Catastrophes of Cookery: Stuffed Pepper Soup
After the deliciousness of the Blue Apron order with stuffed peppers, I decided on this recipe almost immediately. So glad I did!
Stuffed Pepper Soup
Recipe:
Ingredients
1 lb lean ground beef
2 Tbsp olive oil, divided
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 small yellow onion chopped (1 cup)
3/4 cup chopped red bell pepper (a little over 1/2 of a medium)
3/4 cup chopped green bell pepper
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 (14.5 oz) cans petite diced tomatoes
1 (15 oz) can tomato sauce
1 (14.5) can beef broth
2 1/2 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley, plus more for garnish
1/2 tsp dried basil
1/4 tsp dried oregano
1 cup uncooked white rice
Mozzarella cheese, for serving (optional)
Directions
1. In a large pot heat 1 Tbsp olive oil over medium heat, once hot add beef to pot and season with
salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally while breaking up beef, until browned. Drain beef
and pour onto a plate lined with paper towels, set aside.
2. Heat remaining 1 Tbsp olive oil in pot then add onions, red bell pepper, green bell pepper and
saute 3 minutes, then add garlic and saute 30 seconds longer. Pour in diced tomatoes, tomato
sauce, beef broth and add parsley, basil and oregano then season with salt and pepper to taste.
Bring just to a light boil, then reduce heat to low, cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, 30
minutes.
3. While soup simmers, prepare rice according to directions listed on package, then once soup is
done simmering stir in desired amount of cooked rice into soup*. Serve warm topped with
optional mozzarella cheese (I tried it with and without it and liked both ways) and garnish with
fresh parsley.
*For a thinner soup don't add all of the rice and for a thicker heartier soup add it all. Also, if you
plan on having it for leftovers the next day then don't add the rice to the pot of soup, just add it
to each individual bowl, then reserve the rice in a separate container in refrigerator to add to the
soup the next day (otherwise it would turn into mush).
Photo and Evaluation:
This is actually easy to make, though it does take a while to cook all the elements. I added a jalapeno, but the flavor was mild at best. I think this could stand a little bit of heat. It's not the easiest to reheat, seeing as to keep the rice solid, you have to reheat it into the soup separately from the base. It would be good to serve with a large group. It led to me having way too much rice in each bowl because I misjudged how much to add when I was making it bowl by bowl. Tasty, don't get me wrong, just a little bit of work, but any excuse to buy mozzarella to eat (mostly outside the soup, I do confess) is a good one. The parsley actually worked to accentuate the flavor when served on top, but I abandoned it after a while
Last night, I threw together a recipe I've made plenty of times. I had to double-check the amounts of each ingredient every time, but I was so comfortable with it, it was no nevermind to put everything together. It just went quick. I'd love to be that way with more things. It was just so funny to me that I hadn't made the recipe (for oatmeal cookies) in upwards of a year, but I still had supplies around me for it--like I was subconsciously saving up the bits for an old favorite. Just kind of funny.
I think my ultimate goal would be to have lots of recipes like that, that feel like old friends and that I can throw together with a minimal amount of fuss from things I tend to keep around. I had to clear out my cabinets recently, and getting to re-order things in the cabinet did impress me as to how, since I started this project, I've accumulated a lot spices and sauces and such. It kind of an...adult feeling? Like I've checked off another box in adult Bingo and I'll eventually win at it? (There's a trophy, right?) I even labeled the tops of the big containers I have so I could lie them on their sides and still see what I have in there. Good times in OCD.
Stuffed Pepper Soup
Recipe:
Ingredients
1 lb lean ground beef
2 Tbsp olive oil, divided
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 small yellow onion chopped (1 cup)
3/4 cup chopped red bell pepper (a little over 1/2 of a medium)
3/4 cup chopped green bell pepper
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 (14.5 oz) cans petite diced tomatoes
1 (15 oz) can tomato sauce
1 (14.5) can beef broth
2 1/2 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley, plus more for garnish
1/2 tsp dried basil
1/4 tsp dried oregano
1 cup uncooked white rice
Mozzarella cheese, for serving (optional)
Directions
1. In a large pot heat 1 Tbsp olive oil over medium heat, once hot add beef to pot and season with
salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally while breaking up beef, until browned. Drain beef
and pour onto a plate lined with paper towels, set aside.
2. Heat remaining 1 Tbsp olive oil in pot then add onions, red bell pepper, green bell pepper and
saute 3 minutes, then add garlic and saute 30 seconds longer. Pour in diced tomatoes, tomato
sauce, beef broth and add parsley, basil and oregano then season with salt and pepper to taste.
Bring just to a light boil, then reduce heat to low, cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, 30
minutes.
3. While soup simmers, prepare rice according to directions listed on package, then once soup is
done simmering stir in desired amount of cooked rice into soup*. Serve warm topped with
optional mozzarella cheese (I tried it with and without it and liked both ways) and garnish with
fresh parsley.
*For a thinner soup don't add all of the rice and for a thicker heartier soup add it all. Also, if you
plan on having it for leftovers the next day then don't add the rice to the pot of soup, just add it
to each individual bowl, then reserve the rice in a separate container in refrigerator to add to the
soup the next day (otherwise it would turn into mush).
Photo and Evaluation:
This is actually easy to make, though it does take a while to cook all the elements. I added a jalapeno, but the flavor was mild at best. I think this could stand a little bit of heat. It's not the easiest to reheat, seeing as to keep the rice solid, you have to reheat it into the soup separately from the base. It would be good to serve with a large group. It led to me having way too much rice in each bowl because I misjudged how much to add when I was making it bowl by bowl. Tasty, don't get me wrong, just a little bit of work, but any excuse to buy mozzarella to eat (mostly outside the soup, I do confess) is a good one. The parsley actually worked to accentuate the flavor when served on top, but I abandoned it after a while
Last night, I threw together a recipe I've made plenty of times. I had to double-check the amounts of each ingredient every time, but I was so comfortable with it, it was no nevermind to put everything together. It just went quick. I'd love to be that way with more things. It was just so funny to me that I hadn't made the recipe (for oatmeal cookies) in upwards of a year, but I still had supplies around me for it--like I was subconsciously saving up the bits for an old favorite. Just kind of funny.
I think my ultimate goal would be to have lots of recipes like that, that feel like old friends and that I can throw together with a minimal amount of fuss from things I tend to keep around. I had to clear out my cabinets recently, and getting to re-order things in the cabinet did impress me as to how, since I started this project, I've accumulated a lot spices and sauces and such. It kind of an...adult feeling? Like I've checked off another box in adult Bingo and I'll eventually win at it? (There's a trophy, right?) I even labeled the tops of the big containers I have so I could lie them on their sides and still see what I have in there. Good times in OCD.