A comforting pot of Stuffed Pepper Soup! Loaded with 1 lb of Peppers & Meat with Rice, in a Savory Soup Base. You can choose to roast and peel the Peppers too, before dicing and throwing them in with the Rice, same with the Onion or include diced Tomatoes and/or Celery. Ladle the Soup into a Bowl and optionally top with shredded cheese and cover to melt the Cheese before serving.
Stuffed Pepper Soup Base
This is just an amazing Soup Base that is shared across Vegetable Soup, Cabbage Meat Soup, Cabbage Roll Soup, and right here for an incredible Stuffed Pepper Soup. Just combine all the ingredients except the Fat & Tomato paste into a bowl. Whisk well and set aside until ready to add. The Fat & Tomato Paste will go into the pot first to cook a bit.
Stuffed Pepper Soup Base
- 5 C Water
- 3 C Tomato Juice
- 1/2 C Pimento Paste
- 1/4 Fat & Tomato Paste, set aside separately
- 2 Tbl Lemon Juice & Chickpea Flour
- Seasoning
- 1 Tbl Parsley
- 3 Tbl Hodi Sweet Paprika
- 2 Bouillon Cubes
- 1/4 tsp Ground Bay Leaves
Pimento Paste
Use Sweet Pimento Paste. A small amount of Hot Pimento Paste can be added for the desired heat level. Making the soup as Mild or Spicy as desired.
Stuffed Pepper SOUP THICKENER
This soup is thickened with Chickpea Flour instead of Flour or Starches, making this completely gluten-free. The Chickpea Flour offers up a very nice viscosity to the Soup and is added directly to the Soup Base and whisked in. Tomato paste also assists in thickening slightly.
Adding in Rice will also thicken the soup and depending on how much or the type of Rice will take the Soup to a slightly thicker soup, or to a Chili like consistency. If you find it too thick, thin out with more water or Tomato Juice.
Stuffed Pepper SOUP Fat
The Extra Virgin Olive Oil can be replaced with Ghee, Lard or rendered Fat, like Bacon Fat or Beef Suet, especially where Meat will be included. Beef Suet is excellent for pairing up with 1 lb of Ground Beef or thinly sliced or cubed Beef. It brings a deep, rich Beefiness to the Stuffed Pepper Soup. Bacon Fat or other rendered fats is excellent with Sausages, Pork and Chicken.
Beef Suet
Add the Fat into the pot with Tomato Paste to cook for a bit.
Stuffed Pepper SOUP BROTH
The Vegetables Soup Base that this soup is based on, uses 2 Tbl of Vegeta as the Broth. However, in a Stuffed Pepper Soup where Meat will be added. Then it is preferred to have a meaty broth such as Beef Bouillon. Which is an all around good option. Optionally Pork Bouillon for ground Pork, or thinly sliced or diced Pork or with Sausages. Chicken Broth can be used too.
Bouillon
Two cubes of Bouillon or the equivalent in Broth Powder.
Stuffed Pepper SOUP SEASONING
With Stuffed Pepper Soup, the main seasoning used is Parsley with Bay Leaves. With this, is the addition of Bouillon and a good quality Smoked Sweet Paprika. Feel free to add in additional Seasonings such as Oregano, Thyme, Chili Powder, Italian Seasoning or a Cajun or Creole Seasoning Blend.
Hodi Smoked Sweet Paprika
Hodi Smoked Sweet Paprika with Beech is absolutely Amazing! Try to source this, it is so worth it.
This can be very hard to find online. I had to go right to the source with the QR code on the back, which took me to Hodi Paprika Website. I source mine at Di Pietro in Cambridge, Ontario.
Stuffed Pepper SOUP Heat Level
Add some heat to make as Mild, Medium or Spicy as desired. Start with a small amount and add more to taste.
- Hot Paprika to replace some of the Smoked Sweet Paprika
- Hot Pimento Paste to replace some of the Sweet Pimento paste
- Chili Peppers or Chilies like Jalapeño or Serrano added with the Onion & Garlic
- Peppercorns, Chili Flakes or Cayenne
- Chili Oil, a small amount added with the Fat or to taste
- Hot Sauce served at the table to add to taste
Stuffed Pepper SOUP VEGETABLES
The Star of the dish is 1 lb of diced Bell Peppers, any color you want. I generally stick with Red & Green Bell Peppers. With thinly sliced or diced Onions & minced Garlic making up the Vegetables for the Stuffed Pepper Soup. Optionally add diced Tomatoes and/or Celery or even a can of diced Tomatoes.
The Vegetables can also be roasted and then diced to add to the Soup at the same time the Rice is added. No need to simmer the Vegetables for 10 minutes first, since the Vegetables will already be softened from roasting.
