These Mediterranean vegetarian stuffed tomatoes with rice are oven-baked and filled with sautéed spinach, feta, and bright lemon. Made with pre-cooked rice and a limited number of ingredients, these tomatoes are hearty enough as a vegetarian main but also make an excellent side dish.
For more tomato recipes, try my red onion tomato salad and breaded tomatoes with anchovies.
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Quick Look: Vegetarian Stuffed Tomatoes with Rice
⏱️ Prep Time: 25 minutes
🍳 Cook Time: 20 minutes
🕒 Total Time: 45 minutes
👥 Servings: 2-4
📊 Calories: ~342 kcal per serving (based on nutrition panel)
🔥 Cook Method: Stovetop and oven-based
👩🍳 Main Ingredients: Tomatoes, rice
⭐ Difficulty: Easy-Perfect for a light dinner or side dish
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Why You'll Love Vegetarian Stuffed Tomatoes with Rice
Fresh and flavorful: The juicy, vine-ripened tomatoes, paired with bright lemon juice, baby 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 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.
What makes these stuffed tomatoes Mediterranean?
They rely on the simplicity of regional ingredients, including olive oil, rice (a Mediterranean staple), fresh spinach, and feta.
As much as I love carbs, I also love vegetarian-based recipes-though, for me, the two often go hand in hand. These vegetarian stuffed tomatoes with rice are one of my favorite ways to eat this dutiful member of the nightshade family.
This stuffed tomato recipe is a little different from others in that I discard the tomato pulp. It doesn't add much flavor, IMHO, and creates excess water (even after draining), which you don't need with cooked rice. It's also one less step in the process.
I've made this recipe with both vine and Beefsteak tomatoes, and, surprisingly, the vine tomatoes hold up better. I also think their taste and texture are superior to Beefsteaks, so I recommend them here.
For more light recipes, try sardines on toast, a chickpea salad sandwich, a salad with blue cheese, a smoked turkey salad, or an avocado cucumber salad.
Jump to:
- Quick Look: Vegetarian Stuffed Tomatoes with Rice
- Why You'll Love Vegetarian Stuffed Tomatoes with Rice
- What makes these stuffed tomatoes Mediterranean?
- Key Ingredients
- Variations & Substitutions
- How to Make Vegetarian Stuffed Tomatoes with Rice
- Pro Tips
- Vegetarian Stuffed Tomatoes with Rice FAQs
- Related Recipes
- Vegetarian Stuffed Tomatoes with Rice
Key Ingredients
See the recipe card for full ingredient and quantity information.
- Vine Tomatoes: I tested this recipe most successfully with vine tomatoes, so I recommend using 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.
Variations & Substitutions
➢Use Beefsteak or even Roma tomatoes. You may want to slice the Romas in half, since they're difficult to stand up whole. If using Beefsteak, you may need just 2 or 3; 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 timing/measurements to yield 1 cup of cooked rice.
➢Swap the feta with mozzarella and/or Parmesan 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 until it reaches the 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. Remove the foil when the tomatoes are done, and cook them for a few more minutes to achieve this.
How to Make Vegetarian Stuffed Tomatoes with Rice
Step 1: Slice off the tomato tops and just a sliver at the bottom. Scoop out the pulp, salt the insides of the tomatoes, and drain them upside down on paper towels.
Step 2: Sauté the spinach in the olive oil and garlic powder, then stir in the rice and more olive oil. Squeeze in the lemon juice and give the rice a quick stir.
Step 3: Stir in the crumbled feta, and taste to see if there is enough salt and pepper.
Step 4: Stuff each tomato with some of the rice mixture, pressing it in and ensuring it's well packed. Place them in a casserole dish; cover lightly with foil and bake at 400°F for about 20 minutes.
Pro Tips
➢Use a sharp knife: A dull blade will make it more difficult to slice the tops off the tomatoes and could "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. They'll also hold their shape better while cooking.
➢Discard the tomato pulp: Some stuffed tomato recipes call for removing the pulp, chopping it, and adding it to the cooked rice mixture, but I find it only creates a watery mess. I also don't think it adds much extra flavor, so I recommend discarding it.
Vegetarian Stuffed Tomatoes with Rice 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.
1. Using mushy tomatoes (make sure they're firm/hold their shape).
2. Not covering the tomatoes (covering them creates moisture that helps the tomatoes soften and prevents the rice from getting crunchy).
3. Filling them too much (they can be packed well, but overfilling them could cause the rice to spill out).
Refrigerator: Store in an airtight container 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.
Related Recipes
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Vegetarian Stuffed Tomatoes with Rice
Ingredients
For the Tomatoes
- 4 to 5 vine tomatoes large and firm
- ¼ to ½ teaspoon kosher salt
For the Filling
- 6 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil divided (1 tablespoon + 2 teaspoons)
- 1 cup fresh baby spinach tightly packed
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- Ground black pepper
- 1 cup cooked white rice (Note 1)
- ½ lemon squeezed
- 2 ounces crumbled feta
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400℉.
- Use a sharp knife to slice about ¼" 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.
- Use the ¼ to ½ teaspoon of salt to lightly salt the inside of each tomato. Turn them over onto a paper towel to let them 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, 1-2 minutes.
- Stir in the cooked rice 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 seasoning. 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 that remains, depending on the size/number of tomatoes.
- 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!
Notes
- Make sure the tomatoes are firm, as this makes them easier to prepare and helps them hold up better while cooking.
- Use a sharp knife to cut the tomatoes.
- Don't forget to taste the rice right before stuffing the tomatoes with it to ensure it has enough salt to your liking.
Nutrition
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These tomatoes are full of summertime flavors. Love them, and the tomatoes hold up nicely.