RJ’s Stuffed Pepper Soup

So, one of my Facebook friends asked if I have a recipe for Stuffed Pepper Soup. Yes, I do, and it’s one from my cookbook, “Soup’s On!”  So Clark, here’s the recipe, and the story behind it.

RJ’s was an eatery near Kirtland, Ohio, that gained a following among tourists and missionaries from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from 2003-2010. Located near LDS Church history sites such as the Kirtland Temple, RJ’s saw so many Utahans that it began offering Utah’s traditional “fry sauce” along with its signature barbecue sauce.  My son, Jess, savored an occasional pulled pork sandwich there while serving in the Ohio Cleveland mission.

My cousin, Carol Cluff, also a former missionary and RJ’s fan, shared with me a recipe for the restaurant’s signature Stuffed Pepper Soup. Since it was a flexible type of recipe, open to some “guesstimates” and individual tweaking, I streamlined it with quick-cook brown rice, frozen peppers and dried onion flakes. I tracked down RJ’s owner, Tom Ponzurick, and got permission to run the recipe as a nostalgic tribute to RJ’s — closed, but not forgotten.

RJ’S STUFFED PEPPER SOUP

Prep time:  30 minutes

Makes about 6 1-cup servings

1 lb. lean ground beef

2 Tbsp. minced dry onion (or ½ C. fresh chopped onion)

2 10 ¾-oz. cans condensed tomato soup

2 14-oz. cans beef broth (or 4 beef bouillon cubes and 3 3/4 C. water)

2 C. frozen chopped green pepper (or 1 green pepper and 1 red pepper, chopped)

1 15-oz. can petite-diced tomatoes

2 to 3 C. water

3/4 C. quick-cooking brown rice (such as Minute Rice)

1 teaspoon garlic powder

Salt and pepper to taste

1 Tbsp. honey

1. Saute ground beef, onion, and chopped peppers in a 4-to-6-quart stock pot over medium-high heat until beef is browned.

2. Add remaining ingredients and simmer 15-20 minutes until cooked. Taste and adjust seasonings before serving.

— “Soup’s On!” by Valerie Phillips (Covenant Communications, 2012)