Brown the ground beef: Heat a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat and add the ground beef. Cook, breaking it into crumbles, until no pink remains, about 6-8 minutes, then drain excess fat.

Soften onion and peppers: Add the diced onion and bell peppers to the pot with the beef. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion turns translucent and the peppers soften slightly, about 5 minutes.

Add garlic and seasonings: Stir in the minced garlic, Italian seasoning, and paprika, and cook for 30 seconds until fragrant. This keeps the garlic from burning while releasing its flavor into the fat.

Pour in tomatoes and broth: Add the diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, beef broth, and the soy sauce mixture. Scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon.

Bring to a boil: Increase the heat and bring the soup to a full boil. This step ensures the rice cooks evenly once added.

Stir in the rice: Add the uncooked white rice to the boiling soup and stir well. Reduce the heat to low and cover the pot.

Simmer until rice is tender: Let the soup simmer, covered, for 18-20 minutes, stirring once or twice to prevent sticking. Bite into a grain of rice to confirm it's tender before moving on.

Season to taste: Taste the soup and add salt and black pepper as needed. If the soup seems too thick, stir in a splash of water or extra broth.

Rest before serving: Remove the pot from heat and let the soup sit for 5 minutes so the rice finishes absorbing broth. Garnish with chopped parsley if desired.