STUFFED PEPPER SOUP

Reduce the heat to low and add the minced garlic, oregano, basil, and thyme, stirring constantly.
Add the fire-roasted tomatoes, tomato sauce, beef broth, brown sugar, and rice. Bring the mixture to a boil and then reduce it to a simmer and cover. Simmer covered for 25-30 minutes or until the rice is tender. Stir several times.
Season with kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste. Sprinkle with fresh parsley and if desired, cheddar cheese and serve.
NOTES
You can also substitute ground turkey, ground pork, ground chicken, or Italian sausage for the ground beef.
If available, use sweet Vidalia onions. A little sweetness really makes this recipe stand out.
Dice your bell peppers into small bite-size pieces. You can use any combination of colored bell peppers.
You can use any long-grain or short-grain white rice or brown rice, jasmine, basmati, or even quinoa. Please keep in mind that brown rice will require a slightly longer cooking time.
Fire-roasted tomatoes really give this dish extra flavor, but you can use any canned diced tomatoes.
If you know you will be saving leftovers, cook the rice separately and spoon a small amount into each bowl of before adding the soup. This way, the rice will not continue to soak up the liquid and swell.
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. When reheating, use a reduced power level on the microwave and an extra low on the stovetop to keep from cooking the rice more.
To freeze first, completely cool. Then ladle into marked freezer zipper bags and freeze for up 3 months.