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Home » Mediterranean

Gemista Recipe

Published: Aug 20, 2021 · Modified: Mar 14, 2023 by Amira · This post may contain affiliate links which won’t change your price but will share some commission.

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Gemista or Yemista is a delicious traditional Greek dish of stuffed veggies. We enjoy the vegetarian version of this dish, but you can add ground meat to it as well.
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A pinterest collage for vegetarain gemista recipe.

Gemista pronounced yemista is a traditional Greek recipe, the perfect end of the summer meal. Fresh vegetables are stuffed with veggies, seasonings, herbs and rice in this festive yet simply satisfying meal. Add ground beef to the filling if you wish, however I am going to show you my way for these Greek stuffed peppers and tomatoes.

Next time try the mahshi, an authentic Middle Eastern dish.

A bird's eye image of an oven dish of gemista.
The rice mixture in this recipe is to die for, make sure not to waste any.

Head to your garden bursting with homegrown veggies or to your nearest farmer's market (my favorite) to relish in the abundance of colors and the smells of fresh vegetables around you. Select tomatoes, bell peppers, zucchini, potatoes - this is a Greek stuffed tomatoes dish that everyone will love as it has a little bit of everything.

Jump to:
  • ❓Why This Recipe Works
  • 📝 Ingredients
  • 🥄 Instructions
  • 💡 Tips
  • ⌛ Make Ahead
  • 🍽️ Serve With
  • 🧺 Storage
  • 👩‍🍳 Variations
  • 💬 FAQs
  • 📣 More Recipes From the Blog
  • Gemista (Greek stuffed tomatoes and peppers)

❓Why This Recipe Works

  • Very adaptable to your liking.
  • Feeds a crowd.
  • Comfort food that is unforgettable with its flavor combo.

Gemista, also known as Yemista in Greek means 'filled with'. And Gemista is also the name for a traditional Greek stuffed dish of tomatoes, peppers and other veggies. The stuffed vegetables are then baked to a delicious perfection. Although, there are many steps in this recipe, It is a very forgiving recipe.

Meaning you can use any veggies alongside with tomatoes. Add your own combination of dried and fresh herbs. Add more (or less) seasonings as well as type of olive oil. I prefer extra virgin olive oil, but you can use whichever kind you have on hand.

Also the kind of rice to use is up to you, in this recipe I used short grain rice but you can use whatever your preference may be.

📝 Ingredients

Gemista ingredients on a white counter top.

📋 Ingredient Notes

  • Feel free to stuff any veggies you have like zucchini, onions, eggplants, zucchini flowers like Mahshi. This recipe works great with almost any vegetables.
  • You can prepare Gemista with any rice - long or short grain; they both work well.
  • Use any herbs you like or herb combinations fresh or dried but personally I prefer fresh herbs.

🥄 Instructions

A collage of 4 images showing how to make the cooking sauce for the gemista.
  1. In a large skillet over medium-high heat sauté diced onions until tender then add crushed garlic.
  2. Pour in the pureed tomatoes, stir in the spices. Cook the sauce for about 10-15 minutes.
  3. Spread sauce on the bottom of your baking dish.
  4. Prepare and core the veggies. Dice the tomato flesh liberally with a sharp knife and set aside.
A collage of 4 images showing how to make gemista filling.
  1. On a skillet sauté onions then add diced mushroom and garlic after that stir in rice.
  2. When the rice is a bit translucent add zucchini, the flesh of the tomatoes, and the spices..
  3. Pour water and reduce heat to medium. Wait until the liquid is absorbed then turn heat off.
  4. Add the fresh herbs and stir everything well, taste to adjust seasoning.
A collage of two images showing how to assemble gemista and make it ready for baking.
  1. Cut potatoes into wedges and place them at the bottom of the dish, season with more salt & pepper, if desired.
  2. Fill the vegetables with the filling we already prepared and cover with the the cut vegetable top. Arrange the stuffed veggies on your baking dish and if there is any extra filling you can place them in the baking dish as well. Drizzle with some extra oil and bake covered with aluminium foil as directed below.

💡 Tips

  • You can add ground meat to the filling for a non-vegan option.
  • This dish actually tastes better the next day which makes it a great candidate for make ahead meals.
  • You can put the dish under the broiler for a couple of minutes for an extra fancy look.

