This stuffed pepper soup is a hearty meal loaded with ground beef, onions, rice and bell peppers in a tomato based broth. It tastes just like classic stuffed peppers, but without all the work!
I love stuffed peppers, but it seems like they take forever to bake, and I always end up with peppers that are either too crunchy or too mushy. Stuffed pepper soup has all the same flavors but is so easy to put together on a busy weeknight.
It’s not long before fall will be upon us. I can’t believe it’s almost time for the kids to go back to school, which is what got me thinking about this stuffed pepper soup. It’s delicious any time of the year, but it’s best on a chilly night!
HOW DO YOU MAKE STUFFED PEPPER SOUP?
This delicious and hearty soup has a mixture of ground beef, onions, rice, and bell peppers. It’s simmered to perfection in a tomato based broth. It’s like eating a stuffed pepper without all the extra work – easy and delicious.
I suggest using 90% lean ground beef; it has a ton of flavor but without all the grease. You can swap out the ground beef for ground turkey if you’re looking to save a few calories. I like to use a mixture of red and green bell peppers because green is classic for stuffed peppers, but the red are a little sweeter so it gives a good balance to the flavor.
You may be tempted to just throw the rice into the soup pot uncooked and let it simmer with the rest of the ingredients. However, if you do that, the rice will soak up all the liquid. I prefer to stir cooked rice into the soup just before serving so that there’s a nice ratio of rice to soup broth.
WHAT ARE THE HEALTH BENEFITS OF RICE?
Although given a bad rap sometimes, rice has many health benefits when consumed. Not only is it a quick source of energy, but it’s also a natural anti-inflammatory. Rice promotes nervous system health, heart health, and reduces the risk of cancer along with a plethora of other benefits. You can use either brown or white rice in this stuffed pepper soup.
WHAT DOES 90% LEAN GROUND BEEF MEAN?
When you buy ground beef, there is often a percentage given with it. This percentage lets you know how much fat has been removed from the meat. Therefore, if it states 90% lean ground beef, that means it’s 90% fat free, or 90% lean beef with 10% fatty beef.
I always love a good bowl of soup, especially during the fall and winter months. We enjoy our soup with a few toppings so I recommend trying shredded cheese, sour cream, or fresh herbs on top of this delicious stuffed bell pepper soup. Add a side of bread or a green salad, and dinner is served!
MORE SOUP RECIPES YOU’LL LOVE
- Cabbage Roll Soup
- Hamburger Soup
- Chicken and Wild Rice Soup
- Ham Bone Soup
- Slow Cooker Chicken Tortilla Soup
Stuffed Pepper Soup Video
Stuffed Pepper Soup
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 pound ground beef I use 90% lean
- 3/4 cup chopped onion
- 1 1/2 teaspoons garlic minced
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 red bell pepper cut into 1/2 inch pieces
- 1 green bell pepper cut into 1/2 inch pieces
- 1 14.5 ounce can petite diced tomatoes
- 1 15 ounce can tomato sauce
- 1 14.5 ounce can beef broth
- 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
- 2 cups cooked white rice
- 2 tablespoons chopped parsley
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium high heat. Add the ground beef and cook until browned, breaking up into smaller pieces with a spatula (approximately 5-6 minutes).
- Add the onion to the pot and cook for 4-5 minutes or until softened. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds.
- Season the beef and onion mixture with salt and pepper.
- Add the bell peppers to the pot and cook for 2-3 minutes.
- Add the tomatoes, tomato sauce, beef broth and Italian seasoning to the pot; bring to a simmer.
- Cook for 15-20 minutes or until peppers are tender.
- Stir in the rice and season the soup with salt and pepper to taste as desired. Sprinkle with parsley and serve.
Annette says
This was very good I did modify it slightly. I didn’t add the Italian seasoning, but added 1 packet of taco seasoning, and 1 (15oz) can Pizza Sauce along with approx only 1/2 the can of the (15oz) tomato sauce.. and added mozzarella cheese at serving. Delish..
Sara says
So happy to hear you enjoyed it, I appreciate you reporting back!
