Culver’s stuffed pepper soup is ground beef, four green bell peppers, fire roasted diced tomatoes, tomato sauce and beef stock simmered together for 30 minutes with cooked rice stirred in at the end. One pot, one hour, six servings.
Cooking the rice separately and adding it to the finished soup is the step that keeps this from turning into a thick porridge. Rice dropped raw into broth absorbs everything around it and leaves you with no liquid at all. Cooked rice stirred in at the end holds its shape and the soup stays soupy.
Four whole green peppers is a lot more than most stuffed pepper soup recipes call for, and that ratio is what makes the Culver’s version taste different. The bitterness of the green pepper pushes back against the sweetness of the tomatoes and beef, so the bowl has balance rather than just tasting like a tomato soup with meat in it.
Culver’s Stuffed Pepper Soup
Course: Soups, DinnerCuisine: AmericanDifficulty: Easy6
servings15
minutes45
minutes371
kcalGround beef browned in a Dutch oven, then simmered with four diced green peppers, fire roasted tomatoes, tomato sauce, beef stock, basil and oregano. Cooked rice goes in at the end so the broth stays loose.
Ingredients
1 1/2 pounds ground beef
4 large green bell peppers, diced
1 large onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
28 oz can fire roasted diced tomatoes
14.5 oz can tomato sauce
2 cups beef stock
1 cup cooked rice
1 1/2 teaspoons dried basil
1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
Salt and pepper, to taste
Shredded cheese, for garnish, optional
Directions
- Brown the beef:Cook the ground beef in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat until browned. Remove and set aside.
- Sauté the vegetables:In the same pot, cook the diced green peppers, onion and garlic until tender.
- Build the soup:Return the beef to the pot. Add the fire roasted tomatoes, tomato sauce and beef stock. Stir to combine.
- Simmer:Add the basil, oregano, salt and pepper. Simmer for about 30 minutes to let the flavours come together.
- Add the rice and serve:Stir in the cooked rice. Taste, adjust seasoning, and serve topped with shredded cheese.
FAQs
Why cook the rice separately?
Rice cooked directly in the soup absorbs all the broth and turns the whole pot thick and stodgy. Cooking it on its own and stirring it in at the end keeps the grains tender and the soup loose. If you know you will have leftovers, add rice to individual bowls instead of the pot so it does not swell overnight.
Can you use red or yellow peppers instead of green?
Yes, and they will give you a sweeter, milder soup. Green peppers have a bitterness that balances the tomatoes and beef, which is closer to the restaurant version. A mix of green and red gives you the best of both.
Can you make this in a slow cooker?
Brown the beef on the stove first, then sauté the onion and garlic in the same pan. Transfer everything to the slow cooker with the remaining ingredients except the rice. Cook on low for 4 to 6 hours or high for 2 to 3 hours. Stir in the cooked rice just before serving.
How do you store and reheat leftovers?
Fridge for 3 to 4 days, freezer for up to 2 months. Add extra broth when reheating since the rice keeps absorbing liquid. Defrost overnight in the fridge before warming on the stove or in the microwave.
Can you use ground turkey instead of beef?
Yes, and a commenter confirmed it works well. Turkey is leaner so there will be less fat to sauté the vegetables in, so add a tablespoon of oil. The flavour is milder, so the fire roasted tomatoes and the herbs have to carry more of the load.
