Tuesday, October 22, 2013

Stuffed Peppers Soup - 52 Recipes for Soup


This is now one of my very favorite soups of all time!  Almost a chili but with all the flavors of a really really good stuffed Pepper.


I did make this in a crock pot... And yes, the rice was cooked in the cooker as well.  I am not sure why but rice in soups in slow cookers has gotten a bad reputation.  Just takes a little patience.

BTW, I made this with 2 bottles of Beer.  You can substitute this with extra Chicken (or Beef) stock if you prefer.  Cooking the rice in Beer (or Stock) adds plenty of extra zip to this soup.

And this also has all the flavor of a full flavor beer.  I like to source local on my vegetables, fruits when I can and my beer.  Here in Kansas City our local brewery is Boulevard Brewing Co.  They are a bit bigger now than the boutique brewery that I first discovered 15 years ago when I first arrived in Kansas City with almost nation wide distribution.  But with that growth their quality and dedication to "produce fresh, flavorful beers using the finest traditional ingredients and the best of both old and new brewing techniques."  Still produces a great product.

For this soup I decided to use their 80 Acre Hoppy Wheat Beer.  This beer has all the flavor of a citrus wheat beer, plus extra Hops that add a deeper layer of an IPA flavors.  Works great in the soup.  As always, when cooking with beer, select something you like and something full flavored. Light beers really do not add much to the recipe.  Good excuse to try something local and more artisanal.

But actually, if you read over the recipe, I use this beer to cook the rice, creating an unusual rich full taste in the rice that is the base of the soup.  If you make this in the slow cooker, follow the directions exactly.  the slow cooker, when set on high is a slow simmer.  Works fine to cook the rice in the beer, allowing the rice to absorb all of the flavor.  At the end of the hour, the rice will still be a bit undercooked, but by the time the entire soup is cooked through (8 hours on low, 4 hours on high), the rice is puffed up perfectly!

It is also just a bit sad, but this soup marks the end of my garden fresh recipes for the year.  We have a freeze warning for tonight so I plucked the last of my tomatoes and peppers for this soup.  A noble end indeed.  I did can and freeze several pints of sauces and soups so I will get that garden fresh taste throughout the year.  But that Farmer Dave feeling of picking and cooking ends until next summer... Sigh.

If you are not using picked fresh, I recommend using canned tomatoes in the soup.  Out of season, canned always have the best flavors.

So, kick back with a KC Beer, a soup made with KC Beer and plan this for a Sunday afternoon, kicking back and watching the UNDEFEATED KC Chiefs playing football.  The town is already making Super Bowl plans!

It's a good time to be from Kansas City!


OK... Here's what I did...


Stuffed Peppers Beer Soup


Ingredients
  • 2 Bottles Beer (I used Boulevard 80 Acre). Room temperature
  • 2 Cups brown Rice
  • 2 Lbs Hamburger, Browned, Fat drained
  • 1 Cup Green Peppers, Chopped (Core and seeds removed)
  • 1 Large Onion, Diced
  • 4-6 Cups Chicken Stock
  • 1/3 Cup Brown Sugar
  • 4 CLoves Garlic, Minced
  • 2 tsp Salt
  • 2 tsp Pepper
  • 1 tsp Cumin
  • 1 tsp Garlic Powder
  • 1/4 Cup Worcestershire Sauce
  • 1 small can Tomato Paste
  • Several Drops of Hot Sauce (I used Tabasco Brand)... To Taste
  • 1 Cup Diced Tomatoes (hard stem removed)
  • Garnish with shredded Mozzarella Cheese
Cooking Directions
  1. In a big Crock Pot slow cooker, Add both bottles of beer and the rice. Set the cooker on HIGH, cover. Cook for 1 Hour... Stir occasionally, but do not add anything to the pot for 1 hour.
  2. Meanwhile, after 50 minutes, in a large skillet brown the hamburger. Add the Onion and saute for 5 minutes until onion softens and becomes translucent. Drain the fat, Add the garlic and saute for 1 additional minute. Add the browned hamburger/onion/garlic to the slow cooker.
  3. Add All of the remaining ingredients except the tomatoes (they are added at the end to maintain their texture).
  4. Cover and cook on low for 8 hours or on high for 4 Hours. During that time the rice will puff up, absorbing most of the liquid. If needed, add additional liquid to thin the soup.
  5. Add the diced tomatoes, stir to mix.
  6. Garnish with freshly shredded Mozzarella Cheese
  7. Serve HOT and ENJOY!

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So,  I am pleased to list this as one of my Growing list of  "52 Recipes for Soup, Chili or Chowder" (Now more than 52 and still growing)

Soup from Scratch is one of the great kitchen joys.  The house smells amazing and the soup warms to the bone.  From broth to chowder, vegetarian to loaded up chili... Even a great idea for a party (love the Potato Soup Bar idea).  Come take a look, sure to have something you might like to try.  All recipes have been tested and WORK!

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I have also made this one of my  "52 Cooking With BEER Recipes"!!!

Everyone knows about cooking with wine, but BEER has so much more complex flavors.  I imagine the day after beer was invented, someone made an Irish Stew. Cooking with beer infuses recipes with this intoxicating concoction of hops and barley in an effort to enhance and enrich everyday food..  Come take a look, sure to have something you might like to try.  All recipes have been tested and WORK!

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