomato): roughly ~1 point per serving if you eat the pepper and a good scoop of base.
• Dairy: sour cream + cheese ≈ ~½ point per serving.
• Tip: Use lean turkey to reduce saturated fat; keep the legumes and veg generous.

Nutrition (estimates)

Based on the full recipe divided into 4 servings. Calculated two ways: with 85% lean beef, and with 93% lean turkey. Includes oil used in both pans, sour cream, cheese, tomatoes, onions, and chickpeas; finishing parsley not included. Brands vary; salt drives sodium.

*Use low-sodium tomatoes and rinse chickpeas to drop sodium. Swap part of the oil for stock to lighten calories without losing moisture.

Credit & Links

Recipe by Simon Majumdar. Check out his food-history podcast Eat My Globe and socials from the original post. :contentReference[oaicite:8]{index=8}