simplequietmodern

And feels like 40. The next it’s 40 yet feels like 25!  Isn’t it supposed to be Spring?  All I crave on these chilly chilly days is soup. But, I need to switch it up. Inspired by a couple of green peppers in the pantry I thought Stuffed Pepper Soup was in order. Well, a soup version of stuffed peppers simply because I was lazy and hungry now. I knew I could have this in the bowl in under an hour so it was off to the races. This intuitive recipe started with a pound of ground beef nicely browned in your favorite soup pot. Remove from the pot and drain rendered fat. Add a tablespoon of olive oil to the pot and cook 1/2 of a large onion diced along with 2 ribs of celery chopped and a couple cloves of smashed garlic until translucent. Add the beef back to the pot and salt and pepper the mixture. Cut two green and one half red bell peppers into small chunks and add to the pot along with a 28oz. can of stewed tomatoes that you have broken into smaller bite sized pieces. Top off with approximately six cups of beef stock. Bring the pot to a boil and reduce heat to low and let simmer for approximately thirty minutes. Adjust your seasonings and serve over a nice scoop of cooked white rice. Today I opted out of the rice and added a cup and a half of small cauliflower florets with the rest of the vegetables. You can add some tomato sauce to the soup along with the stewed tomatoes but I preferred a lighter brothy result. OK, now I feel better.

If you have a Chez Panisse bowl from Heath Ceramics to serve it up in, even better. Photo: Heath Ceramics

Top two photos: GP