(un)STUFFED PEPPER SOUP
For days I know I'll be rushed to make dinner for the family, this is a great solution. Leftovers are easily frozen in silicone muffin tins & can be popped out and saved in a ziplock freezer bag for individual portions. If you'd like to use your crock pot, consider prepping the night before & keeping everything in your crockpot liner/cover combination. I pull it out of the fridge and pop in on low while my coffee is starting in the morning so there's no additional am time required. Once I'm home from work, soup's done and I can relax. ENJOY!
(un)STUFFED PEPPER SOUP
1.5 pounds ground beef
salt, pepper, hungarian paprika & allspice to taste (a little goes a long way, especially those last 2)
1 large onion
3-4 sweet bell peppers (use red/orange/yellow if green causes heartburn in your family)
1 bayleaf
1 quart beef stock (if you're gluten free, use gf organic beef base + water)
2 cans petit diced tomatoes and juice
2 small cans of tomato paste
fresh, chopped basil to taste
Brown your beef, drain fat & add spices.
Add chopped onions and peppers for several minutes until tender. Stir in remaining ingredients if using soup pot or place beef & veggies in crockpot and add remaining ingredients. For stovetop, warm on medium heat until basil is added and simmer for 1/2 hour.
For crockpot cooking, keep mixture in refrigerator overnight and warm on low heat for up to 8 hours. If soup is too thick for your liking, add water or additional stock. We serve with rice on the side but you could certainly add some cooked rice to the soup----crockpot cooks, I'd wait to add your rice in until you're home to watch it because it could really reduce the amount of stock available if you add too much.