⌛ Make Ahead

You can bake the dish then wait for it to cool down completely and refrigerate or prepare the dish and refrigerate for one day before baking. Cooked yemista can stay in the fridge for up to a week.

🍽️ Serve With

Tzatziki sauce or Melitzanosalata or any green salad work pretty well with Gemista. You can also serve it with kofta or grilled chicken.

🧺 Storage

Store any leftovers in a container in the refrigerator for up a week. I find that peppers can hold on longer but tomatoes tend to go bad quicker so keep that in mind too. Reheat in the microwave or in the oven covered and a a little extra water.

👩‍🍳 Variations

  • Use any herbs you like or herb combinations fresh or dried but personally I prefer fresh herbs. Mint, parsley, oregano, basil, dill and cilantro are among the herbs you can use
  • You can add ground beef/chicken/turkey/sausage to the filling for a non-vegan option.

💬 FAQs

Do I need to parboil the whole veggies before stuffing?

No, the veggies will cook wonderfully in the oven when you wrap it tightly at first with parchment and foil.

What kind of vegetables do you use for Gemista?

Tomatoes, green bell peppers or any peppers of your preference, zucchini, onions, eggplant, zucchini flowers and whatever you can think of can be used! Beef steak tomatoes are great to use as they are bigger tomato but any will suffice.

Should I peel the potatoes for Gemista?

I do, however, I have heard that some say the peel adds even more flavor. After washing and scrubbing the potatoes, cut them with the peel on and add them to the baking dish.

How do I add ground meat to this recipe?

The ground meat is added at the start of making the filling. Before sautéing the onions, brown the ground meat and then continue on making the filling.

A small white serving plate with a gemista in it with potato wedges on the side.
Almost every Greek household has their own preferred Gemista.

📣 More Recipes From the Blog

  • Kousa Mahshi, stuffed zucchini in a delicious garlic and yogurt sauce. One of the many variations for the traditional Arabic Mahshi recipe.
  • These stuffed onions are cooked to perfection in the slow cooker. Stuffed with a delicious rice and ground meat filling.
  • Turmeric rice is a fragrant and fluffy rice recipe popular throughout the Mediterranean countries. Basmati rice cooked with turmeric and other aromatic spices for a festive side dish.
  • Warak Enab or stuffed grape leaves one of our favorite especially during holidays.
  • Mediterranean Roasted Vegetables are bursting with Mediterranean flavors from a special spice mix of oregano, sumac, dried basil and more.
  • Koshari is a delicious Vegetarian Egyptian dish with rice, pasta and lentiles all with a spicy carlicky tomato sauce. Learn how to make Koshari like a pro wih this easy recipe.
  • Revani is a classic Mediterranean semolina cake drenched in lemon infused simple syrup and topped with coconut flakes. Great to end up any Greek meal.
  • Mahshi is the Arabic word for anything stuffed and this mahshi recipe got them all. Delicious vegetables stuffed with fragrant aromatic rice mixture and cooked in tomato sauce.

I hope you'll like this recipe and please if you make this recipe, snap a pic and hashtag it #amiraspantry — I love to see your creations on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter!
Don’t want to miss a recipe? Sign up for the FREE Amira's Pantry newsletter delivered to your inbox with lots of tips and surprises! And stay in touch with me on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Instagram for all the latest updates.

If you like this recipe do not forget to give it a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ star rating and attach a photo of your finished dish. It is always a pleasure of mine to see your photos and check your own take of the recipe. Thank you.

A bird's eye view of a Gemista casserole placed on a grey countertop.

Gemista (Greek stuffed tomatoes and peppers)

Gemista or Yemista is a delicious traditional Greek dish of stuffed veggies. We enjoy the vegetarian version of this dish, but you can add ground meat to it as well.
5 from 3 votes
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Course: Main Course, Side Dish
Cuisine: Greek, Mediterranean, Middle East, Middle Eastern
Diet: Gluten Free, Halal
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
Servings: 8
Calories: 250kcal
Author: Amira

Ingredients

  • 2 Tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 Large onion chopped in your food processor.
  • 2 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 ½ cup tomato puree 12oz
  • 1 teaspoon salt or to taste
  • ½ teaspoon black pepper or to taste
  • ½ teaspoon dry oregano
  • ½ teaspoon sugar

The Filling:

  • 2 Tablespoons olive oil more for brushing
  • 1 onion diced
  • ½ cup mushroom diced
  • 2 cloves garlic minced
  • ½ cup short grain rice
  • 2 large zucchini cubed about 1 pound
  • Pulp of the tomatoes we are stuffing
  • 1 teaspoon dry oregano
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • ¾ cup of water or vegetable broth
  • ½ cup fresh parsley chopped
  • 2 Tablespoons fresh mint chopped
  • 4 Tablespoons fresh dill chopped

For the veggies:

  • 3 large tomatoes
  • 4-5 bell peppers any color
  • 3 potatoes

Instructions

  • Preheat your oven to 400F.

