italian stuffed pepper soup.
Stuffed peppers are one of those dishes that, when someone else makes them for you, are totally divine. Savory and stuffed with meaty crumbles and tender rice, the softened peppers become vessels for a delicious dinner. I’ll be the first to admit, though, that stuffed peppers can be a little tedious to prepare. In fact, I think stuffing anything with food can be kind of a cumbersome task, and that’s maybe why I value those dishes so highly — and why I never make them willingly at home.
Perhaps you can guess where this is leading. I had a craving for stuffed peppers, and, with all of the ingredients bought, found myself dreading the coming preparation. In a moment of genius — or weakness — I decided to forgo carving the peppers and instead diced them into a soup. Same ingredients, same idea: Just a different format.
All drama aside, stuffed peppers are really not difficult to make. I think I was just hungry.
Some things to know
While I think this soup is best when made with a mix of ground beef and Italian sausage, you can use all of one or the other or omit the meat entirely. You can also swap the rice for orzo, or a small pasta like the acini di pepe, used in Italian wedding soup.
You are welcome to swap the beef broth for water, but I don’t recommend it. The broth gives this soup flavor and body in a way that water does not, and you’ll end up needing a lot of salt to compensate. Of course, in a pinch, water will always work — just make it a priority not to do so.
One thing I wouldn’t recommend changing is the bell pepper — aside from using a different color, bell pepper is the best variety to use in this particular soup because of its mild flavor and easy tenderness when cooked and boiled.
This soup is otherwise extremely straightforward and makes dinnertime a breeze, even when you’re craving something as time-consuming as stuffed peppers; because let’s be real, on our busiest days, throwing things into a pot sure beats anything else.
Enjoy.
Serves 4
INGREDIENTS
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 pound ground beef
1/2 pound crumbled Italian sausage
1 green bell pepper
1 cup diced yellow onion (about 1 medium onion)
5 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes
6 cups beef (or chicken) broth
1 cup long-grain white rice
1 tablespoon Italian seasoning OR:
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
1 teaspoon ground black pepper, or to taste
Finely chopped parsley, for serving
RECIPE
Heat the olive oil in a deep pot or Dutch oven over medium heat.
Add the ground beef and crumbled Italian sausage and cook until browned, about 5 to 8 minutes.
Once the meats are mostly browned, add the pepper, onion, and garlic. Cook until soft and fragrant, about 3 minutes longer.
Add the tomato paste and stir to incorporate. Add the diced tomatoes and broth and bring to a boil. Add the rice and seasonings, then continue to simmer until rice is softened, about 20 minutes, stirring every few minutes to avoid anything sticking to the bottom of the pot. If needed, add more broth once rice is finished cooking.
Adjust salt and pepper to taste. Serve with chopped parsley.
NOTES:
*You can use water instead of broth, but you will need to add quite a bit of salt for flavor. I recommend starting with the recommended teaspoon and adjusting to taste from there.
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