Active time: 10 minutes Total time: 1 hour, 5 minutes
Celebrate tomato season with these baked tomatoes, stuffed with a zesty Middle Eastern-inspired mixture of freekeh, chickpeas and kale and served with a tahini-Greek yogurt sauce. The freekeh and chickpeas in this recipe bring a powerful combination of fiber and protein to fuel your muscles and keep you full.
Freekeh (pronounced free-kuh) are wheat kernels that have been smoked or roasted for a subtle smoky flavor. There are two types available, cracked and whole kernel, the former cooks more quickly. If using whole-kernel freekeh, follow package instructions. Look for freekeh and za’atar (an herb and spice blend) where Middle Eastern ingredients are sold and at whole foods stores.
Stuffed Tomatoes With Freekeh, Kale and Chickpeas
Ingredients
- 8 medium (10 ounce/284g each) tomatoes
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 1/4 cups (296ml) low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth
- 1/2 cup (92g) cracked freekeh
- 1 tablespoon za’atar
- 1 cup (180g) canned chickpeas, rinsed and drained
- 1 cup (35g) baby kale leaves (loosely packed)
- 2 green onions, chopped
- 1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons lemon juice, divided
- 1 cup (237ml) plain Greek yogurt
- 1 tablespoon tahini
- 1 teaspoon maple syrup
- 1 small garlic clove, finely chopped
Directions
Preheat oven to 400°F (204°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment. Cut the tops off of the tomatoes and carefully cut the center cores out of the tomatoes and scoop out the tomato seeds and juice to create sturdy cups. Reserve cores and pulp for another use (tomato sauce, salsa, or soup). Place tomatoes cut side up on a baking sheet and drizzle with 1 tablespoon of the oil and season inside each tomato with a pinch of salt and pepper. Set aside.
In a small saucepan set over high heat, bring broth, freekeh and za’atar to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer until the grains are tender, 18–20 minutes. Remove from heat. Add the chickpeas, kale, green onions and 1 tablespoon lemon juice and stir to combine.
Spoon the freekeh mixture into the tomatoes (about 6 tablespoons per tomato) and bake until the tomatoes are tender (the skins will split in places and juices will release into the pan), about 30 minutes.
While tomatoes are baking, make the yogurt sauce. Combine the yogurt, tahini, maple syrup, remaining 2 teaspoons lemon juice and garlic in a small bowl. Season with a pinch of salt.
Serve the tomatoes warm or at room temperature with yogurt sauce spooned around the tomatoes.
Serves: 4 | Serving Size: 2 tomatoes plus 1/4 cup [59ml] yogurt sauce
Nutrition (per serving): Calories: 334; Total Fat: 13g; Saturated Fat: 4g; Monounsaturated Fat: 3g; Cholesterol, 14mg; Sodium: 392mg; Carbohydrate: 47g; Dietary Fiber: 9g; Sugar: 10g; Protein: 15g
