Low-Carb Stuffed Pepper Soup

Ingredients

• 4 tsp. olive oil
• 1 onion, chopped small
• 1 T Italian Herb Blend
• 2 large green bell peppers, seeds and stems removed and chopped into half-inch pieces
• 19.5 oz. uncooked turkey Italian sausage, squeezed out of the casing
• 1 lb. ground beef
• 2 15 oz. cans crushed tomatoes + 2 cans water
• 4 14 oz. cans beef broth
• 1 T Worcestershire Sauce
• 1/2 cup ketchup
• 2 cups frozen cauliflower rice
• salt and fresh-ground pepper to taste
• freshly-grated Parmesan for serving

Directions

1. Warm 2 tsp. olive oil in a large non-stick frying pan. Stir in the chopped onion and cook it until the edges are beginning to color, then sprinkle in the Italian Herb Blend and continue cooking for a few minutes. Transfer that onion mixture to a large soup pot.
2. Use the same frying pan for the chopped green peppers, cooking them until they take on a little char. Move the peppers into the soup pot.
3. Pour the remaining 2 tsp. of oil into the frying pan. Add the sausage meat you removed from the casings along with the ground beef, and cook over medium-high heat until both meats are lightly browned. If your pan is not roomy enough, cook the beef and sausage in separate batches. As the meat cooks, break it into small pieces with a turner or an old-fashioned potato masher.
4. Move the browned meat into the soup pot. Stir in the crushed tomatoes, the water, beef broth, Worcestershire sauce, and low-sugar ketchup. Bring the soup to a gentle simmer, then cook for 30-40 minutes.
5. Stir in the 2 cups of frozen or fresh chopped cauliflower rice. Continue simmering for 20-30 minutes, cooking a bit longer if you are using fresh cauliflower. Add salt and fresh-ground black pepper to taste. Serve hot, with fresh Parmesan available at the table if desired.