Stuffed Pepper Soup with Cauliflower Rice

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This is one of my all-time favorite soups!  It's thick and hearty like a chili, and has all of the good parts of a stuffed pepper, but in a bowl!  To make it paleo and Whole30, I subbed in cauliflower rice (instead of white rice or brown rice which is in the original recipe).  I also cut out the junk-filled canned tomato soup and replaced it with straight up tomato sauce.

Confession -- I originally planned this as an Instant Pot recipe, but my eyes were bigger than my Instant Pot (tee hee) and by the time I had added the peppers, it was VERY clear that everything would not fit.  I wanted a huge pot so we could eat it for the week (and also freeze leftovers), so to the stovetop it went!

If you want to cook it in your instant pot, just cut the recipe in half.

I like to use half red peppers and half green because I think it's prettier that way, but use whatever you get a better price on (usually green)!

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Stuffed Pepper Soup with Cauli Rice

[Whole30 - Paleo - Gluten Free - Grain Free - Dairy Free]

Ingredients:

2 Tbsp olive oil or coconut oil

2 small - medium sweet onions, chopped

4 cloves garlic, minced

2 - 2.5 lbs ground beef

1 tsp salt

2 red bell peppers, chopped

2 green bell peppers, chopped

4 cups beef broth or stock/broth of your choice

2 15oz cans petite diced tomatoes

2 15oz cans fire roasted tomatoes

1 28oz can tomato puree

1 6 oz can tomato paste

1/2 tsp black pepper

1/2 tsp white pepper

1 tsp each of dried basil, parsley, oregano, or whatever Italian herbs you have and like!

Handful of fresh parsley, chopped

1-2 tsp salt (to taste)

1-2 heads of cauliflower (processed into "rice"), or 1-2 bags of pre-riced cauliflower [or 2 cups cooked white or brown rice]

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Heat olive oil in a large soup pot over medium high heat.  
3. Add onions and garlic and cook for 2-3 minutes until fragrant.
4. Add in the ground beef and cook until it is browned through, breaking it up as you go.  Season with 1 tsp salt.
5. Add in the peppers, broth, and all of the canned tomatoes and tomato paste.
6. Stir in black pepper, white pepper, and Italian seasonings.
7. Bring up to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook for about 30 minutes or until the peppers are the texture you like (I like them to have a tiny bit of crunch to them still).  Taste at the very end and add more salt if you feel it needs more (I usually do).  Throw in a handful of fresh parsley.
8. While the soup cooks, prepare the cauliflower rice.  Line a cookie sheet (or two) with parchment or waxed paper, then spray with olive oil.  Spread cauli rice over the pan (or 2).  Spray with olive oil and sprinkle with a bit of salt.  Bake for 10-15 minutes (stirring once halfway), or until the cauli rice is crisp tender.
   TIP:  If you want to use white or brown rice, cook it first then stir it right into the soup at the end.
9. Ladle soup into bowls and top with a scoop of cauliflower rice.  Garnish with fresh parsley.
   TIP:  I store the cauli rice separate from the soup so the rice doesn't get too soft hanging out in the fridge for a few days (or freezer for even longer).

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