Pepperoni Pizza Soup

My family loves this soup! It has all the flavors of pepperoni pizza, but with a lot less calories. It can be made in a crockpot or on the stove top, whichever is more convenient for you.

Ingredients:

1 pound of ground beef

2 tablespoons Italian seasoning

a pinch of ground fennel (optional)

1 onion, chopped

1 green bell pepper, chopped

1 (6 oz) can of tomato paste

1 (28 oz) can of crushed tomatoes (I use San Marzano Tomatoes)

2 cups sliced pepperoni

1 1/2 cups Mozzarella cheese, shredded

Basil to garnish

Instructions:

Slow cooker directions:

First brown up your ground beef and then add the next six ingredients in the slow cooker. Cook on low 6 to 8 hours or on high 3 to 4 hours. When you're ready to serve, stir in your pepperoni and then garnish with Mozzarella and basil.

Stove top directions:

In a large pot, brown your ground beef over medium-high heat until browned and crumbly. Stir in your seasonings, onion and bell pepper. Saute a few minutes. Stir in tomato paste and crushed tomatoes. Reduce heat to low and simmer about 10 minutes. Break up the crushed tomatoes with a wooden spoon as you occasionally stir. Add in the pepperoni slices.

Ladle soup into bowls and serve with Mozzarella cheese on top and garnish with basil.

#pizza #soup #Beef