Stuffed Pepper Vegetables
- 1 lb Bell Peppers
- 1 Onion
- 3 Garlic Cloves
Rice
The Rice added will also absorb and thicken the Soup. Since this is a Stuffed Pepper soup, we want the soup to be slightly on the thicker side, so 1/2 C of Rice is used. Unless you want it thicker like a Chili, then add more Rice.
Add washed and strained Rice after the 10-minute simmer time and continue to simmer for 10 minutes. Mix every so often to prevent the Rice from sticking to the bottom of the pot before removing from the heat and covering to rest for 20 minutes or more until the Rice is tender throughout.
Basmati Rice
Any medium to long grain Rice can be used. Wash and strain before adding to the Soup, to simmer for 10 minutes while mixing.
Stuffed Pepper Soup MEAT
Use 1 lb of ground Beef, Beef & Pork mix, Pork, Chicken or Sausages. Even diced Beef, Pork, Chicken or coarsely chopped precooked Sausages like Italian Sausages, Chourico Sausages or the raw meat from Chourico Kebabs.
Ground Beef
1 lb of ground Beef. Cook this up with the Tomato Paste & Fat until browned before adding in the Vegetables.
Chourico Sausage Filling
1 lb of marinated Chourico meat can be added directly with the Fat & Tomato Paste to cook through. You can also use already made up Chourico Sausages torn into bite size pieces. These are just absolutely amazing.
SALT & PEPPER BLEND
Use the Salt & Pepper blend to season the Stuffed Pepper Soup before serving, if needed.
Salt & Pepper Blend
- 1 Tbl Sea Salt
- 1 tsp Black Pepper
- 1/2 tsp White Pepper
How to make Stuffed Pepper Soup
Get your ingredients together and prepared. Combine the Soup Base into a bowl and the Vegetables into another bowl. Wash and strain the Rice and set everything aside.
Meat
Add Fat & Tomato paste to Deep Pan or Soup Pot over max heat. Cook for about 1–2 minutes. Add the Meat and brown. If including torn Chourico, add them here as well.
Vegetables
Add the diced Peppers, Onion and minced Garlic to cook for a minute or so, until softened.
Soup Base
Add the Soup base and bring to a boil while mixing. Reduce the heat and simmer for 10 minutes.
After 10 minutes of simmering, add the washed and strained Rice and simmer an additional 10 minutes, mixing every so often. Afterwards, cover and remove from the heat to rest 20 minutes before serving. Adjust the seasoning if needed.
Stuffed Pepper Soup with Cheese
Ladle the Soup into a serving bowl and top with shredded Cheese. Cover the bowl with a small plate to trap the heat in and melt the cheese before serving. Then place the bowl on the plate you used to cover the bowl to serve. Or use the plate to place some buttered Dinner Rolls or Garlic Bread to be enjoyed with the Cheesy Stuffed Pepper Soup.
Equipment
- 1 Soup Pot
- 1 Digital Scale
- 3 Bowls For the Soup Base, Vegetables and Rice
- 1 Sieve
Ingredients
- 1 lb Bell Peppers - about 3 Bell Peppers
- 1 lb Ground Beef - or other meats, see notes
- 1 Large Onion - diced
- 3 Cloves Garlic - minced
- 1/2 C Rice - or more for thicker, Washed and strained
- 1/4 C EVOO & Tomato Paste - or exchange EVOO for Beef Suet
- Salt & Pepper - To Taste
Soup Base
- 5 C Water
- 3 C Tomato Juice
- 1/2 C Sweet Pimento Paste
- 3 Tbl Hodi Smoked Sweet Paprika
- 2 Tbl Lemon Juice & Chickpea Flour - each
- 2 Cubes Beef Bouillon
- 1 Tbl Parsley
- 1/4 tsp Ground Bay Leaves
Instructions
- Combine the Soup Base ingredients into a large mixing bowl to whisk together and set aside until needed. Prepare the Vegetables, wash and strain the Rice.
- Add Fat & Tomato Paste in a soup pot over Max heat. Cook for a few minutes, mixing every so often. Add the ground Beef and cook until the meat is browned.
- Then add the Peppers, Onions & Garlic. Continue to cook while mixing until softened, just a few minutes.
- Add in the Soup Base and mix well. Bring it to a boil, mixing every few minutes. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer for 10 minutes.
- Add the Rice and simmer for 10 minutes, mixing often. Turn the heat to max to ensure the Soup is boiling if not already, and cover to remove from heat to rest for 20 minutes before serving. Stir and adjust the seasoning if needed prior to serving. Optionally ladle into a bowl and top with Shredded Cheese, cover so that the residual heat can melt the cheese before serving.