Make the cooking sauce:

  • In a large skillet over medium heat add olive oil and sauté diced onions until. tender. Add crushed garlic and continue for another 30 seconds.
  • Pour in the pureed tomatoes, stir in the spices.
  • Cook the sauce until reduced and thickened for about 10-15 minutes.
  • Take the sauce out and spread it at the bottom of your baking dish.

Prepare the vegetables:

  • Cut the top part of the bell peppers and trim any white or seeds from the inside.
  • Cut the top of the tomatoes and core, keep the pulp.
  • Dice the tomato pulp liberally with a sharp knife and set aside.

Make the filling:

  • On a skillet sauté onions in olive oil until translucent.
  • Add diced mushrooms and keep stirring for another minute.
  • Add garlic and stir in rice.
  • When the rice is a bit translucent add zucchini, chopped tomato flesh, and the spices and mix everything together.
  • Pour water and reduce heat to medium.
  • Wait until the liquid is absorbed then turn heat off.
  • Add the fresh herbs and stir everything well, taste to adjust seasoning.

Arrange the dish:

  • Peel potatoes and cut into wedges, wash with some water and drain.
  • Place the potato wedges at the bottom of a large baking pan with the sauce and season with more salt & pepper, if desired.
  • Fill the vegetables with the filling we already prepared and cover with the cut tops of the tomatoes or peppers.
  • Arrange the stuffed veggies on your baking dish and if there is any leftover filling you can place them it in the baking dish as well.
  • Drizzle the vegetables or brush with a little extra olive oil.
  • Cover with parchment paper then aluminum foil and place the baking tray in the center rack of your oven.
  • Bake the Gemista for 45 minutes covered then uncover and bake for another 30-45 minutes or until done to your liking.

Notes

  • Feel free to stuff any veggies you have like zucchini, onions, eggplants, zucchini flowers or green peppers. It is like Mahshi works great with almost any vegetables.
  • You can use yellow or red onion.
  • You can use tomato sauce or tomato paste if you like.
  • You can prepare Gemista with any rice long or short grain; they both work well.
  • Use any Herbs you like or herb combinations fresh or dried but personally I prefer fresh herbs. 
  • You can add ground meat to the filling for a non-vegan option.
  • Serve with: 
    • Tzatziki sauce or Melizanosalata or any green salad as well. Kofta and grilled chicken goes well with this dish too.
    • Some people like to serve it topped with some feta cheese and pine nuts.
    • Serve hot or room temperature.
  • Store:
    • Store any leftovers in a container in the refrigerator for up a week. I find that peppers can hold on longer but tomatoes tend to go bad quicker so keep that in mind too.
    • Reheat in the microwave or in the oven covered and add a little extra water.
  • Make ahead:
    • You can bake the dish then wait for it to cool down completely and refrigerate or prepare the dish and refrigerate for one day before baking. Cooked yemista can stay in the fridge for up to a week.
 
 

Nutrition

Calories: 250kcal | Carbohydrates: 41g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Sodium: 324mg | Potassium: 1143mg | Fiber: 7g | Sugar: 11g | Vitamin A: 2925IU | Vitamin C: 124mg | Calcium: 62mg | Iron: 3mg
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About Amira

I’m overjoyed that you have stopped by! My hope is to introduce you to new flavors, creative ways and fresh takes on favorites. To help you create food with style that will bring everyone around your kitchen table. From weeknight dinners for crazy busy days to desserts with the “wow” factor, and classic comforts from the Mediterranean. One thing in common, they are all recipes that have been tried and tested by family and friends.

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Comments

  1. Anna Likousis

    August 22, 2021 at 6:41 am

    5 stars
    It's an amazing dish. Thank you for introducing it.

    Reply

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I send warm greetings from sunny Colorado. This blog combines weeknight dinners for crazy busy days to desserts with the “wow” factor, and classic comforts from the Mediterranean.
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