Stuffed Pepper Soup

I was surfing around the web today looking at recipes and spotted one for a stuffed pepper soup. That reminded me of a favorite recipe of mine that I haven't made for a long time. After some searching I found my recipe and it was very similar to the one I had seen. Since it's a windy cold day here in Idaho it seemed the perfect time to mix up a pot of the soup. For some reason the whole house just feels warmer and cozier with a pot of soup simmering on the stove. I have always loved stuffed bell peppers but since I live alone I really don't go to the work of making stuffed peppers for one. This soup on the other hand reheats great and can be frozen in individual servings for whenever a quick meal is needed. 

Ingredients:

• 1 pound ground beef
• 2 medium bell peppers, chopped
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 2 (14 ounce) cans of stewed tomatoes, undrained
• 2 (7 ounce) cans of tomato sauce
• 1 (14 ounce) can chicken broth
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/2 teaspoon dried sage
• 1/4 teaspoon cumin
• dash of tabasco (if desired)
• salt and pepper, to taste
• 2 cups cooked rice

Directions:

Brown ground beef in large pan or dutch oven and then drain fat. Add onions and peppers and cook and stir until onions are translucent. Add tomatoes, tomato sauce, chicken broth and seasonings. Stir. This recipe makes a fairly thick soup once you add the rice so if you like your soup thinner you can add more chicken broth at this time.

Cover and simmer until peppers are getting tender; 30 to 40 minutes. Stir in rice and heat until rice is hot.

Serve with a little grated cheese on top.

Enjoy!