Tina Cook says
My all time favorite soup! Reminds me of my mom’s Spanish rice when I was a kid. Made a double batch so that we have extra for work lunches or anytime. Delicious! Thank you for sharing!
Sara says
So glad to hear you enjoyed it, thanks for reporting back!
linda says
LOVE LOVE LOVE this I also added grated cheddar cheese to individual bowls DELISH
Sara says
So glad to hear you enjoyed it, thanks for reporting back!
Donna Vojensky says
Made this tonight and added an extra 2 cups of broth and a approx a teaspoon of Worcestershire
Sara says
So glad you enjoyed it, thank you for reporting back!
Nicolette says
This was very good thank you for sharing it I did however added one more can of tomato sauce.
Priscilla says
I don’t have ground beef, but I do have chicken. I may use beans instead of meet. Chicken broth instead of beef…I love your recipe & will try when I need to use up peppers & have ground beef…I love the versatility of recipes & cooking. I love inspiration from other cooks & just rolling up my sleeves & perfect my amateur culinary skills one meal at a time 🙂 Thanks for sharing!
Sara says
Thanks, hope you enjoy!
Catherine Starr says
I thought it needed more tomato sauce, my family said it needed more rice. Either way we loved it!
Sara says
I thought it was amazing, mine turned out super think almost no juice. Would probably add a little tomato juice next time to thin it out.
Paula says
Made this for dinner tonight. YUM !! Perfect for our cold, rainy weather. I made a double batch so we’ll have leftovers.
Sara says
So glad to hear you enjoyed it!
Paula says
Forgot to mention that since I doubled the recipe, I used 1 lb of ground beef and 1 lb of Italian sausage. SO good !!
Amanda Howell says
Do you drain the beef?
Sara says
If there’s a lot of grease left over, then yes, drain it!
Jen says
Could I pressure can this without rice?
Sara says
I’m not familiar with pressure canning so I can’t really say, is it safe to pressure can ground beef?
Nicole says
This is a great recipe, thanks! Made it a couple of days ago. Super easy and filling, but something was missing, I can’t put my finger on it, but I’ll figure it out one way or the other. I used spanish rice, which was great! Maybe next time I’ll use enchilada sauce instead of regular tomato sauce and give it a good ole mexican flair.
Sara says
Love the idea of giving it a Mexican spin! Thanks for reporting back!
Becky says
Try corn! I’m going to do that the next time I make it. I am making it now and it tastes awesome. Added a few extra things though. Thyme, rosemary, and cayenne pepper.
Jaime says
My husband hates rice, so I make pastina or acini de pepe pasta (round little pasta in wedding soup) and throw that in 🙂
Sara says
Love that idea!! Will try it next time.
Jan Gardner says
What kind of rice do you use….instant or long grain ???
Sara says
Long grain!
Michelle Stevens says
Was wondering if you know if this freezes well or canned well?
Sara says
Yes it will freeze well, I recommend leaving the rice out and adding after you’ve thawed and reheated!
kristy says
Yes! I make this, cook the rice separately and just add it to the bottom of the bowl and then add the soup on top. It freezes well !
Cindy says
You can freeze it complete or can it without the rice. I can a lot of different soups, but without rice or noodles. It’s easy to add them later.
Louise says
I would make it with ground turkey and chicken broth or veg broth and brown rice.
Sara says
That should work fine!
Melanie says
This looks amazing! Would it work as well without rice? I’m a diabetic and need to limit my carbohydrate intake. Thanks!
Sara says
Yes a lot of people substitute cauliflower rice!
Deb says
What is considered a serving?
Sara says
About 1 1/2 cups
Colleen says
Why so much Italian seasoning?
Sara says
You can reduce the amount if you prefer!
Shelley says
Can this be made ahead & frozen? I am unsure about freezing rice. We are going on a 10 day camping trip & want to have this, but not sure if I have the means of making at the campsite…
Sara says
You can freeze it with the rice, the rice will just be softer when thawed. Or you could make it without the rice, then stir in cooked rice just before serving.