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Tomatoes Stuffed with Chickpeas and Rice

Photo: Christina Holmes

BY Mark Bittman

PUBLISHED July 18, 2025

Grilled tomatoes make a delicious edible container for all kinds of savory fillings. Once stuffed, they’re cooked with indirect heat so the tomato won’t burst while absorbing the flavor of the fire. For charcoal grillers, the smokiness will happen even if you don’t add wood to the fire; with gas it’s worth it to get a couple of handfuls of wood chips ­going. Look for ripe but firm tomatoes—overly ripe tomatoes will not hold together when you hollow them out. And I often cook additional rice to serve as a bed for the tomatoes and catch all the juices as you cut into them.

 

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Tomatoes Stuffed with Chickpeas and Rice

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Makes 4 servings 1x

Time 60 to 70 minutes, with cooked rice

Units Scale

Ingredients

  • 4 large, firm fresh tomatoes (12 ounces or more each)
  • Salt and pepper
  • 2 tablespoons good-quality olive oil, plus more for drizzling
  • 2 tablespoons minced ginger
  • 1 1/2 cups cooked white rice
  • 1 cup cooked chickpeas
  • 1/2 cup chopped fresh mint
  • Lime wedges for serving

Instructions

  1. If any of the tomatoes don’t sit squarely on the counter, cut a thin slice from the bottom to stabilize it. To core the tomatoes, slice across the top to make a 2 to 3-inch-wide opening. (You can save the tops to put back on after stuffing the tomatoes.) Use a spoon, serrated grapefruit spoon, or melon baller to scoop out the insides, leaving a wall about 1/4 inch thick. Discard the woody core and seeds and chop the pulp and bottom slices, saving the juice. Sprinkle the insides of the tomatoes with salt and pepper.
  2. Heat the oil in a medium-sized skillet over medium-high heat. Add the ginger and stir until fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the tomato pulp and juice, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring occasionally, until most of the liquid has evaporated, 10 to 20 minutes. Add the rice and chickpeas and stir with a fork ­until combined. Remove from the heat and stir in the mint; taste and adjust the seasoning. Carefully stuff the mixture into the tomatoes and drizzle the tops with oil. Set the tops back on if you like. (You can make the stuffed tomatoes to this point up to several hours in advance; cover and refrigerate.)
  3. Start the coals or heat a gas grill for medium-high indirect cooking. Make sure the grates are clean. When the grill is ready, add wood to the fire if you’re using it.
  4. Put the tomatoes on the indirect portion of the grill. Close the lid and cook ­until the tomatoes begin to wrinkle a bit and the filling is hot, 15 to 25 minutes, carefully moving and rotating the tomatoes once for even cooking. Serve hot, warm, or at room temperature with lime wedges.

—Recipe from How to Grill Everything

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