Stuffed Pepper Soup
Stuffed Pepper Soup
Ingredients
1 pound ground beef
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 green bell pepper, diced
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 can (14.5 ounces) diced tomatoes
1 can (15 ounces) tomato sauce
5 cups beef broth
1/2 cup uncooked long-grain white rice
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon sugar, optional
2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
Shredded Parmesan or mozzarella cheese, for serving
Instructions
1. Brown the Ground Beef
Heat a large heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the olive oil and ground beef.
Cook for approximately 6–8 minutes, breaking the beef apart with a wooden spoon as it cooks. Continue until the beef is browned and no longer pink.
If there is a large amount of excess fat, carefully drain some of it from the pot.
2. Add the Aromatics
Add the diced onion, green bell pepper, and red bell pepper to the browned beef.
Cook for about 4–5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables begin to soften.
Add the minced garlic and cook for another 30–60 seconds, just until fragrant. Avoid burning the garlic because it can become bitter.
3. Build the Tomato Base
Stir in the tomato paste and cook for approximately 1 minute. This helps deepen its flavor.
Add the diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, beef broth, Worcestershire sauce, Italian seasoning, paprika, smoked paprika, oregano, salt, and black pepper.
If your tomatoes are particularly acidic, add a small amount of sugar to balance the flavors.
Stir everything thoroughly and bring the soup to a gentle boil.
4. Add the Rice
Once the soup begins simmering, stir in the uncooked rice.
Reduce the heat to low and cover the pot partially with a lid.
Allow the soup to simmer for approximately 20–25 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent the rice from sticking to the bottom.
Cook until the rice is tender and the peppers are completely softened but still retain some
