Romanian Stuffed Peppers with Sour Cream
Romanian Stuffed Peppers
Sweet bell peppers filled with rice, ground pork and beef, and herbs, simmered in tomato sauce until tender and finished with sour cream.
Romanian stuffed peppers, often called ardei umpluti, are a home-style dish built around tender peppers, a savory meat-and-rice filling, and a bright tomato broth. The peppers soften as they simmer, while the rice absorbs the juices from the meat, onions, herbs, and sauce.
This version uses a mix of ground pork and beef for balanced richness, with dill, parsley, paprika, and a little thyme for the familiar Eastern European flavor. The rice goes in uncooked so it can swell inside the peppers without turning mushy.
A spoonful of sour cream at the table is more than a garnish: it rounds the acidity of the tomato sauce and gives each serving a cool, creamy finish. Serve the peppers with extra sauce from the pot and crusty bread, mashed potatoes, or a simple cucumber salad.
Nutrition (per serving)
Directions
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1
Slice the tops from the bell peppers and set the tops aside. Remove the seeds and membranes, keeping the peppers whole enough to hold the filling.
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2
In a large bowl, combine the ground pork, ground beef, rinsed rice, onion, carrot, garlic, tomato paste, dill, parsley, paprika, thyme, 1 1/4 teaspoons salt, and black pepper. Mix gently with your hands until evenly combined.
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3
Spoon the filling into the peppers, leaving about 1/2 inch of space at the top so the rice can expand. Replace the pepper tops or cover each opening with a small piece of pepper trimming.
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4
Pour the crushed tomatoes and beef broth into a wide Dutch oven or heavy pot. Stir in the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt and add the bay leaves.
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5
Stand the stuffed peppers upright in the tomato sauce. The sauce should come about halfway up the peppers; add a splash of water if the pot is too wide.
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6
Bring the sauce to a gentle simmer over medium heat, then cover the pot and reduce the heat to low. Cook for 55 minutes, occasionally spooning sauce over the peppers.
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7
Uncover and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes more, until the peppers are tender, the rice is fully cooked, and the sauce has thickened slightly. Discard the bay leaves.
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8
Rest the peppers for 10 minutes off the heat. Serve each pepper with plenty of tomato sauce and a generous spoonful of sour cream.
Ingredients
- Large bell peppers:6
- Ground pork:3/4 lb
- Ground beef:1/2 lb
- Long-grain white rice, rinsed:1/2 cup
- Yellow onion, finely chopped:1
- Carrot, finely grated:1
- Garlic cloves, minced:3
- Tomato paste:2 tbsp
- Chopped fresh dill:2 tbsp
- Chopped fresh parsley:2 tbsp
- Sweet paprika:1 tsp
- Dried thyme:1/2 tsp
- Kosher salt:1 3/4 tsp
- Black pepper:1/2 tsp
- Crushed tomatoes:28 oz
- Low-sodium beef broth:1 1/2 cups
- Bay leaves:2
- Sour cream, for serving:3/4 cup
Tips & Notes
- Use peppers that can stand upright in the pot, or trim a very thin slice from the bottom without cutting through the flesh.
- Mix the filling gently; overworking it makes the cooked filling dense.
- If the sauce tastes sharp after simmering, stir a pinch of sugar into the pot before serving.
- Leftovers reheat well in a covered pan with a spoonful of water or tomato sauce.
