Stuffed Pepper Soup

When my husband and I first married, I made stuffed peppers a lot.  They were in our monthly food rotation. We loved stuffed peppers!  (Plus they're cheap.)

I hadn't made them in years, though...so when I ran across this recipe for Stuffed Pepper Soup, I had to try it.

Can I just tell you that we LOVED this soup!  It was delicious.  Very reminiscent of stuffed peppers and very easy to make.  The original recipe said to cook the rice separately.  I thought that sounded like an unnecessary extra step.  So I just cooked the rice right in the soup and it worked perfectly.

My kids really enjoyed this soup.  I made it nice and thick (not too brothy) so it was easy for them to eat.

And of course who doesn't love cheese on top!

Stuffed Pepper Soup
Adapted from The Country Cook

1 lb. ground beef (I used 80/20)
1 onion, chopped
1 large (or 2 small) bell pepper, chopped
28 oz. can diced tomatoes
8 oz. can tomato sauce
1 quart (4 cups) chicken stock
1 cup uncooked rice
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
1 T sugar
Shredded cheddar cheese, for serving

Brown the ground beef with the onion and peppers in a large pot over medium-high heat. Stir frequently to break up the meat and brown evenly.  Strain the grease and discard.  Return the pot to the heat.  Add the remaining ingredients (except the cheese) and stir to combine.  Bring to a boil, cover, reduce to simmer, and cook for about 30-40 minutes (stirring occasionally), until the rice is cooked completely.  Taste for seasoning (it may need more salt) and serve with cheese on top.