Smoky & Spicy Stuffed Pepper Soup

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Ingredients

1 tbsp olive oil
1/2 lb ground beef
a bit of salt
a bit of black pepper
a bit of garlic powder
a pinch of red pepper flake
medium onion diced
green bell pepper cut in 1/2 inch pieces
red bell pepper cut in 1/2 inch pieces
1 jalapeño pepper sliced into rings*
1 serrano pepper sliced into rings*
2 tsp Caldo de Tomate granulated bouillon
2 tsp sweet paprika
2 tsp Aleppo pepper
1 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
1/4 tsp cumin
2-4 cloves garlic minced
1 quart chicken broth
1 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes
1 15-ounce can fire roasted tomatoes
1 cup long-grain white rice, dry/uncooked
1 1/2 cups water
1 heaping tsp Caldo de Tomate granulated bouillon optional

Instructions

To Make the Soup

Preheat a Dutch oven on medium heat for about 5 minutes. Add olive oil. Brown the ground beef, breaking the meat up with a spoon. While it’s cooking, add a bit of salt, pepper, garlic powder, & red pepper flake to the meat. Cook for 4-6 minutes. Drain fat if necessary.
Add the onion and all of the various peppers to the ground beef, & turn heat up to medium-high. Cook until vegetables start to soften, about 8-10 minutes. Add minced garlic, cook & stir for a minute. Add Caldo de Tomate, sweet & smoked paprika, Aleppo pepper, and cumin. Cook and stir for about 30 seconds.
While the vegetables are sautéing, prepare rice (see instructions below).
Add chicken broth and both cans of tomatoes. Heat through and cook until your vegetables are the desired texture. It won’t take long if you want them to still have a bit of crunch. See note below regarding the rice.** Taste the soup and add salt and/or pepper if desired.

To Make the Rice:

In a saucepan, combine the rice, water, and Caldo de Tomate. Bring the contents to a boil. Boil for one minute. Place a lid on the saucepan, turn heat to low, and cook for 15 minutes. Remove rice from heat and let rest for 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork prior to serving.

Notes

*If you want less heat, slice your pepper down the middle, remove the ribs & seeds, and then dice.

**Because rice will continue absorbing liquid, if you’re planning on leftovers, I’d recommend serving the rice on the side. Otherwise, feel free to throw it into the soup at this point, and quickly let it heat through.