Are you craving stuffed peppers, but want less fuss and mess to clean up? Try our easy stuffed pepper soup recipe for a flavor similar to stuffed peppers, but is ready in less time!
Looking for more hearty soups to add to your meal rotation? Try our Hamburger Barley and Taco Soup.
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Ingredients
Our stuffed pepper soup recipe takes pantry staples that are easy to find at your local grocery store. Let's talk about the key ingredients to make this dish that tastes just like stuffed peppers!
- Meat: We used ground beef, but you could substitute it for ground pork or ground turkey.
- Aromatics: We used yellow onion and garlic.
- Spices: We used basil, oregano, garlic powder, salt, and black pepper.
- Rice: We used uncooked jasmine rice.
- Canned goods: We used petite diced tomatoes and tomato sauce, both with no salt added.
How to Make
Gather the ingredients to make stuffed pepper soup. Chop up the onion and peppers, mince the garlic, and cut the Parmesan rind into cubes.
- Brown the ground beef over medium-high heat, breaking up the chunks of meat into smaller pieces with a metal flipper. Drain the beef using a large slotted spoon and place it into a bowl.
- Cut up the bell pepper.
3. Heat the oil over medium-high heat, then add the peppers and cook for 3 minutes.
4. Add the chopped onion and garlic and saute.
5. Add the rest of the ingredients, except the rice and garnishes, then pour in the beef broth.
6. Stir until well combined. Cover and bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes. Cook the rice while it simmers. Taste and adjust seasonings, if necessary.
7. Skim the fat off the top with a large spoon.
8. Add the rice to individual bowls, ladle the stuffed pepper soup on top, and garnish with parsley and freshly grated Parmesan cheese. Serve it hot with a crisp side salad and fresh homemade rolls or cornbread.
We encourage you to make our stuffed pepper soup, so you can turn your cold days into a warm, tasty moment with a little spin on this American dinner classic!
Recipe FAQs
First, rinse and dry off the bell pepper. Next, slice off the top, including the stem, then cut it in half from top to bottom. Once open, scoop out the membrane and seeds with a grapefruit spoon and discard them. Slice the pepper into ¼ to ½ inch strips and then line up 4 or 5 strips and cut into smaller pieces.
Stored in an airtight container, this soup keeps for up to 4 days in the fridge.
Yes, it does. Freeze the soup in a zip-top freezer bag for up to 2 months. Just leave out the rice and cheese, and add when ready to serve.
It's simple to make sure this recipe is gluten-free. Just check that the diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, and beef broth are gluten-free before you leave the grocery store. Substitute the rice for quinoa or cauliflower rice.
Variations
- Can't eat rice? Swap it out for quinoa, cauliflower rice, or pearl barley.
- Want spicy stuffed pepper flavor? Use jalapeno, poblano peppers, and crushed red pepper flakes.
- Need it to be vegetarian? Use meatless crumbles or red lentils and vegetable broth.
- Don't eat red meat? Switch it to ground turkey, ground pork, or Italian sausage.
- Want a Mexican flair? Use enchilada sauce, green chilis, hominy, and pinto or black beans.
- Want other rice options? Use brown, yellow, or Spanish rice.
- Looking for different spices? Try Italian seasoning, thyme, chili sauce, parsley, or onion powder.
- Want additional vegetables in stuffed pepper soup? Use celery and grated carrots.
Expert Tips
- Don't like green peppers? Use red, orange, or yellow bell peppers.
- Need a one-pot option? Cook everything for stuffed pepper soup in a Dutch oven.
- Want a thinner stuffed pepper soup? Increase beef broth by 1 cup, and reduce cooked rice to 1 cup. Add the cooked rice to individual bowls instead of the pot.
- Want to freeze leftovers? Leave out the rice and Parmesan cheese.
- If you added all the rice to your soup, thin it out with extra beef broth, tomato sauce, or water the next day, then adjust the seasonings.
