Soup in a Minute!

I finally made the soup I had planned on making a few days ago, and it was. . . hmm. . . Let's just talk about it for a minute. The recipe was for Peruvian Sopa a la Minuta, taken from a Whole Foods recipe card I've had for quite a while. Since I was cooking for just me (with leftovers), I cut the recipe down by half. I also added crushed red pepper flakes while I was browning the meat, for that extra kick, and a sliced jalapeno pepper while it was simmering to get it a little more spicy. I think what it lacked most was salt, or at least more seasoning. I think some paprika would have been good. In any case, I ate it, and it was a bit bland, but good.

Peruvian Sopa a la Minuta

Ingredients:
.5 lb ground beef
1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
salt and pepper
1/2 red onion, diced
1/2 red bell pepper, diced
1 garlic clove, minced
1 medium yellow potato, 1/2" cubes
1 jalapeno pepper, sliced
1 bay leaf
1/2 tbsp ground cumin
2 c beef broth
1 c water
1/4 lb capellini or angel hair pasta

Bring a pot of water to a boil.

Season meat with salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes. Brown meat in a medium sized sauce pan over medium-high heat. Remove to a plate and discard all but one tablespoon of fat. Sautee onion, bell pepper, and garlic for 4 minutes. Add potato, cumin, salt and pepper, and saute for another 2 minutes. Add broth and water, bay leaf, and jalapeno pepper. Bring to a boil, then lower to a simmer. Simmer for 10 minutes. In the mean time, add pasta to boiling water and cook until al dente (about 6 minutes). Add browned beef to soup, and continue to simmer for a minute or two. Serve soup over pasta in a large bowl.