Recipe - Stuffed Pepper Soup

With the gardens full and the recent lower temps, I have been COLD and searching for recipes that will warm me up AND use up some of those delish garden veggies ... so naturally soup is on the list. This one has been a REAL hit in my household and with our company. Hope you all enjoy it as much as are! Hugs, Tammy STUFFED PEPPER SOUP Prep Time: 10 Minutes Cook Time: 1 Hour 5 Minutes " Stuffed peppers in a soup bowl. Tastes just like stuffed peppers!" Ingredients : 2 cups chopped onion 1/2 cup chopped celery 2 cloves garlic, minced 4 cups chopped green bell pepper 1/4 cup vegetable oil (I use less than 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil) 1 pound ground beef (I use sirloin or round) 2 (16 ounce) cans crushed tomatoes (I use fresh tomatoes - just eyeball the amount) 1 cup tomato juice (again, I just use my fresh tomatoes that I have juiced) 1 can beef consommé ( I use beef Better than Broth concentrate) 1/2 cup uncooked brown rice (I usually omit this - it's just as good without it) 5 cups water 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley (I have also used dried parsley) 1 tablespoon Splenda 2 teaspoons salt 2 teaspoons ground black pepper 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon (don't leave this out!!) Directions: Sauté onion, celery, garlic, and green pepper in oil until just tender. Do not brown. Stir beef into vegetables; coo****il beef is browned, about 10 minutes. Stir in rice. Add tomatoes, juice, water, parsley, Splenda, salt, pepper & cinnamon to the browned beef mixture. Cover, and simmer 45 minutes or until rice is cooked. Adjust liquid if necessary. Taste for seasoning. Garnish each serving with a parsley sprig. Makes 8 regular (non post op) size servings

Thanks, Tammy I will keep this for later sounds good. That is funny because I made soup for dinner tonight. Have you been to the Y lately, probabally a dumb question since you just got your son married off. I went tonight, it was so wonderful, I walked a mile on the track, then did the machines, then went swimming 2 laps. then got in the whirlpool, then took a shower, I was cold when I got out so I set in the sauna to warm up. It was a great evening. Maybe sometime we could get together and walk. Take care, Dana

Dana, Not a dumb question at all. Truly a question that should be asked right now. Sure wish I could honestly say I have been faithful to the gym these past couple of months, but I can't!!! Since hubbies surgery, it has been hit and miss and I have the FOUR extra pounds to show for it!!! YIKES!!! Have buckeled back down with my food intake and now I just have to make that leap back to the gym. Would love to go with you sometime ... but you will have to be gentle with me ... likely I will be a bit out of shape again! It doesn't take long when you are not completely faithful!!! Give me a call, would love to share a work out or two with you! BTW - I think this soup will be a winner for you. My family and friends are raving about it. I was not sure about it, but decided to give it a go anyway ... sure am glad I did!!! Thinking about trying a brocolli soup recipe next. Will be sure to let you know if I like how it turns out. Hugs, Tammy