Caprese Couscous Stuffed Tomatoes

At a glance

What stands out: If you love the Italian trifecta of tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, and basil, you won’t want to miss these caprese couscous stuffed tomatoes. This recipe turns classic summer caprese into a rich light entrée!

How long it takes: 45 minutes
Equipment you’ll need: mixing bowl, baking dish
Servings: 6

Don’t you just love a margherita pizza with those tasty circles of soft mozzarella cheese, tomatoes, and fresh basil? Simple perfection! The traditional caprese combination has pleased our palates in a variety of ways.

One of our favorite recipes is this popular caprese pasta salad. It’s always a hit at picnics! Caprese turkey burgers oozing with fresh mozzarella and topped with pesto are memorable, and lately we've been loving this straightforward sheet pan caprese salmon dinner.

And we're crazy for this hot caprese dip! We can’t tell you how many times we've burned our mouth on this dip because we just can’t wait to shovel it in. On a somewhat healthier note, chicken caprese casserole is always welcome, too.

Caprese Stuffed Tomatoes

Everything you love about caprese! Bright red vine ripened tomatoes, packed full of melty fresh mozzarella, couscous, and vivid green basil make a lasting impression in this recipe for stuffed tomatoes.

Looks impressive. When you stuff anything, it looks like you spent tons of time fussing. The presentation looks like something Martha Stewart would make. In reality (don’t tell anyone!), stuffed tomatoes are pretty straightforward to mix. (Keep reading for more “stuffed” recipes!)

A meal or side dish. These couscous stuffed tomatoes are reliable for a light lunch, a vegetarian entrée, or an unforgettable side dish. Caprese stuffed tomatoes are the ultimate in summer cuisine and a rich way to showcase those reliable summer tomatoes!

Jenny Said:

“These were soooo good!! We made these last night and our family loved them! It was a weeknight meal, but they are so tasty and pretty, we want to serve them to guests.”

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What goes in

• Tomatoes: You’ll need six ripe, but still firm, tomatoes that are approximately the same size. Look for vine-ripened tomatoes because they taste a standby. That’s the most important criteria. What variety to use is less important. We love many of the heirloom tomatoes available at farm markets.
• Couscous: While it may look like a grain, couscous is a small pasta made of crushed durum wheat seminola. There are two main types of couscous: the small speedy cooking couscous or the larger Israeli or pearl couscous. For this recipe, you’ll need the small couscous, not pearl couscous.
• Fresh Mozzarella Pearls: Pearls are the small “pearl-sized” fresh mozzarella balls. You’ll find fresh mozzarella balls packaged in liquid (whey), in plastic containers in the deli section of the grocery store. If you can’t find mozzarella pearls, buy larger balls and cut them into smaller pieces.
• Parmesan Cheese: Shredded or grated Parmesan cheese adds a lot of salty flavor.
• Basil: You’ll want fresh basil for this caprese dish. It’s a basic component of anything caprese.
• Seasoning: Simple seasonings of garlic powder, kosher salt, and freshly ground black pepper are all you need.
• Balsamic Glaze, optional: For added flavor, drizzle tomatoes with balsamic glaze (as pictured). Try making your own balsamic glaze, which is simply a reduction of balsamic vinegar. It’s straightforward. You can also buy it at the store. There are a number of brands available.

How To Say "Caprese"

This Italian word is often mispronounced. Say it like this: Kuh-pray-zee. Hint: It does not sound like the three quarter length slacks called capris (kuh-preez).

How it comes together

The prep time for these stuffed tomatoes is about twenty minutes and the cook time is 25 minutes. Let’s get started!

Cook the couscous. It’s straightforward to cook. Simply bring water to a boil, add the couscous, cover the pan, turn off the heat and steam for five minutes.

Prep the tomatoes. Cut the tops off and lightly scrape out excess seeds and pulp. Place the tomatoes on paper towels, cut side down, to drain while you prepare the filling.

Make stuffing. Mix the couscous, mozzarella, Parmesan, and seasonings.

Stuff tomatoes. Lightly pack the tomatoes with the couscous mixture and place the tomatoes in a baking dish. It’s okay (and encouraged!) to mound the filling.

