Stuffed Pepper Soup has all the flavors of stuffed peppers without stuffing or baking a single pepper: browned ground beef, red and green bell peppers, onion and garlic simmered in diced tomatoes, tomato sauce and beef broth with parsley, basil and oregano, then finished with cooked rice. It’s made in one pot on the stove in about 50 minutes, makes about 11 cups and serves 6.
How to make it: Brown the beef and set it aside. Soften the onion and peppers, add the garlic, then pour in the tomatoes, tomato sauce and broth with the herbs and the beef. Simmer 30 minutes, until the peppers are tender. Cook the rice while the soup simmers, and stir it in at the end.
What Goes in Stuffed Pepper Soup?
Ground beef, bell peppers, rice and tomatoes in beef broth, with onion, garlic and herbs. It’s everything you’d put inside a stuffed pepper, turned into a soup you can eat with a spoon. A little cheese on top finishes it the way a baked stuffed pepper would be finished.
Why You’ll Love It
- Stuffed pepper flavor, less work: no hollowing, filling or baking.
- One pot: the soup simmers while the rice cooks on the side.
- You choose the thickness: add less rice for a brothy soup, all of it for a thick, hearty one.
- Makes about 11 cups: dinner tonight, with leftovers that reheat well if you keep the rice apart.
Ingredient Notes
Lean ground beef: One pound. Lean beef gives flavor without a lot of grease; drain it on paper towels after browning either way.
Bell peppers: One cup each of chopped red and green bell pepper. Any color works, so use whichever is cheaper. Remove the seeds and ribs first.
Tomatoes and broth: Two 14.5-ounce cans of petite diced tomatoes, a 15-ounce can of tomato sauce and a 14.5-ounce can of low-sodium beef broth.
Onion and garlic: One small yellow onion (about 1 cup chopped) and 2 cloves of garlic.
Herbs: Two and a half tablespoons of fresh parsley plus 1/2 teaspoon each of dried basil and oregano. You can swap the basil and oregano for 2 teaspoons of Italian seasoning.
Rice: One cup of uncooked long grain white or brown rice, cooked on its own. Jasmine rice works too; skip basmati and short grain.
Ingredients
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 1 small yellow onion, chopped (about 1 cup)
- 1 cup chopped red bell pepper
- 1 cup chopped green bell pepper
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 cans (14.5 ounces each) petite diced tomatoes
- 1 can (15 ounces) tomato sauce
- 1 can (14.5 ounces) low-sodium beef broth
- 2 1/2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley, plus more for garnish
- 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 cup long grain white or brown rice, uncooked
- Shredded cheddar or mozzarella cheese, for serving (optional)
How to Make Stuffed Pepper Soup
1. Brown the beef. Heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the ground beef, season with salt and black pepper, and cook, stirring occasionally and breaking it up, until browned and a food thermometer reads 160°F. Drain the beef, transfer it to a plate lined with paper towels and set it aside.
2. Soften the vegetables. Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil in the same pot. Add the onion, red bell pepper and green bell pepper and sauté for 3 minutes, then add the garlic and sauté 30 seconds longer.
3. Add the tomatoes and broth. Pour in the diced tomatoes, tomato sauce and beef broth. Add the parsley, basil, oregano and the cooked beef, then season with salt and black pepper to taste.
4. Simmer. Bring just to a light boil, then reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 30 minutes, until the peppers are tender when pierced with a fork.
5. Cook and add the rice. While the soup simmers, cook the rice according to the package directions. When the simmer time is up, stir in as much of the cooked rice as you like: less for a thinner soup, all of it for a thicker, heartier one.
6. Serve. Serve warm, topped with cheese if you like and garnished with fresh parsley.
Add the Rice Last (and Other Mistakes to Avoid)
The rice is where most stuffed pepper soups go wrong. Here’s how to get it right:
| Mistake | What to do instead |
|---|---|
| Adding raw rice to the pot | Cook the rice separately; raw rice soaks up all the broth |
| Dumping in all the rice | Stir in only as much as you want for the thickness you like |
| Storing the soup with rice in it | Keep leftover rice in its own container, or it turns to mush |
| Crunchy or mushy peppers | Simmer until a fork goes in easily, about 30 minutes |
| Greasy soup | Drain the beef on paper towels before the vegetables go in |
| Hard bits in the soup | Remove the pepper seeds and ribs before chopping |
Judge the beef with a thermometer. Browning alone doesn’t tell you it’s done. USDA FSIS says ground beef is safe at 160°F.
