Description
Comfort meets convenience in this easy stuffed pepper soup recipe, offering hearty flavors without complex preparation. Home cooks can savor a quick, satisfying meal that delivers classic pepper and ground beef goodness in one nourishing bowl.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 lb ground beef (or ground turkey)
- 2 bell peppers, diced (any color)
- 1 small onion, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 (15 oz) can diced tomatoes (with juice)
- 1 (15 oz) can tomato sauce
- 4 cups beef broth (or vegetable broth)
- 1 tbsp olive oil (if using lean meat)
- 1 tsp Italian seasoning
- 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce (for extra flavor)
- ½ tsp paprika
- ½ tsp salt (or to taste)
- ¼ tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp brown sugar (optional, balances acidity)
- 1 cup cooked white or brown rice
- Shredded cheddar or Parmesan cheese
- Chopped fresh parsley
Instructions
- Sautéing Protein: Heat a large skillet over medium-high flame and thoroughly cook ground beef, rendering fat and creating a caramelized foundation. Drain excess grease to ensure a rich, concentrated flavor profile.
- Aromatic Vegetable Layer: Integrate diced onions, bell peppers, and minced garlic into the meat, sautéing until vegetables soften and release their essential oils, creating a fragrant base for the dish.
- Liquid Composition: Pour diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, and beef broth into the skillet. Season with Worcestershire sauce, Italian seasoning, paprika, salt, black pepper, and brown sugar. Bring the mixture to a robust boil, allowing flavors to meld and intensify.
- Simmering and Infusion: Reduce heat and let the soup gently simmer for 20 minutes, allowing ingredients to marry and develop a complex, harmonious taste. Introduce pre-cooked rice during the final moments, enabling it to absorb the surrounding liquid and flavors.
- Serving Presentation: Ladle the hearty soup into warm bowls, optionally crowning with a sprinkle of melted cheese or freshly chopped parsley to elevate both visual appeal and taste complexity.
Notes
- Maximize Meat Browning: Ensure ground beef develops deep, caramelized flavor by cooking in a wide pan without overcrowding, allowing meat to brown instead of steam for richer taste complexity.
- Customize Rice Options: Swap white rice with cauliflower rice for low-carb version or use brown rice for increased fiber and nutty undertones; add rice just before serving to prevent overcooking and maintain perfect texture.
- Balance Seasoning Subtly: Adjust Worcestershire sauce and brown sugar proportions carefully to achieve harmonious sweet-savory profile without overwhelming other ingredients; taste and modify incrementally.
- Dietary Adaptation Techniques: Transform recipe gluten-free by verifying broth ingredients, make dairy-free by omitting cheese garnish, and create vegetarian version using plant-based ground meat substitute or lentils with vegetable broth.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Lunch, Dinner, Appetizer
- Method: Simmering
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 7
- Calories: 250
- Sugar: 5 g
- Sodium: 800 mg
- Fat: 10 g
- Saturated Fat: 4 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 6 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 28 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 15 g
- Cholesterol: 60 mg