Bell peppers stuffed with herbed rice and warm spices, simmered in a light tomato broth.
Mahshi, the broad family of stuffed vegetables found throughout Lebanese cooking, includes peppers filled with a rice mixture that leans heavily on fresh herbs, parsley and mint especially, along with warm spices like allspice and cinnamon. Unlike the baked, cheese-topped stuffed peppers common elsewhere, Lebanese mahshi felfel are traditionally simmered gently in a light tomato and lemon broth on the stovetop, which keeps the peppers tender and infuses the rice with tang as it finishes cooking. The filling is only partially cooked before stuffing since the rice needs room to expand as it absorbs the simmering broth; overfilling or overcooking the rice beforehand results in split peppers or mushy rice. A layer of sliced tomato and a drizzle of olive oil on top of the peppers as they simmer helps keep the tops moist. Ground lamb or beef is traditional, but a herb-and-rice-only version is common during Lent and in vegetarian households, since the parsley and mint carry so much flavor on their own.
Serves 5
Combine rice, ground meat if using, parsley, mint, diced tomato, allspice, cinnamon, 1 tablespoon olive oil and 1 teaspoon salt in a bowl, mixing gently by hand.
Fill each pepper about three-quarters full, leaving room for the rice to expand as it cooks. Don't pack tightly.
Overfilling is the most common mistake — the rice needs space or it will split the pepper as it swells.
Stand the peppers upright, snugly packed, in a wide pot. Top each with a slice of tomato and drizzle with remaining olive oil.
Whisk tomato juice, lemon juice, garlic and remaining salt together, then pour around (not over) the peppers until the liquid comes about a third of the way up their sides.
Bring to a gentle simmer over medium-low heat, cover, and cook 40-45 minutes, until the peppers are tender and the rice inside is fully cooked.
Let the peppers rest off heat for 10 minutes before serving, spooning some of the tomato braising liquid over each one.
Choose peppers that are roughly the same size so they finish cooking at the same time.
Use short-grain rice, not long-grain — it holds more moisture and cooks more evenly inside the sealed pepper.
Keep the simmer gentle, not a rolling boil, or the peppers can split before the rice finishes cooking.
Vegetarian mahshi: omit the meat and add a handful of chopped walnuts or pine nuts to the filling for texture.
Add a pinch of dried mint along with fresh for a more intense, traditional herb flavor.
Use small zucchini or grape leaves alongside the peppers for a mixed mahshi platter, as many Lebanese families do.
Refrigerate in the braising liquid for up to 3 days; the peppers absorb more flavor over time. Reheat gently on the stovetop over low heat with a splash of water or extra tomato juice.
Mahshi, meaning "stuffed" in Arabic, is a technique found across Lebanese, Syrian and broader eastern Mediterranean cooking, with roots tracing back to Ottoman-era kitchens; the herb-heavy, rice-based filling reflects the strong Lebanese emphasis on fresh parsley and mint found throughout the country's cuisine.
Yes, a herb-and-rice-only filling is traditional and common, especially during Lent; add extra chopped walnuts or chickpeas for more substance.
They were overfilled or the rice was packed too tightly; leave room for the rice to expand and stuff loosely, not compactly.
Yes, dilute canned tomato sauce or crushed tomatoes with water at about a 1:1 ratio to approximate the lighter, brothier tomato juice used traditionally.
Per serving (320g / 11.3 oz) · 5 servings total
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