Description
Hearty and comforting stuffed pepper soup featuring lean ground beef, bell peppers, tomatoes, and rice, perfect for a wholesome meal any day of the week.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 small yellow onion, diced
- 1 red bell pepper, diced
- 1 green bell pepper, diced
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- ½ teaspoon dried basil
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- 2 (14.5-ounce) cans fire-roasted diced tomatoes
- 1 (15-ounce) can tomato sauce
- 2 cups low-sodium beef broth
- 2 cups cooked white or brown rice
Optional Garnishes
- shaved parmesan
- roughly chopped fresh parsley
Instructions
- Brown the Beef: Heat a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the ground beef and use a spatula to break it up. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Cook until the beef is fully browned, stirring occasionally. Drain excess fat, then transfer the beef to a paper towel-lined plate and set aside.
- Sauté Vegetables: In the same pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the diced onion, red bell pepper, and green bell pepper. Sauté for 3 to 4 minutes until softened. Add the minced garlic, dried basil, oregano, and thyme, cooking for another 30 seconds until fragrant.
- Simmer the Soup: Return the browned ground beef to the pot. Add fire-roasted diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, and low-sodium beef broth. Cover the pot and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to low and let it cook, stirring occasionally, for 20 minutes. If rice is not yet cooked, prepare it while the soup simmers.
- Add Rice and Finish: Stir the cooked rice into the soup. If the soup is too thick, add more beef broth to reach your desired consistency. Ladle the soup into bowls and garnish with shaved parmesan and chopped fresh parsley if desired.
Notes
- Each serving is about 2 cups, making portion control easy.
- Use 90% lean ground beef to minimize grease; if using 80% lean beef, drain excess fat before adding vegetables.
- Ground turkey or ground chicken can be substituted for ground beef for a leaner option.
- Italian seasoning can replace the individual dried herbs for convenience.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 bowl (about 2 cups)
- Calories: 320 kcal
- Sugar: 6 g
- Sodium: 550 mg
- Fat: 12 g
- Saturated Fat: 4 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 7 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 30 g
- Fiber: 5 g
- Protein: 25 g
- Cholesterol: 70 mg