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Recipe
Stuffed Pepper Soup
Ingredients
- 2 ¼ pounds ground beef
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 4 cups green bell pepper, chopped (4 large peppers)
- 2 ½ cups yellow onion, chopped (2 large onions)
- 2 tablespoons garlic, minced
- 28 ounce can petite diced tomatoes, no salt added
- 28 ounce can tomato sauce, no salt added
- 4 cups unsalted beef broth
- ¼ cup Parmesan cheese rind
- 3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- 3 tablespoons dried basil
- 2 tablespoons dried oregano
- 2 tablespoons light brown sugar, packed
- 4 teaspoons salt
- 2 teaspoons black pepper
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 cup uncooked jasmine rice, or 2 cups cooked rice
- ½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, for garnish
- ¼ cup fresh parsley, for garnish
Instructions
- In a large skillet over medium high heat, cook the ground beef until no longer pink. Stirring to break up the beef. Drain. Place meat in a bowl and set aside.
- In a dutch oven, heat up the oil over medium high heat. Saute the green peppers for 3 minutes while stirring occasionally then add the onion and cook 3 more minutes. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, roughly 1 minute while constantly stirring.
- Add the cooked ground beef, diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, beef broth, Parmesan cheese rind and spices to the Dutch oven. Stir until well combined. Cover and bring to a boil over medium high heat. Reduce heat to medium low and simmer for 30 minutes stirring occasionally. Taste it as it simmers and adjust spices, if necessary.
- While it simmers, cook the rice separately according to the package instructions and put in a bowl.
- If necessary, skim any fat from the surface with a large soup. Place the fat in a small bowl.
- To serve, add cooked rice to each bowl then ladle the soup over top. Stir to combine. If you choose to add all the cooked rice to the big pot of soup, the rice will absorb some of the liquid, which will result in a thicker soup. If you plan on having leftovers, and you added the all the rice to the soup, you will have to thin the soup with water, beef broth, or tomato sauce before eating it. You will also have to adjust the seasonings, because the soup has been diluted.
- Garnish with a sprinkle of freshly grated Parmesan cheese, fresh parsley, and a few grinds of fresh black pepper. Serve with a side salad and a slice of fresh bread.
Crockpot Instructions
- Brown the meat in a large skillet, or in a crockpot designed for browning meat in it. Drain the meat.
- Add the cooked meat to the crockpot with all the other ingredients, except the oil, rice, and garnishes. Add an extra ½ cup of broth and put the lid on.
- Cook on high heat for 3 to 4 hours, or on low for 6 to 7 hours. Just before serving, add cooked rice to each bowl and sprinkle freshly grated Parmesan cheese and parsley.
Make as a Freezer Meal
- Brown and drain the ground beef. Cut up the bell peppers, chop up the onion, and mince up the garlic.
- Place the cooked meat, peppers, onion, garlic and dry spices in a zip-top freezer bag. Label the bag and write the date on it. It will keep for 2 months in the freezer.
- When ready to use, thaw in the fridge overnight. Place the thawed ingredients in the crockpot. Add beef broth, diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, Worcestershire sauce, and cubed Parmesan rind. Cover and follow the crockpot instructions from above.
Notes
- If you added all the rice to your soup, thin it out with extra beef broth, tomato sauce, or water the next day, then adjust the seasonings.
- Don't like green peppers? Use red, orange, or yellow bell peppers.
- Need a one-pot option? Cook everything for stuffed pepper soup in a Dutch oven.
- Want a thinner stuffed pepper soup? Increase beef broth by 1 cup, and reduce cooked rice to 1 cup. Add the cooked rice to individual bowls instead of the pot.
- Want to freeze leftovers? Leave out the rice and Parmesan cheese
Nutrition
Our stuffed pepper soup was originally published on Jan. 11, 2019.
Beth
I really like how this soup has all the ingredients of stuffed peppers, but in soup form. This is super yummy.
Emma
Thanks, Beth!