How to Make Stuffed Bell Pepper Soup

Replicate the taste of stuffed peppers in a soup by making a red pepper puree.

Peppers stuffed with rice and ground beef make a fantastic summer meal, but reheating the peppers can be problematic. Luckily, the taste of dish can be replicated in soup form, which will be easy to reheat. Make a soup with beef broth and a bell pepper puree to pour over cooked rice and meat. Since red peppers have a sweeter flavor, they should be used to create the puree rather than green peppers, which may give the soup a bitter flavor.

Things You'll Need

• 8 red peppers
• Chef's knife
• Paring knife
• Spoon
• Baking sheet
• Kitchen tongs
• Bowl
• Ice water
• 1 onion
• 2 garlic cloves
• 7 cups beef broth
• 2 large pots with covers
• 1 tbsp. red pepper flakes
• 1 tbsp. cilantro
• 1 tsp. black pepper
• 1 1/2 tsp. salt
• Fork
• Food processor
• 1 cup tomato juice
• 1/2 cup cream
• 3 1/2 cup water
• 1 1/2 cup of rice
• 1 lb. ground beef
• 1 tbsp. chili powder
• Soup bowls
• Sour cream (optional)
• Shredded cheese (optional)

Instructions

Preparation

1. Cut off the tops of eight red peppers with a chef's knife. Remove the seeds from the inside of the peppers with a paring knife and spoon.

2. Cut the peppers in half and place on a baking sheet.

3. Roast the peppers in a 425 F oven for 5-7 minutes until the skin darkens and blisters.

4. Remove the pan from the oven. Remove the peppers from the pan with kitchen tongs and place in a bowl of ice water.

5. Peel the loosened skin from the outside of the peppers with a paring knife.

6. Chop the peppers and one onion, and mince two cloves of garlic.

Soup

1. Bring 6 cups beef broth to a boil in a large pot.

2. Add the red peppers, onion, garlic, 1 tbsp. red pepper flakes, 1 tbsp. cilantro, 1 tsp. black pepper and 1 tsp. salt to the broth. Simmer until the peppers are soft and can be easily pierced with a fork.

3. Ladle the broth and vegetables into a food processor and puree until smooth.

4. Pour the puree back into the pot. Add 1 cup of beef broth and 1 cup of tomato juice to the puree and simmer for 20 minutes.

5. Pour 1/2 cup cream into the pot and mix with the soup.

Filling

1. Bring 3 1/2 cups of water to a boil.

2. Add 1 1/2 cup of rice and 1/2 tsp. salt to the boiling water.

3. Cover the pot with a lid and simmer for 40-50 minutes or until the rice is tender. Monitor the water level in the pot so the rice does not burn, and add additional water if needed.

4. Brown 1 lb. ground beef while the soup and the rice is simmering. Season the beef with 1 tbsp. chili powder.

5. Place 1/2 cup of rice and 1/4 cup of beef into soup bowls. Ladle 1 cup of soup over each bowl of rice. Serve with sour cream and shredded cheese.

Tips & Warnings

• Store the leftover soup and the rice and meat in separate containers so that the rice doesn't become mushy.

References

• United States Department of Agriculture: Red Bell Peppers
• Oregon State University; Perserving Foods: Peppers; May 2009
• All Recipes: Red Pepper Soup
• Smitten Kitchen; Red Pepper Soup; July 2007
• The Kitchn; How to Cook Brown Rice; Faith Durand; April 2010

Resources

• All Recipes: Stuffed Peppers