Planning on leftovers? Don’t add the rice to the pot at all. Spoon rice into each bowl and ladle the soup over it, then store the rest of the soup and rice separately.
Want more flavor? Double the herbs, or add a little Worcestershire sauce, smoked paprika or cumin.
Variations
- Ground turkey or chicken: use it in place of the beef and cook it to 165°F. Ground pork works too, cooked to 160°F.
- Different grain: brown rice, quinoa or farro, cooked separately. Small pasta works too.
- Cauliflower rice: spread it on a lined sheet pan, spray with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and roast at 400°F for 10 to 15 minutes, stirring once, then spoon it over each bowl.
- More vegetables: add spinach, carrots, mushrooms or celery.
- Different broth: chicken broth instead of beef broth.
- Vegetarian: leave out the meat and use vegetable broth.
- Toppings: shredded cheddar or mozzarella, sour cream, grated Parmesan or fresh herbs.
Storage & Reheating
Refrigerator: Divide the soup into shallow covered containers and refrigerate it within 2 hours so it cools quickly. USDA FSIS says to eat it within 3 to 4 days. Keep the cooked rice in its own container.
Make ahead: You can make the soup up to 2 days before serving. Store the rice separately and add it when you reheat.
Freezer: Freeze the soup for 3 to 4 months, with the rice frozen separately so it doesn’t soak up the broth. Thaw it overnight in the refrigerator.
Reheat: Reheat covered on the stove until the soup comes to a rolling boil, or in the microwave to 165°F. Add the rice near the end. Don’t reheat it in a slow cooker. Add cheese when serving.
What to Serve With It
Serve it with something warm for dipping: butter biscuits or bread in 10 minutes. Love the flavors? Try the baked version, stuffed pepper casserole, or stuffed cabbage rolls. For more easy soups, make slow cooker unstuffed cabbage roll soup or quick and easy taco soup.
Frequently Asked Questions
Should the rice be cooked before it goes in the soup?
Yes. Cook it separately and stir it in at the end. Raw rice soaks up all the broth.
How do I keep the rice from getting mushy?
Store the rice apart from the soup and add it to each bowl or when reheating.
What color bell peppers should I use?
Any color works: green, red, orange or yellow. This recipe uses half red and half green.
Can I use ground turkey instead of beef?
Yes. Brown it the same way and cook it to 165°F.
Can I make stuffed pepper soup ahead?
Yes, up to 2 days ahead. Keep the rice separate and add it when you reheat.
Final Notes
Get the rice going as soon as the soup starts to simmer, and both are ready at the same time. Add just enough rice for the thickness you like, and keep the rest for tomorrow. If you make it, tell me in the comments which topping you used.
Stuffed Pepper Soup
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Ingredients
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- 2 tablespoons olive oil divided
- salt and black pepper freshly ground pepper; to taste
- 1 yellow onion small, chopped (about 1 cup)
- 1 cup red bell pepper chopped (a little over 1/2 of a medium pepper)
- 1 cup green bell pepper chopped
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 2 cans petite diced tomatoes 14.5 ounces each
- 1 can tomato sauce 15 ounces
- 1 can low-sodium beef broth 14.5 ounces
- 2 1/2 tablespoons fresh parsley chopped, plus more for garnish
- 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 cup long grain white or brown rice uncooked; cook it according to the package directions while the soup simmers
- cheddar or mozzarella cheese for serving; optional
Instructions
- Heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the ground beef, season with salt and black pepper, and cook, stirring occasionally and breaking it up, until browned and a food thermometer reads 160°F. Drain the beef, transfer it to a plate lined with paper towels and set it aside.
- Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil in the same pot. Add the onion, red bell pepper and green bell pepper and sauté for 3 minutes, then add the garlic and sauté 30 seconds longer.
- Pour in the diced tomatoes, tomato sauce and beef broth. Add the parsley, basil, oregano and the cooked beef, then season with salt and black pepper to taste.
- Bring just to a light boil, then reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 30 minutes, until the peppers are tender when pierced with a fork.
- While the soup simmers, cook the rice according to the package directions. When the simmer time is up, stir in as much of the cooked rice as you like: less for a thinner soup, all of it for a thicker, heartier one.
- Serve warm, topped with cheese if you like and garnished with fresh parsley.
