Stuffed Pepper Soup
Published on September 25, 2023
Quick Summary
Stuffed Pepper Soup- this hearty soup tastes just like stuffed peppers. It is made with basic ingredients like ground beef, rice, and of course bell peppers! You are going to love this one pot meal.
Soup season is my favorite season. You can’t be a one pot meal! Creamy chicken noodle, black bean, white bean, and potato leek are a few favorites. This Stuffed Pepper Soup recipe is also a winner!
If you are a fan of the traditional stuffed bell peppers, you are going to LOVE this soup. It has all of the same flavors, but is super easy to make! Instead of stuffing individual bell peppers, you put all of the ingredients in one pot and make a comforting soup!
This is a great soup for the end of summer when your garden is bursting with peppers or anytime during the chilly fall and winter months when you are craving a big bowl of soup!
Table of Contents
Soup Ingredients
If you’ve made stuffed peppers, the ingredients will look familiar! The soup has all of the classic flavors!
- Ground beef– you can use ground turkey or ground chicken.
- Olive oil– for sautéing the onion and peppers!
- Onion– use a yellow or white onion!
- Bell peppers– I use green and red, but you can use yellow or orange if you want.
- Garlic– garlic is a must!
- Tomatoes– I use canned fire roasted tomatoes, they add the best flavor!
- Tomato sauce– to enhance the tomato flavor.
- Beef broth– a must for soup!
- Herbs– dried basil, oregano, and thyme! You should have all of these in your spice cabinet.
- Crushed red pepper flakes– for a little heat!
- Rice– you can use white or brown rice. Cook it before stirring it into the soup.
- Cheese– add a little shredded cheddar or mozzarella cheese to your bowl of soup to get the full stuffed pepper experience. You can’t go wrong with cheese!
How to Make Stuffed Pepper Soup
Let’s get this soup started!
- First, cook the ground beef in a large pot. Drain off the excess grease and transfer to a plate that has been lined with a paper towel. Set aside.
- Place the pot back on the stove and heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the onions, and peppers and sauté until soft. Add the garlic and sauté for about 30 seconds.
- Stir in the fire roasted tomatoes, tomato sauce, beef broth, herbs, and red pepper flakes.
- Add the cooked beef to the pot and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Reduce the heat to low and let simmer, stirring occasionally.
- If you are going to enjoy the soup right away, stir in the cooked rice. If you plan on freezing the soup or eating leftovers for a few days, you can ladle the soup into bowls and add rice to each bowl. This will prevent the rice from getting mushy.
- Top each bowl with shredded cheese and enjoy warm!
What to Serve with Stuffed Pepper Soup
Stuffed pepper soup is a very satisfying and filling soup, so it can easily be a meal on its own, but if you want to add a few side dishes, here are a few ideas.
- Easy Green Salad
- Roasted Broccoli
- Roasted Green Beans
- Easy Cornbread
- Easy Buttermilk Biscuits
- Garlic Bread
How to Store
Store cooled soup in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
If you waited to add the rice, store the rice in a separate container. If you are storing leftover soup with the rice already stirred in, the soup will thicken the longer it sits. If it soaks up all of the liquid, you can add more beef broth when reheating.
You can reheat the soup on the stovetop or in the microwave.
Can You Freeze Stuffed Pepper Soup?
If you are going to freeze the soup, I recommend leaving the rice out because the rice will get mushy after thawing and reheating.
To freeze, store the cooled soup, without the rice, in a freezer container for up to 3 months. Thaw, reheat, and stir in warm rice.
More Easy Soup Recipes
- Black Bean Soup
- Broccoli Cheese Soup
- Chicken Noodle Soup
- Lasagna Soup
- Easy Chicken and Rice Soup
- Easy Minestrone Soup
- Homemade Vegetable Soup
Stuffed Pepper Soup
Ingredients
- 1 lb lean ground beef (can use ground turkey or ground chicken)
- Kosher salt and black pepper, to taste
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 yellow onion, chopped
- 1 red bell pepper, seeded, stemmed, and chopped
- 1 green bell pepper, seeded, stemmed, and chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 (14.5 oz) cans fire roasted tomatoes
- 15 oz tomato sauce
- 2 cups beef broth
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 2 cups cooked brown or white rice
- Shredded cheddar or mozzarella cheese, for serving
- Chopped Italian parsley, for garnish, optional
Instructions
- Heat a large pot over medium heat. Add the ground beef and season with salt and pepper. Break the beef up with a wooden spoon while cooking. Cook the ground beef, until browned and no longer pink.
- Drain the excess grease off the beef and transfer to a plate that has been lined with a paper towel. Set aside.
- Place the pot back on the stove and heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the onions, and peppers and sauté until soft, about 3 to 5 minutes. Add the garlic and sauté for 30 seconds.
