BELL PEPPER SOUP

This is a diabetic-friendly slow cooker recipe. I got this recipe from Better Homes & Gardens several years ago and thought it was worth sharing with you.  I consider this one of my healthy soups.  To all my diabetic readers, this soup has an excellent carb/protein ratio. Don't eat read meat? Substitute lean ground chicken or turkey for the ground beef and chicken broth for the beef broth.

1 pound lean ground beef
1 large onion, chopped (1 cup)
1 medium red sweet pepper, chopped (1/2 cup)

1 medium orange sweet pepper, chopped (1/2 cup)
1 medium green sweet pepper, chopped (1/2 cup)
2 cloves garlic, minced

4 cups lower-sodium beef broth

2 cups water

1 14 1/2 ounce can diced tomatoes, undrained

1/2teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon chili powder

1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika

3/4 cup uncooked instant brown rice

1/2 cup finely shredded Colby and Monterey Jack cheese

1. In a large skillet cook beef, onion, sweet peppers, and garlic over medium heat until meat is browned and vegetables are tender. Drain off fat.
2. In a 4- to 5-quart slow cooker combine beef-vegetable mixture, broth, the water, tomatoes, black pepper, chili powder, and smoked paprika.
3. Cover and cook on low-heat setting for 8 to 10 hours or on high-heat setting for 4 to 5 hours. If using low-heat setting, turn to high-heat setting. Stir in rice. Cover and cook for 30 minutes more or until heated through. Sprinkle each serving with cheese.

Yield: 8 servings
Per serving:  Protein 17g, Carbs 22g

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