This Stuffed Pepper Soup has everything you love about stuffed peppers – bell peppers, ground beef, tomatoes, rice – in a hearty bowl of soup!
Stuffed peppers are one of my favorite meals on earth (my mother in law makes the best!), but with three kids on the loose I really don’t have the patience to make them regularly enough in this season of life.
Enter: Stuffed pepper soup! It’s so easy, so good and so soul-warming – the perfect way to enjoy those classic flavors without having to actually stuff peppers.
Ingredient notes
Peppers: I personally love the flavor of green peppers and enjoy them immensely in this soup, but feel free to use all red/yellow if you’re not a fan.
Beef: I suppose you could also make this with ground turkey if you’re concerned about making the soup lower in fat/not with red meat. It’s also delicious to make with Italian sausage in place of the ground beef, but let’s be honest here, if I make soup with sausage it’s probably going to be my Sausage Tortellini Soup ?
I hear people make this with Morningstar beef crumbles and veggie broth to make it vegetarian/vegan, and it seems to work out perfectly.
Rice: If you don’t have quick-cooking rice, add the rice right with the broth and simmer the entire soup for around 40-45 minutes.
If you want to use brown rice, I recommend cooking it separately, but only use ½ the container of beef broth in the soup.
Tomato juice: If you don’t have tomato juice, just use diced tomatoes, more tomato sauce OR 1 cup tomato paste with 3 cups water.
Worcestershire sauce: I love it in the soup, but feel free to leave it out if you don’t have any on hand.
How to cook stuffed pepper soup
1. Brown beef: First, you’ll want to brown your ground beef really well. This adds a lot of flavor to the soup!
2. Season: Once browned, you can drain off the grease if needed. Then add the onion and garlic and keep stirring for a few minutes until they have softened. Add the seasoning, Worcestershire sauce and tomato paste at this point.
3. Cook soup: Stir in everything else EXCEPT for the rice and parmesan cheese. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for 30 minutes, stirring rom time to time.
4. Add rice: At this point, you’ll want to add your rice to the soup. Stir it well, then cover partially and simmer for 18-20 minutes, or until the rice is done.
5. Serve: Serve the soup hot, sprinkled with parmesan cheese if you like it!
Cooking tips
Browning the beef: A lot of flavor comes from properly browning the beef, so don’t worry about getting some good color on it (don’t just cook it until it’s no longer pink, cook it until it’s browned and has some caramelization on it; eg looks slightly crispy). Then scratch any browned bits off the bottom of the pot once you stir in the broth.
Thicker soup: If you like a thicker/chunkier soup vs a brothier one, only use half the container of beef broth and then check on the soup as it cooks with the rice to add a bit more if needed.
Serving ideas
Do yourself a favor and serve this soup with a big hunk of my no knead bread – such a great addition to the meal! Or go traditional with Homemade Dinner Rolls. I don’t really care either way, just add some bread on the side ?
PS If you try this recipe, please leave a review in the comment section and add a star rating in the recipe card – I appreciate your feedback! Follow along on Pinterest, Facebook or Instagram.
Printable recipe
Stuffed Green Pepper Soup
Recipe details
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 lb ground beef
- 1 medium yellow onion chopped
- 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon granulated garlic
- salt & pepper to taste
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 (15-oz) can tomato sauce
- 1 (32-oz) bottle tomato juice
- 1 (32-oz) container beef broth
- 1 large green pepper cored and diced
- 1 large red pepper cored and diced (or use another green one; we appreciate the variety)
- 1 cup quick-cooking rice uncooked
- Garnish: grated Parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Brown beef: In a large pot over medium heat (I used my Dutch oven), cook beef until browned. Drain, then add the onion and garlic and cook for 5 more minutes. Stir in the seasoning, tomato paste and Worcestershire sauce.
- Cook soup: Stir in beef broth, then stir in tomato sauce, tomato juice and peppers. Bring to a boil; reduce heat to low, cover partly with a lid (see step photos below for reference) and simmer for at least 30 minutes, stirring from time to time.
- Add rice and finish: Add uncooked rice to soup and continue simmering for 15-20 minutes, or until rice is done. Serve immediately with grated parmesan.
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