You guys.
???
This soup.
??? x 1,000,000
If I was to make a list of my favorite recipes on The Garlic Diaries, this soup would make the top ten. Maaaybe the top five…but definitely the top ten. It is absolutely deee-LICIOUS.
With a capital “D”….and a capital “LICIOUS.”
And the craziest part?? It is incredibly easy and will be on your table, ready to eat in thirty minutes. I timed it.
Thirty minutes.
And it doesn’t taste like it only took thirty minutes to make, I will tell you that right now!.
I have a few tricks and tips that give the soup depth and balance, making it taste like it has been simmering all night.
Tip #1: Brown the sausage…like really brown the sausage. This might sound obvious to you and not “tip” worthy, but browning your meat makes a huge difference in flavor. Not only does it make the sausage taste way better, it also makes the rest of the soup taste way better. Why? Because we are cooking everything (except the rice) in the same pot. So when you get the meat nice and brown in your pot, lots of those brown bits stick to the bottom and are lifted back into the soup when we add our tomatoes and stock. And that stuff right there?? FLAVOR GOLD. Fo reals.
**Follow up tip for browning your meat: Put your sausage in the pan and leave it there. Do not stir it. Do not touch it. Wait until it has browned and then break it up and stir it around. And once you break it up and stir it around – leave it again. Don’t mess with it until it has browned. Continue this process until most of the sausage has crisped up. The worst thing you can do for browning meat is constantly babysit it and stir, stir, stir. You aren’t giving it long enough to develop that crust**
Tip #2: Sugar! We don’t add much, just a few teaspoons, but it balances out the flavors of this soup so nicely. The canned tomatoes haven’t been given enough time to simmer and mellow out, so the soup needs some sugar to help balance that acid and smooth everything out. A little goes a long way!
Tip #3 (my favorite): Cocoa powder! I have talked about this trick before on here. It is one of my favorite tricks for chilis and soups like this. Cocoa powder kicks this soup up like twenty notches. It brings so much richness and depth. Do not skip this step! Seriously! You should set aside about 1/4 cup of the soup in a small bowl before adding the sugar and cocoa powder so you can taste the difference. It is very significant!
If you utilize these three tips, this thirty minute meal will taste like you it’s been cooking for hours!
The following is a list (apparently I’m in a listing mood today) of why this is the BEST SOUP EVER and will become a part of your family’s meal rotation for forever and ever:
- It is crazy easy
- It is wonderfully thick and hardy
- It has the flavor components of your favorite stuffed pepper recipe, but in a soup! What is more fun than that??
- It’s very economical. Rice, sausage, vegetables, beef broth, and canned tomatoes. Cheap and SO yummy!
- It only takes thirty minutes to make!!
Have I convinced you?? It is a “must try” recipe!!
So this soup is my second Soup Sunday recipe in September, and I have had SO much fun with this collaboration! I’ve loved drooling over all of the other fabulous bloggers’ soups throughout the month. You should go check them out!
Angela @ The Chewy Life
Amanda @ Crafty Cooking Mama
Alisha @ Alisha Enid
Justine @ Born and Bred in Brooklyn
Melissa and Gregg @ My Wife’s Muffin
Thao @ In Good Flavor
It’s been so great reading through all their posts and seeing what yummy soups they have come up with!
Alright, now go and enjoy the rest of your Sunday, watch some football (GO PANTHERS), and make this soup please. Thank you :).
Print30 Minute Stuffed Pepper Soup (Soup Sunday!)
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Cook Time: 20 mins
- Total Time: 30 mins
- Yield: 7 servings 1x
Ingredients
- 1 pound mild Italian sausage, meat removed from casings
- 1 green bell pepper, diced into small pieces
- 1 onion, diced
- 3 cloves of garlic, finely minced
- 2 2/3 cup cooked brown rice (if you have leftover rice, that would be perfect. If you make your own, you will need to use the instant brown rice that cooks in 10 minutes. That’s what we did and it was perfect)
- 3 cups beef stock
- 2 14.5 oz cans petite diced tomatoes
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1 pinch red pepper flakes
- 3 teaspoons unsweetened cocoa powder
- 2 teaspoons sugar
Instructions
- Heat a large pot over high heat
- When your pot is hot, add a little olive oil and add in your sausage. Leave your sausage alone! Don’t stir it yet. Give it time to brown. When the bottom has browned, then you can break it up and stir it around. And then leave it alone again so it can have time to brown. Continue this process – don’t constantly stir it!
- While your sausage is browning, cook your rice in a separate pot (unless you are using leftover). I would recommend using beef or chicken stock to cook your rice rather than water.
- Meanwhile, prep your pepper, onion, and garlic
- When the sausage is browned, remove it to a plate and cook your veggies for a few minutes until the onions have softened
- Add the sausage back in. Stir in your Italian seasoning, pepper flakes, and season with salt and pepper
- Pour in your canned tomatoes and the three cups of beef stock
- Season with salt and pepper
- Bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook, covered, for 10 minutes, stirring periodically
- When the ten minutes are up, remove the lid and stir in your rice, sugar, and cocoa powder
- Season to taste with salt and pepper
- **NOTE!! – If you are planning on having leftovers of this soup, don’t add in all the rice. Just add rice into each individual bowl. If you add rice to the whole pot of soup and then store it in the fridge, there will be no liquid left the next day – it will be absorbed. So, if that bothers you, just add the rice as you go!**
*This recipe is gluten free*
If you make this or any of my other recipes, be sure to Instagram it and hashtag #thegarlicdiaries!
In the mood for more yummy soup recipes? Check these out:
Potato Pumpkin Soup with Bacon
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Made it tonight! I substituted turkey mild italian sausage & chicken broth. Hubby really loved it! This soup was amazing! So flavorful…thank you!
★★★★★
I’m so glad you enjoyed it, Tonya!! It’s one of my faves :).
I’m all about some soup these days too and I love this sausage stuffed pepper business going on here. I’ve never tried adding cocoa before, but I definitely want to give it a try!
Rachelle @ Beer Girl Cooks recently posted…Roasted Fig, Prosciutto, Ricotta French Bread Pizza
Thanks, Rachelle! You have to try the cocoa trick…it is magic!!
This soup looks amazing! And I love that it only takes 30 minutes!
Natalie @ Tastes Lovely recently posted…Ultimate Superfood Pregnancy Smoothie
★★★★★
Thanks, Natalie! 30 minute meals are so much fun :).
Mmm this soup looks just perfect, Annie! Any meal that takes just 30 minutes in a winner in my book, especially when it involves delicious flavors like this!
Gayle @ Pumpkin ‘N Spice recently posted…Cinnamon Vanilla Glazed Apple Cider Donuts
Thanks, Gayle :)!
This soup looks like the perfect autumn meal. Thank you for sharing your tips on adding depth to the soup. I’ve used cocoa powder and chocolate in braised dishes before, but never in a tomato sauce. I’m definitely trying that!
Kristen @ The Endless Meal recently posted…The 10 Best Food Photography Props to Improve Your Food Photos
★★★★★
Thanks, Kristen! No problem! The cocoa powder really does make a huge difference :).