Bake. Put the stuffed tomatoes into the preheated oven and bake until the tomatoes are tender, the insides are warm, and the cheese is melty. Drizzle a little balsamic glaze over each tomato and sprinkle with basil. So tasty!

Reliable Size Baking Dish

Love this baking dish? So do we! The matte black doesn’t seem to be available anymore, but there are other colors available. We have white, too! It comes as a set of two.

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Ways to change it

While variations to this recipe may make it “not Caprese,” there are ways to change it up.

• Stuff peppers instead tomatoes. Stuffed peppers are always a hit and bell peppers may be easier to find in winter months than vine-ripened tomatoes. For directions on how to prepare the peppers for filling, check out this recipe for southwestern stuffed peppers.
• Amp up the veggies. Add finely chopped spinach to increase the veggie content. You could also add finely diced onion, mushrooms, or carrots but sauté them briefly before mixing them in with the stuffing ingredients.
• Make it gluten-free. Substitute cooked quinoa for the couscous. Quinoa also contains more protein than couscous.
• Sub in another type of cheese. Not crazy about fresh mozzarella? Try regular shredded mozzarella or another type of cheese.

Make Ahead Ideas

Couscous stuffed tomatoes can be completely prepared ahead of time, up to a day in advance, and refrigerated until ready to bake. Add about ten minutes to the baking time.

If you prefer, prepare the couscous, and stir up the stuffing ahead of time. Refrigerate it until you’re ready to stuff the tomatoes.

Keeping leftovers

Refrigerate: Leftover stuffed tomatoes can be wrapped securely and refrigerated up to 3 days.

Reheat: Put the tomatoes in the oven at 350℉ for ten to fifteen minutes or until heated through. You can also reheat them in your microwave in 30 second increments until the insides are warm and the cheese is soft.

Leftover Love

If you have a few stuffed tomatoes left over and you want them to look a little different the second time around, chop them up. Sauté a few extra veggies such as spinach, mushrooms, or onion in olive oil, and add the chopped stuffed tomatoes to that, stirring and heating.

Free Meal Plan

Interested in a weekly meal plan that includes this recipe? Take a look at our Meal Plan #34. You’ll find a wholesome recipe for each weekday plus a categorized grocery list. Let us do the planning for you this week!

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• Yield: 6
• Prep: 20 minutes
• Cook: 25 minutes
• Total: 45 minutes

Ingredients

• 6 medium vine-ripened tomatoes (look for ripe, but still firm, tomatoes)
• 1 ½ cups cooked couscous (¾ cup uncooked, cooked according to package directions)
• ¾ cup fresh mozzarella pearls
• ¼ cup minced fresh basil (plus more for garnishing)
• ¼ cup shredded Parmesan cheese
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt
• ¼ teaspoon coarse ground black pepper
• balsamic glaze, optional, for serving

Method

1. Preheat oven to 400℉. Prepare shallow baking dish by spraying with nonstick cooking spray.
2. Slice top off tomatoes. Scoop out excess pulp and seeds. Place them upside down on paper towels to drain any remaining liquid while you prepare stuffing.
3. In a large bowl, combine couscous, mozzarella, basil, Parmesan, garlic powder, salt and pepper.
4. Fill each tomato with stuffing mixture, pressing firmly. Place stuffed tomatoes in prepared baking dish. It's okay if the stuffing is heaped up and even overflowing a bit.
5. Bake at 400ºF for 25 minutes or until tomatoes are tender and cheese is melted.
6. Serve immediately, drizzled with balsamic glaze and more fresh basil, if desired.

Notes

Gluten-free: Substitute cooked quinoa for the couscous. Quinoa has more protein than couscous and tastes similar.

Cheese options: If you can’t find mozzarella pearls, you can use a ball of fresh mozzarella, chopped into small pieces. Try regular shredded mozzarella or another type of cheese instead of the fresh mozzarella, if you prefer.

Make ahead: Stuffed tomatoes can be completely prepared ahead of time, up to a day in advance, and refrigerated until ready to bake. Add about ten minutes to the baking time since the tomatoes are chilled.