- Stir in the fire roasted tomatoes, tomato sauce, beef broth, basil, oregano, thyme, and red pepper flakes. Add the cooked beef to the pot and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Reduce the heat to low and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 20 minutes.
- Stir in the cooked rice. Ladle the soup into bowls and top with shredded cheese and garnish with parsley. Serve warm.
Notes
Nutrition
Have you tried this recipe?
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This recipe is a total winner! It is easy to make and uses primarily pantry staples. The only change I made to the recipe is to add one additional pepper and to use 1/8 tsp. cayenne instead of red pepper flakes. I also did not add the rice directly into the soup. Instead to keep the rice from becoming soggy in the soup, we served it on the side. I also do this with soups that have pasta in them. The flavor is warm and complex and we loved it. Thank you for a great recipe that I will prepare frequently.
I am so glad you loved the soup!
The soup was delicious. It was a nice upgrade over our old stuffed pepper soup recipe.
I am so glad you loved our recipe! Thanks for reporting back!
Made this soup today and it was fabulous. I always have leftover, so I left the rice out and put it in the bowl when I served it. That way the rice wont soak up all the liquid in the leftovers..
I made this last night and it was delicious! Very easy to make and leftovers were even better!
I made this last night and it was delicious! Very easy to make and leftovers were even better!
Very tasty, thank you!
We loved this soup. There are just two of us, so I limited some ingredients and added some spice to suit our taste. I used 1 lb ground beef, 4 large chopped mushrooms, 1/2 onion, 1/2 each red, yellow and orange pepper and a green one. I used 1 can Rotel tomatoes, 1 can tomato sauce, 1 cup water with a scoop of beef “better than bullion”. I added 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes, 3 garlic cloves, salt and pepper and a tablespoon of sugar. Served it over cooked brown rice. Yummmm.
So basically you changed everything
So it was not this recipe it was your own
Delicious. Made it vegan by swapping chickpeas for the ground meat and vegetable stock. Did not have basil so subbed parsley. Used tomato + water instead of tomato sauce. Combined with brown basmati rice.
This soup is the amazing!!!!! Total comfort food on a cold, winter night. Healthy too!!
I know you are vegetarian and our whole family is as well. What would you suggest for the best results without the meat? I was thinking maybe finely chopped mushrooms or red lentils? I’m not a fan of the “impossible” type products that are trying to masquerade as meat!
Mushrooms and lentils would be great! You could also do beans.
My husband and I love this soup! I normally use ground turkey in place of ground beef, which I did with this recipe also. I used brown rice and it did not become mushy at all. It was delicious from start to finish!
Turkey and brown rice works well! Glad you love it too!
This was wonderful! Great healthy recipe that we’ll be adding to rotation. We don’t eat much beef, so I used ground turkey as well as brown rice. We tried it with and without cheese and actually preferred without.
Thank you Maria! You have the best soup recipes!!!
Awesome! So glad you enjoyed it!
Super delicious, and everyone finished their meal this evening. It is my six year old’s opinion that we should try adding mushrooms the next time we make this…perhaps he is on to something 😉
Mushrooms would be a great addition!
This recipe turned out great! Very hearty and comforting. I followed the recipe exactly, and everything was very easy and clear.
So happy you loved the soup!
HI Sara, I made this today for dinner tonight. I use recipes for guidance when cooking. I usually change or add things to recipes. I Cooked the onions with minced garlic first in olive oil. Added the ground beef until brown. I used 90% lean 10% fat. hardly no grease left after cooking the beef. I added Mrs. Dash Garlic and Herb seasoning, pink salt and black pepper. Then I added three peppers. one red, one yellow and one green. I added fire roasted red peppers without the liquid. I probably could have added the liquid. then I added a can of diced tomatoes with basil, garlic and oregano, with liquid. cooked it a bit. Next I added 2 cups of Zoup bone broth. cooked some more, a few more minutes. Then the secret ingredient – a few drops of hot sauce chile habanero by El Yacateco. I usually don’t measure ingredients, eye it up and taste. I plan on making a side of rice and a side of quinoa to add to my bowl first then add the soup. Very taste. Thanks for your recipe.
I meant Maria not Sara. Sorry about that.
The soup is very good. I used ground chicken and poured over cauliflower rice. I wish you would put the quantity per serving in your recipes. You have the calorie count so I assume you are measuring. It would be very helpful. Since it’s just the two of us, I will freeze it minus the rice.
I love, love, love this soup! Quick, easy and delicious!!
Can’t wait to try this !
One question though… the tomato sauce..and special brand or just canned?
Use your favorite brand!
