Start by cooking the rice according to package directions. If you have already cooked rice on hand, save it for later in the recipe.

While the rice is cooking, add the oil and onion to a large soup pot and sauté for 5-7 minutes (ok if it browns slightly – that’ll give the soup more flavor). To save time, I chop the peppers while the onions are cooking.

Add the ground beef to the pot and cook it for 5 minutes, using a spoon to stir/break up the beef as it cooks. If the beef is particularly fatty (it shouldn’t be if you bought lean), drain most of the excess grease before proceeding to the next step.

Stir in the garlic and cook for about a minute.

Add in the peppers, tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, chicken broth, Italian seasoning, and paprika. Increase the heat to high and bring it to a gentle boil. Once boiling, reduce heat and let the soup simmer for 15 minutes.

Add the cooked rice to the pot and continue to cook the soup for another 10 minutes or so. This will helped thicken the broth a bit and infuse more flavor into the soup. Season as needed with salt & pepper.