Italian Sausage Pepper Soup (Print Version)

# Ingredients:

01 - 1 lb. hot Italian sausage (may substitute lean ground beef or turkey)
02 - 1 small yellow onion, chopped
03 - 1 red bell pepper, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
04 - 1 green bell pepper, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
05 - 4-6 garlic cloves, minced
06 - 1/8-1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
07 - 1 can (28 oz.) crushed tomatoes, no salt or seasonings added
08 - 1 can (14.5 oz.) fire roasted diced tomatoes with juices
09 - 3/4 cup uncooked long grain white rice
10 - 1 tablespoon fresh chopped basil (or 1 teaspoon dried)
11 - 1 tablespoon fresh chopped oregano (or 1 teaspoon dried)
12 - 1 tablespoon fresh chopped parsley (or 1 teaspoon dried)
13 - 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
14 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
15 - 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
16 - 6 cups low sodium beef broth
17 - 1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
18 - Freshly shredded mozzarella cheese for serving

# Instructions:

01 - Heat a large soup pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Brown sausage and onions for 4 minutes, breaking up the sausage as it cooks. Add bell peppers, garlic, and red pepper flakes, then sauté for an additional 2-3 minutes until meat is cooked through and onions are tender. Drain excess grease.
02 - Add crushed tomatoes, fire roasted diced tomatoes, rice, herbs (basil, oregano, parsley, thyme), salt, pepper, and beef broth to the pot. Do not add the cheeses yet.
03 - Cover the soup and bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce heat to low and continue to simmer, covered, stirring occasionally for 8-12 minutes or until rice is tender. Cooking time may vary depending on your rice variety.
04 - Stir in Parmesan cheese and adjust salt and pepper to taste. Add additional broth if desired for a thinner consistency.
05 - Ladle soup into bowls and top with freshly shredded mozzarella cheese.

# Notes:

01 - Rice cooking time may vary depending on the variety used and how quickly your soup comes to a boil.
02 - For a thinner soup, additional beef broth can be added at the end of cooking.

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