Romanian Stuffed Peppers (Ardei Umpluti)
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This warm and comforting recipe brings together simple ingredients for a meal that feels like home.
Ingredients:
For Peppers
Image credit: Jo Cooks
Ingredients:
For Peppers
- 10 medium peppers
- 1½ pound ground pork
- ½ cup rice (uncooked)
- 1 onion (chopped)
- 1 egg
- ¼ cup fresh dill (chopped)
- ¼ cup fresh parsley (chopped)
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- 2 cups tomato puree (or passata)
- ½ cup sour cream
- 2 cups water
- ½ teaspoon salt (or to taste)
- ¼ teaspoon pepper (or to taste)
- Prep Oven: Position a rack in the center of your oven and preheat it to 375°F (190°C).
- Prep Peppers: Slice off the tops of the peppers and scoop out the seeds and membranes. To help them stand upright, carefully shave a thin piece off the bottom of each pepper to create a flat, stable base.
- Make Filling: In a large bowl, thoroughly combine the ground pork, rice, chopped onion, egg, dill, parsley, salt, and pepper. Firmly pack this mixture into each prepared pepper and stand them upright in a large, lidded pot (like a 5-quart Dutch oven).
- Prepare Sauce: Whisk together the tomato puree, sour cream, water, salt, and pepper. Pour this sauce over the peppers, adding more water if needed until the liquid reaches about halfway up their sides.
- Bake: Cover the pot with its lid or foil and bake for 1.5 hours. Then, remove the cover and continue baking for another 45-60 minutes, uncovered. They are done when the peppers are fork-tender and the rice inside is fully cooked.
- Serve: Enjoy the peppers hot, generously topped with the sauce and an extra spoonful of sour cream. Serve with crusty bread for dipping.
- For the best flavor, use sweet yellow Hungarian or dove bell peppers.
- If you don't have tomato puree, you can substitute 3-4 tablespoons of tomato paste thinned with enough water to reach the desired liquid level.
- Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-5 days.
- To freeze, ensure the peppers are completely cool and the meat is fully cooked. Wrap them individually or place them in a freezer-safe container. They can be frozen for 6-8 months. Thaw completely in the refrigerator before reheating in the oven.
