Ardei Umpluți de Post (Fasting Stuffed Peppers)

Romanian Fast With Oil Published April 10, 2026

Stuffed peppers are as common in Romania as they are across the Balkans, and the fasting version — filled with seasoned rice, vegetables, and herbs instead of the usual meat mixture — is a pillar of Lenten cooking. The peppers are braised slowly in a tomato sauce until they soften and the rice absorbs all the surrounding flavors. This is the kind of dish where the whole is vastly more than the sum of the parts.

Romanian cooks prefer a specific pale, round pepper variety called gogoșari for stuffing, but any bell pepper with a good cavity works. The sauce matters as much as the filling — it should be tangy and slightly sweet.

FASTING LEVEL: Fast With Oil
SERVINGS: 6 (12 peppers)
TIME: 1 hour 30 minutes

INGREDIENTS

- 12 medium bell peppers (mixed colors), tops cut off and seeds removed
- 300g white rice, uncooked
- 2 large onions, finely diced
- 2 carrots, peeled and grated
- 200g mushrooms, finely chopped
- 3 tablespoons sunflower oil
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon sweet paprika
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme or savory (cimbru)
- Salt and black pepper to taste
- 500ml tomato passata
- 1 cup water
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 2 bay leaves
- Fresh dill and parsley, chopped

METHOD

1. Heat the oil in a skillet over medium heat. Cook the onions for 7-8 minutes until soft and golden. Add the grated carrots and chopped mushrooms and cook for 5-6 minutes until the mushroom liquid has evaporated. Add 1 tablespoon of the tomato paste, paprika, and thyme. Stir for 1 minute.

2. Remove from heat. Add the uncooked rice, half the chopped dill, and season with salt and pepper. Mix thoroughly. The rice will cook inside the peppers.

3. Stuff each pepper about three-quarters full — leave room for the rice to expand. Replace the pepper tops as lids.

4. Stand the peppers upright in a pot just large enough to hold them snugly. Mix the passata, water, remaining tablespoon of tomato paste, sugar, and a generous pinch of salt. Pour this sauce around the peppers. Tuck bay leaves between them.

5. Bring to a gentle simmer, cover tightly, and cook over very low heat for 60-70 minutes. The peppers should be tender, the rice fully cooked, and the sauce thick and reduced. Check occasionally and add a splash of water if the sauce reduces too quickly.

6. Let rest for 10 minutes in the pot. Serve 2 peppers per person, spooned with plenty of sauce and scattered with fresh parsley and dill. A dollop of mămăligă on the side is traditional.

NOTES

- The sugar in the sauce is traditional and balances the acidity of the tomatoes. Adjust to taste.
- Cimbru (summer savory) is the traditional Romanian herb for stuffed peppers, more so even than thyme. If you can find it, use it.
- Some cooks add a tablespoon of uncooked rice to the sauce to help thicken it — a useful trick.
- Leftovers reheat beautifully. The peppers absorb more sauce as they sit and arguably taste better the next day.