Stuffed Peppers for the Nine Days Leading Up To Tishah B’Av

For many observant Jews, the “Nine Days” of mourning leading up to the fast day of Tishah B’Av involves the avoidance of eating red meat and poultry. Jews customarily eat vegetarian meals as a way to mark the solemnity of Judaism’s saddest day. It was on this day, the ninth of Av, that the First and Second Temples were destroyed, and many other calamities befell the Jewish people.

This year, the Nine Days begins at sundown on August 4 and concludes with the end of Tishah B’Av on the evening of August 12. To get ideas for Nine Days recipes, I looked to the Hadassah Medical Organization’s website to see what non-meat meals its professional chefs recommend.

One common recommendation is to use legumes, such as lentils or beans, so I adapted a recipe from my cookbook, 52 Shabbats: Friday Night Dinners Inspired by a Global Jewish Kitchen, for the Nine Days or whenever a filling, vegan entrée is needed.

Peppers Stuffed with White Beans and Bulgur
Serves 4 as a main course, 8 as a side

Seasoned Tomato Sauce (see below)
1 cup cooked bulgur or couscous
8 large red, yellow and/or orange bell peppers
1/2 cup water
2 Tbsps. olive oil, plus more for the baking pan
1 1/2 cups chopped onion
1 Tbsp. minced garlic
1 cup chopped carrots
3/4 cup chopped celery
2 cups vegetable broth plus more if needed
1 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. paprika
1/4 tsp. ground turmeric
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. ground black pepper
1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
2 cups packed chopped chard
1 (15-ounce) can small white beans, drained and rinsed
1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes, drained
1/4 cup Garlic Sauce (see below) or non-dairy yogurt

Have ready the seasoned tomato sauce and bulgur. Set aside until called for.

Cut about 1/4 inch off the tops of the peppers. If the peppers wobble when standing upright, cut a thin slice off the bottom, being careful not to pierce the pepper shell. Remove seeds and discard. Chop pepper tops and set aside. Pour the water into a microwave-safe baking pan as large as will fit into your microwave. Place the peppers upright in the dish. (You might need to microwave in 2 batches.) Microwave on high until the peppers are tender, 5 to 8 minutes. Drain.

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a large baking pan, big enough to hold the peppers upright.

In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion and sauté until softened, 5 to 7 minutes. Add the garlic and sauté until golden, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the carrots, celery and the reserved chopped bell pepper and sauté for 2 minutes. Add the vegetable broth, cumin, paprika, turmeric, salt, black pepper and crushed red pepper, stir to combine and bring to a simmer. Lower the heat to medium-low and cook, stirring occasionally, until the carrots begin to soften, about 10 minutes.

Add the chard and beans and cook, stirring frequently, until the chard is wilted and the liquid is reduced but not completely evaporated. Stir in the tomatoes and the bulgur. The mixture should be wet but not too liquid. If it is dry, add more broth, a little at a time, as needed. If it is too wet, cook for a few more minutes until the liquid reduces.

Spoon the mixture into the bell peppers and place them in the baking pan, open side up. Spoon 2 to 3 Tbsps. of the tomato sauce on top of each pepper, covering the filling. Loosely cover with aluminum foil and bake for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake for another 10 to 20 minutes, or until the tomato sauce is bubbling and the filling is heated through. While peppers are cooking, make garlic sauce.

To serve, arrange 2 stuffed peppers on each of 4 plates. Drizzle with the garlic sauce (or non-dairy yogurt) and serve hot or warm.

Seasoned Tomato Sauce
In medium bowl, stir together 2 (8-ounce) cans tomato sauce, 1 Tbsp. olive oil, 1/2 tsp. paprika, 1/2 tsp. sugar, 1/4 tsp. salt and 1/4 tsp. ground black pepper. Set aside.

Garlic Sauce
In blender, add 1/3 cup fresh lemon juice, 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil, 1/3 cup garlic cloves and 1/4 tsp. salt. Process on high until smooth (may take a few minutes), scraping down blender jar as needed. For a thicker sauce, add more garlic cloves by the Tbsp. For a thinner sauce, add oil by the Tbsp. Process until smooth. Store in airtight jar in refrigerator for up to 5 days.