Oklahoma weather never abides by the calendar and while it may be fall, the season for summer squash isn’t over yet. I’ve already decorated my apartment with miniature pumpkins in eager anticipation, but it’s 90 degrees outside and I’m going to eat zucchini and bell peppers while I still can!
I couldn’t resist these cute globe zucchinis when I spotted them at the farmer’s market. I decided to try stuffing them with my new favorite cooked grain, wheat berries. Once cooked, the whole, unprocessed wheat kernels become addictively chewy on the outside and soft on the inside. I also added my homemade basil pesto, crumbled feta and sautéed onions and red pepper. Chickpeas lent some substance and, once baked, echoed the wheat berries’ contrasting chewy/soft textures.
I knew I couldn’t go wrong by mixing together my favorite vegetables and flavors, and these stuffed vegetables were even better than I had hoped. If you come across some beautiful bell peppers or globe zucchinis over the next few weeks, don’t pass them by. We’ll have all winter for butternut!
How to cook wheat berries:
- Measure out one cup of hard red winter wheat berries. Carefully sift through them, removing any debris.
- Pour the wheat berries into a mesh colander and rinse thoroughly under cool water.
- Dump the wheat berries into a pot. Add 3 1/2 cups water and 1/2 teaspoon salt.
- Over high heat, bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat to low and simmer for an hour, stirring occasionally.
- Drain and rinse. Serve hot, or let cool and store in the refrigerator for later. You can also freeze them for up to a month! Source: Eating Well.
Stuffed Vegetables with Wheat Berries, Pesto and Chickpeas
- Author:
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
- Category: Main
Globe zucchinis and bell peppers stuffed with a delicious combination of wheat berries, feta and pesto make a perfect end-of-summer side dish or entrée!
Ingredients
- 6 to 7 globe zucchinis and/or bell peppers, sliced in half through the stem
- 2 cups cooked wheat berries (see instructions above).
- 2 cups cooked chickpeas (or about 1 can of chickpeas, rinsed and drained)
- ½ cup basil pesto
- 4 oz crumbled feta, which is about ⅔ cup
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- ½ cup diced red onion
- 1 small red pepper, chopped
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- salt and pepper, to taste
- lemon juice (optional) for drizzling over the vegetables after baking
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and grease a baking sheet or large casserole dish.
- Over medium heat, sautée garlic and onion with a dash of olive oil for a few minutes. Add red pepper and sautée for a few more minutes. I feel that this step brings out the flavor in those ingredients, but you could skip it if you’re short on time.
- In the meantime, use your fingers and a big spoon to scoop out the insides of your halved globe zucchinis and/or bell peppers.
- In a large bowl, mix together the stuffing: wheat berries, chickpeas, pesto, feta and sautéed vegetables. Add salt and pepper to taste. Resist the urge to eat the whole bowl.
- Use a spoon to stuff your vegetables with the mixture. Mound some extra stuffing on top.
- Bake for 22 to 30 minutes, until the sides of the vegetables yield to a gentle squeeze. I baked mine a little too long so I reduced the baking time here.
- To brighten up the flavor, drizzle a bit of fresh lemon juice over the cooked vegetables. Serve and enjoy!
Vegetable enthusiast. Dog lover. I'm probably making a big mess in my Kansas City kitchen right now. 
Caroline
Mmm…I was just thinking about what to make for dinner and this looks like a winner. Maybe I’ll make an extra grocery run. :-) They look fantastic and so little and bit-sized!
kate
Those stuffed vegetables are totally worth an extra grocery run. Go for it!
Carrie @ Bakeaholic
These looks AMAZING!! I can’t wait to try this recipe!
elleinad spir
Those look amazing!!
la domestique
Wheat berries are my favorite too! Yum.
Kelsey (Happyolks)
yum! love ball squash, and chewy/crunchy wheat berries. o just got some lemon-basil in my csa this past weekend – i wonder if it would make a decent pesto?
kate
I always add lemon juice to my pesto to brighten the flavor, so I bet lemon basil would make a fabulous pesto!
Shelley
what could I substitute for wheat berries so it could be GF?
kate
Hey Shelley, I’d try brown or wild rice for a similar texture. Quinoa would work, too.
chinmayie
Yum! Such a flavorful healthy stuffing! Sounds Fab :)
genevieve
These looks absolutely delectable, and perfect for the end of season squash!
Katherine Martinelli
I know exactly what you mean about the weather! It’s still 90F in Israel too and I keep trying to get into fall flavors but seriously just want to sit on the beach and eat watermelon. I love stuffed vegetables – especially globe squash! This looks hearty and perfect. Gotta get me some wheat berries. Guess I should learn how to say it in Hebrew…
Katrina
Oh my! This sounds unreal! Love it.
Maria
You can’t go wrong with stuffed veggies! Great meal!
Haley
these sound so good! i <3 wheatberries :) plus your pictures are beautiful!
Heather
I love the way this recipe is perfectly fit for summer and fall. Plus, the stuffed veggies are so cute!
Rachel
I made this for some friends and used leftover brown rice and some homemade pesto stuffed in peppers… It was one of the best things I’ve ever cooked! I’d recommend if people are using peppers to pre-bake them a little bit because when the stuffing was done, the peppers were still a little hard. Otherwise, I wouldn’t change a thing!
kate
I’m so glad you and your friends enjoyed the recipe! That makes me happy. I used pretty small, thin-skinned peppers so that’s probably why mine cooked more evenly. Thank you for the input!