Very good, I did add a little sugar to cut the acid in the tomatoes, but next time I have to double it!!! Served it with a salad and warm crusty Italian bread, wonderful!!!
Perfect!
I’ve made this several times. It’s a winner. Thank you for sharing the recipe. For a little bit more kick, I add a jalepeno and do a 50/50 mix of ground beef and spicy sausage. I also add fresh herbs from my garden. It’s a bit too much rice so prepare it separately, then add it one spoonful at a time so you can see the ratio of soup to rice is to your liking. I also had to add more beef broth because it cooked down.
So glad you love the soup.
What would you adjust if I wanted to cook the rice in the soup instead of prepared separately?
We made this. Looks amazing! Not as red and tomatoes as your pic but we’ll see!
This soup is easy to make and delicious! We absolutely loved it and will be making it often. Thank you for yet another great recipe.
You are welcome.
The family loved this! I cook the rice sepaarate and let each person take what they wish and top it with the soup. Soooo good.
I am glad your family loved this recipe.
I enjoyed the soup. The only substitution I made was to use Uncle Ben’s precooked Spanish Rice. Very easy and quite satisfying.
Awesome soup!! So hearty and warming for cold, dark nights! And very healthy too!! A winner! I’m gonna try parmesan for topping instead of mozzarella. Thanks Maria!!
Glad you loved the soup!
This was delicious! My new go-to for stuffed pepper soup.
So glad you loved the soup. It’s a good one!
Delicious recipe and easy to make. Definitely a repeat!
It’s on repeat at our house too.
Fantastic recipe. Whole family loved it. My grandson who is not a fan of many tomato based soups had 2 bowls and told me to make this again.
One question- can this be frozen.
Awesome! Yes, it can be frozen but the rice might get a little mushy. You can freeze without the rice and stir it in after you thaw and reheat.
Very good recipe. I cook a couple times a week for a senior shut in. She likes a soup night and made this for her, as she loves stuffed bell peppers (who doesn’t? Lol.). I made a double batch+ so I added 2 cups of chicken broth, and a tablespoon of low sodium beef base (out of beef stock). I used half again as much garlic and added 1 1/2 tsp of Worcestershire per recipe (1 tbl for me as I was making a double). I used jasmine rice, as I love its flavor and cook it with half water and half low sodium, organic chicken stock. This turned out fabulously and I have a ton for the freezer for later. Thank you for sharing this recipe!
Oh, and seeing the mushroom comments I added 1/4 cup of wild mushroom powder for a double batch. I collect wild mushrooms, and dry some to make a mushroom powder for soups and sauces. Really added another layer of yummy. Cooking is so fun, as you can add one’s own little personal touches to recipes.
I would add uncooked rice along with the tomatoes etc and cook. Will taste delicious and won’t be mushy, even if you freeze the soup and reheat. Guaranteed.
Hi Maria, I’m not a fan of rice in soups do you think I could substitute a small SATA noodle such as ditalini?
Yes!
I made this soup because I was looking for a way to use several peppers from our garden that were a little past their prime. I added more peppers than the recipe called for because – like I said- a bountiful pepper harvest this year. This deceptively simple recipe made an absolutely delicious soup. My husband said it was one of the best soups I’ve made – and I make a lot of soups. I highly recommend trying this recipe. You will not be disappointed.
Yay! I am so glad you loved it. The perfect recipe for using up peppers.
You have one of my favorite sites. I don’t know which I like better your cookie recipes or your soups. However, I do know that this stuffed pepper soup is one of my all time favorite soups. I generally make it as is, but sometimes have slightly different tomatoes depending on what’s in the pantry. Thanks so much for all of the great recipes!
Thank you so much! I am so glad you are loving our recipes.
Amazing! Easy to make and has such great flavor!!
Glad you enjoyed the soup!
Amazing soup. I suggest swapping ground meat for lentils for vegetarians.
Perfect!
Awesome recipe as is! It has definitely made its way into the “ favorites “ list of the entire families. Making it again this week for a family member that has company coming to visit. Of course I will make a double batch so I can have some too! Thanks for all of your great recipes. Haven made a bad one yet. Happy New Year!
It is such a great soup!
This is seriously one of the most flavorful soups I’ve ever made! I didn’t have tomato sauce, so I substituted tomato paste along with 1.5 cups of water. This is now on regular rotation. Thanks so much for sharing such a delicious recipe!
I am thrilled you love it so much!
Loved this recipe!
Yay!
This is my second time making this delicious stuffed pepper soup! We loved it so much we couldn’t wait to have it again. So much easier than tradional stuffed peppers., and just as good!!!
Hello, Maria ~ I SO enjoy your blog! Do you think I could successfully make this soup with shredded chicken instead of ground chicken or ground turkey?
Thank you!
Yes! And thank you:)