Stuffed Tomatoes with Rice
These stuffed tomatoes with rice, spinach, and feta are a fresh way to enjoy the flavors of the Mediterranean. A wonderful lunch or side dish, they also make great leftovers!
This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our affiliate disclosure.
As much as I love carbs, I also love vegetarian-based recipes—though, for me, the two often go hand in hand. These stuffed tomatoes with rice are one of my favorite ways to eat this dutiful member of the nightshade family. Another favorite? This simple marinated tomato salad.
These tomatoes are filled with fluffy rice, wilted spinach, creamy feta, and a splash of fresh lemon juice. It’s a bit of summer in every bite, but there’s no wrong time of year to eat these. In fact, this recipe helps revive tomatoes when they’re not in peak season.
These tomatoes are also easier to make than you might think. As long as you have a sharp knife and a little patience, they come together quickly.
I’ve made this recipe with both vine and Beefsteak tomatoes, and surprisingly, the vines hold up better. I also think their taste and texture are superior to Beefsteaks, so I recommend them here.
These stuffed tomatoes with rice have Greek flavors, but you can easily substitute them with, say, Italian ingredients like mozzarella and Parmesan in place of feta.
You can also swap the white rice with Arborio. Just be sure to adjust the time/measurements to produce the desired 1 cup of cooked rice according to this recipe.
Why You’ll Love These Stuffed Tomatoes with Rice
- Fresh and flavorful: The juicy vine-ripened tomatoes paired with bright lemon juice, earthy spinach, and creamy feta make this dish feel vibrant and satisfying without being heavy.
- Easily customizable: With a base of veggies, olive oil, and rice, it’s naturally vegetarian and easy to adapt—use brown rice, quinoa, or even add chickpeas for extra protein.
- Elegant and easy: Despite looking fancy enough to serve guests, the steps are simple and approachable—perfect for a weeknight dinner or a special occasion side dish.
Key Ingredients
- Vine Tomatoes: This recipe was tested successfully with vine tomatoes, so I recommend them here.
- White Rice: Long-grain white rice makes a sturdy filling for these stuffed tomatoes.
- Feta Cheese: This salty, briny cheese adds a sharp bite to otherwise mild-tasting ingredients.
See the recipe card below for more information on ingredients and quantities.
How to Make These Stuffed Tomatoes with Rice
- Cook rice: Boil long-grain white rice for 1 cup cooked. See recipe notes.
- Prep tomatoes: Preheat oven to 400°F. Slice 1/4″ off the tops of 4 firm vine tomatoes. Scoop out the insides, salt lightly, and place upside down on a paper towel to drain.
- Make filling: Heat the olive oil in a pan. Sauté the spinach with the garlic powder, salt, and black pepper until spinach wilts. Stir in cooked white rice, more olive oil, lemon juice, and crumbled feta. Adjust seasoning.
- Stuff & bake: Fill tomatoes with rice mixture, packing it in and mounding slightly on top. Place in a lightly oiled baking dish, drizzle with olive oil. Cover loosely with foil (or leave uncovered for a crispy top) and bake for 20 minutes or until skins just begin to shrivel.
Pro Tips
- Use a sharp knife: A dull blade will make it more difficult to slice the tops off the tomatoes and could even “smoosh” them.
- Use firm tomatoes: The firmer they are, the better they’ll hold up when you cut off the tops and remove the pulp.
- Discard the tomato pulp: Many stuffed tomato recipes call for removing the pulp, chopping it up, and adding it to the rice mixture, but I find that it only creates a watery mess. I also don’t think it adds much extra flavor, so I recommend throwing it away.
Variations & Substitutions
-Use Beefsteak or even Roma tomatoes. If using Beefsteak, you may need just 2 or 3 of them; for Roma, you may need at least 6.
-Use any rice you like, such as Arborio, Basmati, or brown rice. Just make sure to adjust the time/measurements to produce 1 cup of cooked rice.
-Swap the feta with mozzarella for an Italian flair. You can cube the mozzarella and stir it into the rice, or add it to the top of the tomatoes during the last few minutes of cooking.
-Replace the spinach with another leafy green, like kale. Just cook the kale to desired tenderness first.
-Top the tomatoes with panko breadcrumbs for some crunch. Drizzle the panko with extra virgin olive oil so they’ll brown nicely in the oven.
Recipe FAQs
Yes! You can prepare and stuff the tomatoes up to a day in advance. Cover and refrigerate them, then bake just before serving. You may need to add a few extra minutes to the baking time if starting from cold.
Yes. Depending on the size of your tomatoes, you might have a little filling left. Save it as a quick side dish or snack.
Covering them with foil helps retain moisture, keeping the rice soft and preventing the tomatoes from drying out. If you prefer a slightly crispy top, you can skip the foil or remove it for the last few minutes of baking.
Storage
Refrigerator: Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator and consume within 3 days.
Freezer: I don’t recommend freezing these tomatoes.
Reheat: You can gently reheat the tomatoes in the oven or microwave.
More Vegetarian Recipes
- Italian peppers with olives and breadcrumbs
- Potato-tomato casserole with Gruyère
- Roasted Parmesan carrots
- Zucchini and eggs
If you’ve enjoyed this recipe, please take a moment to leave a five-star review below. You could also tag me on Instagram (@forcarbssake) with a picture of your finished dish!
Stuffed Tomatoes with Rice
Ingredients
For the Tomatoes
- 4 vine tomatoes large, firm
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
For the Filling
- 1 cup cooked white rice (Note 1)
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil plus 2 teaspoons
- 1 cup baby spinach fresh, tightly packed
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- Black pepper freshly ground
- ½ lemon squeezed
- 2 ounces feta crumbled
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400F. See Note 1 for how to prepare the cooked rice.
- Use a sharp knife to slice about ¼" inch off the top of each tomato. Use a paring knife to gently cut around the edge of the inside of each tomato, and use a spoon to scoop out all the pulp and discard it. Season the inside of each tomato with the ¼ teaspoon salt, and turn each one over onto a paper towel to allow them to drain while you prepare the rice filling.
- Heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a medium sautée pan. Add the spinach, garlic powder, salt, and black pepper. Cook until the spinach wilts, 1 to 2 minutes.
- Stir the cooked rice into the spinach and the remaining 2 teaspoons of olive oil. Add the lemon juice, and give everything a quick stir. Stir in the crumbled feta. Taste and adjust for salt and pepper. Remove the pan from the heat.
- Stuff each tomato with some of the rice mixture. Press the filling into each one with a spoon to ensure they're well packed and mounded on top. You may have a small amount of rice left over.
- Place the tomatoes in a lightly oiled casserole dish or on a sheet pan. Top each tomato with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.
- Blanket the dish or sheet pan with a piece of aluminum foil, but don't wrap it tightly. If you prefer to brown the top of the rice for some crunch, leave the foil off. Bake for about 20 minutes, until the tomato skins just begin to shrivel. Enjoy!