Barley And Walnut-Stuffed Bell Peppers Recipe

You can find endless variations of stuffed pepper recipes in the United States, Europe, South America, and Asia. Peppers can become delicious edible vessels to enclose savory combinations of meats, grains, vegetables, cheese, and the like. This recipe for barley and walnut-stuffed bell peppers — courtesy of recipe developer Julie Kinnaird – combines nutty and chewy pearl barley, crunchy walnuts, tangy feta cheese, fresh lemon, and dried currants into sweet golden bell pepper shells. The peppers are baked with a bit of white wine and finished with fresh Italian parsley for an easy-to-prep, elegant, and nutritious dish. 

The filling for these peppers can be prepared ahead of time and stuffed just before baking. Leftovers are easy to reheat in a microwave or air fryer, so try making a double batch for easy meal prep! This recipe is vegetarian, but Kinnaird has some inspiration for switching it up and mixing in alternative flavors and ingredients.

For this recipe, you will need four large bell peppers. Kinnaird prefers the flavor of yellow or orange, but red ones are also a fine choice. Whichever color you choose, be sure to check that your peppers are perfectly fresh and ripe. Pearl barley forms the base of the filling. Kinnaird likes to cook the grains in a bit more water than the standard ratio so that they have plenty of time to get very tender. 

Dried currants add a bit of sweetness to the filling, while raw chopped walnuts give crunch. Feta cheese adds both a tangy and creamy flavor, and fresh lemon juice and zest give a nice boost of acidity. Fresh scallions, black pepper, and olive oil finish out the filling, and kosher salt is used both for cooking the barley and for seasoning the insides of the peppers. You will add a bit of dry white wine to the pan during baking, and chopped fresh Italian parsley garnishes the finished product.

Bring 6 cups of water and 1 teaspoon of the salt to a boil in a large pot.

Rinse the barley in a strainer under cold water.

Add the barley to the pot, stir, and bring back to a simmer.

Cook uncovered for 40 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Add the currants and cook 5 minutes longer, or until the barley is very tender and the liquid is absorbed.

Transfer the barley and currants to a large bowl and add the olive oil. Allow the mixture to cool at room temperature for 30 minutes, stirring a few times.

While the barley cools, trim a small portion from the bottoms of the peppers so that they will sit flat.

Slice the tops to create "lids" and remove the membranes and seeds from inside the peppers.

Place the hollowed peppers in a deep baking dish and sprinkle the insides with the remaining 1 teaspoon of salt.

Zest the lemon using a zester or a grater. Cut the zested lemon in half and juice it.

Add the lemon zest and juice, walnuts, feta, scallions, and black pepper to the cooled barley mixture.

Preheat the oven to 400 F.

Divide the barley filling between the peppers.

Replace the lids.

Pour the wine around the peppers in the dish.

Cover the dish and bake the peppers for 40 minutes.

Uncover the dish and bake 5 minutes longer.

Remove the peppers from the oven.

Take off the pepper lids and spoon any pan juices over the filling.

Garnish the filling with the parsley, and serve immediately.

Barley is a hearty cereal grain that is an excellent source of fiber. It has a mild, nutty flavor and tender, chewy texture. It is widely used in soups, stews, beverages, and breads. It also works well in dishes like risotto and pilaf. 

Barley is usually sold in two forms: hulled and pearled. Pearled barley has both the hull and bran removed. This form of barley is lighter in color, it's softer, and it cooks more quickly than the hulled variety. Along with fiber, barley also provides a variety of vitamins and minerals, including B vitamins, potassium, folate, and iron. Barley is also a source of selenium and choline, which can aid in reducing chronic inflammation. Note that barley does contain gluten (although it is a low 5–8%), so it should be avoided by people with celiac disease or other allergies to wheat or gluten.

Putting your own flavor spin on these stuffed peppers can be fun and easy. Kinnaird says to start by sticking with the basic ratios of barley to other ingredients. Instead of using walnuts, try pecans, pumpkin seeds, or roasted hazelnuts. You can switch up the feta crumbles with fresh goat cheese or even a Mexican cheese like queso fresco. Golden raisins or dried cranberries would be delicious substitutes for the currants, and chives would add a similar fresh taste in place of scallions. 

If you want to add a bit of protein, try crumbling in some crisped bacon or chopped smoked ham or turkey. The one substitution Kinnaird recommends avoiding is using green bell peppers in place of the sweeter yellow, orange, or red varieties. Green bells have a more vegetal and unripe flavor that can have an off or bitter taste once the peppers are baked. Baking enhances the flavor of the sweeter peppers, making them a more delicious vessel for whatever flavorings you choose to put in your filling.