Instant Pot Robust Stuffed Pepper Soup

Start to finish cook time: 55 minutes (6 prep + 14 sauté + 17 pressurization + 12 high pressure + 6 depressure)
Effort Level: Low
Servings: 8

I know the main star of the show usually is the bell pepper in this soup, but we actually need to take a moment to recognize the unexpected show stopper in this recipe- Parboiled Rice. Parboiled Rice is a secret weapon Chef introduced to me a long time ago because I used to be the person that screws up rice every time I cooked it. Parboiled is the friendly cooperative version of rice, every time it comes out perfect without fail and it's super fast! I've been a believer of Parboiled Rice on the stove top ever since, but I recently took the plunge in the Instant Pot and was happy to realize it translates to IP too (there wasn't much online telling me if it was going to work out, so now I feel like I'm Columbus discovering new islands). It's especially clutch in this recipe because you don't need to pre-cook the rice and add back in. You just add this rice directly to the soup and it can cook as the soup cooks, in record time.

If you want to jump straight to the recipe, no need to keep scrolling it's right below. If you want step-by-step pictures though, I've included those below the recipe. And as my Chef husband says, "Food is love". Enjoy!

Ingredients
Soup Ingredients 

• 3/4 cup enriched parboiled rice (uncooked)
• 2 bell peppers, chopped and seeded (any color, I prefer the flavor of red and yellow although green gives that visual pop)
• 2 cloves garlic, diced
• 1 yellow onion, chopped
• 1 pound ground beef (93% lean), browned
• 15 oz can Hunts Tomato Sauce (Hunts has BPA free cans)
• 18 oz can Hunts Crushed Tomatoes (Hunts has BPA free cans)
• 5 cups water
• 5 beef bouillon cubes
• 1 tsp olive oil
• 1 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp garlic powder
• 1/4 tsp garlic salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 1/8 tsp Italian Seasoning
• 1/2 tsp Tony Chachere's® Original Creole Seasoning 

Optional Garnish Ingredients

• Shredded white cheese (Monterrey Jack or Gouda)
• Chopped parsley (dried or fresh)

Instructions

1. Chop bell peppers, be sure to remove seeds and any stickers on your peppers. Chop onion and dice garlic. Set aside.
2. Set Instant Pot to high sauté for 15 minutes. Add oil, bell peppers, onions, and garlic. 
3. Once onions are translucent, add ground beef and cook until beef is brown (if your meat is brown before the time goes off that is okay, I always like to have a few extra minutes set just in case I get distracted or things take a bit longer that way it won't turn off on in the middle of something).
4. Turn off sauté if there is time remaining. Then add in this order- water, all seasoning including bouillon cubes, parboiled rice, crushed tomatoes, and tomato sauce. DO NOT MIX as red sauces tend to set off the burn notice, by skipping on stirring until after cooking this will help avoid burn notice.
5. Set to pressure cook for 12 minutes, allow for 17 minutes to build pressure. Be sure the pressure valve is set to seal. 
6. Once it beeps it's done cooking, allow for 6 minutes natural depressurization. Release any remaining pressure after that. Stir soup with wooden spoon mixing the ingredients together (since you did not mix it prior to cooking).
7. It's time to scoop your soup into a bowl, top with a shredded white cheese like Gouda or Monterrey Jack and dash of chopped parsley (dried or fresh).

Chop onions, garlic, and bell peppers. Be sure to remove
seeds and stickers from bell peppers.

Set to high saute, add oil and all chopped veggies. Cook until
onions are translucent.

Add ground beef and cook until meat is brown. Turn saute off.

Add in this order on top of meat veggie mix: water, seasoning including bouillon cubes,
rice, crushed tomatoes, and tomato sauce. DO NOT MIX. Set
to high pressure for 12 minutes, allow for 17 minutes to build pressure.
Once done, let it natural pressure release for 6 minutes before
releasing remaining pressure. Mix with a wooden spoon.

Garnish with white cheese and chopped parsley. Enjoy!