a simple real food recipe :: crockpot stuffed pepper soup

I saw the idea of a “stuffed pepper soup” somewhere on Pinterest last year and played around with it enough last winter to figure out how we like it 🙂I really liked the idea since making actual stuffed peppers is kind of fussy.

You are going to love how easy this is. It just needs 4 hours on high in the crockpot – so either put everything in at noon for dinnertime, or everything in at breakfast to be done in time for lunch! If you work all day, I have tried this on low for 8 hours but I think it gets too mushy – I wouldn’t do it. Instead, you could whip it up in about 30 minutes in a soup pot! I will mention in the Kitchen Tips how to do this. Or make this a weekend lunch or dinner and warm the leftovers Monday night! I’m thinking the red and green peppers will make this a fun Christmas Eve lunch or dinner?! You could even get it going Christmas Eve day and have it just stay warm in the crock all day for any guests coming in and out!

You’ll need:

1 lb grassfed ground beef

1 TB Italian seasoning

1 medium onion, chopped

4-5 cloves garlic, minced

1 large or 2 small green pepper, chopped

1 medium red pepper, chopped

1 large or 3 small tomatoes, seeded and juices scooped out, chopped

2 quarts chicken stock or beef stock (Homemade preferable to avoid MSG/BPA. If this isn’t possible THIS is the only one I have found without both.)

2 – 15oz cans organic tomato sauce  (Costco cheapest for me – HERE is a good brand if you don’t have that option)

½ cup uncooked long grain white rice (I get mine cheapest at our grocer or bulk at our health food store. THIS is an option otherwise.)

Sea salt/pepper to taste

* Optional sour cream or shredded block cheese to garnish

1. Brown the beef in a fry pan with a little butter or coconut oil if needed. Add the Italian season while cooking. Do not drain.
2. Add the cooked beef with juices, and the rest of the ingredients to the crock pot and combine.
3. Cook on HIGH for 4 hours. Garnish each bowl with sour cream or cheese.

Kitchen Tips:

1. If you want to use brown rice you will want to sprout it for digestion before cooking – Read THIS and THIS on why I have made the switch to white rice.
2. If you are running short on time, you can do this up in a soup or stock pot! Just brown the beef and set aside. Saute the veggies for a good 10 minutes with some salt, add the beef, stock, tomato sauce and bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer and add the rice and cook until the rice is done! Should only take like 30 minutes. It is just as good!
3. If you prefer a “beefier” soup there is enough “give” in the soup to add another pound of beef. My budget is such that I am trying to stretch a pound of beef as far as I can!
4. This does freeze up nice! Double batch and freeze for easy pull out lunches or dinners!
5. Speaking of freezing up – this makes a great new mama meal! Just double batch, save some for your dinner, and package the rest up for that new mama that needs nourishing stock and iron rich grassfed beef while she recovers from delivery 🙂
6. Just like most soups or crockpot stews this only gets better the next day for leftovers 😉 It thickens even more as the rice soaks in the liquid – it is SO yummy!
7. Read THIS and THIS on the importance of choosing grassfed beef.

YOUR TURN!

Let me know what you think if you try it!

This post was shared at Real Food Freaks Freaky Friday, and The Polivka Family’s Family Table Tuesday, and Real Food Forager’s Fat Tuesday!