You've heard it called both stuffed pepper soup and unstuffed pepper soup. Whatever you call it, you're going to love it. Savory ground beef, white rice, tomatoes, onions, and classic seasonings come together to create stuffed peppers you ladle into a bowl!
Stuffed peppers are a classic dish that's probably made several appearances on every table out there. I love them, and all of their many variations like my Italian Stove Top Stuffed Peppers and Vegetarian Lentil and Rice Stuffed Peppers. But another one of my favorite ways to prepare them is actually in soup form. It's especially delicious in the winter and it's really much easier than stuffing bell peppers. You get all the flavors of a stuffed bell pepper without all the work.
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Ingredients
This hearty soup recipe uses just a few simple ingredients, and they're all available at your local grocery store. I like to use organic lean ground beef whenever possible because it's healthier and lower in fat. I highly recommend looking for it!
- Lean Ground Beef: Lean ground beef provides the classic meaty flavor of stuffed peppers without as much fat.
- Bell Peppers: Chopped red bell peppers or green peppers add the classic bite and sweetness of stuffed peppers.
- Fire-Roasted Diced Tomatoes and Onion: Fire-roasted tomatoes add more depth of flavor than regular diced tomatoes. For a less chunky texture, a can of tomato sauce can also be used.
- Yellow Onion and Garlic: These classic aromatics add a sweet, earthy, savory flavor synonymous with stuffed peppers.
- Low-Sodium Beef Broth: Broth adds more beefy, deep flavor and makes the base for the soup.
- Smoked Paprika, Black Pepper, Chili Powder, and Worcestershire Sauce: This combination helps complete the flavor profile that makes stuffed peppers so tasty.
- Long Grain Rice - While I often use white rice, you can choose brown rice or cauliflower rice for an even healthier soup.
- Sour Cream, Fresh Herbs, or Grated Cheese: These are optional, but make a pretty and delicious topping for your unstuffed pepper soup recipe.
See the recipe card for quantities.
How to Make Stuffed Bell Pepper Soup
1: Cook the ground beef in a Dutch oven or large pot on your stove top until it starts to brown.
2: Add the onions, peppers, and seasonings and continue cooking until the beef is browned.
3: Add the remaining ingredients and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer until the rice is tender.
4: Serve the delicious soup in bowls with optional garnishes such as shredded cheese or fresh herbs.
Hint: Reduce to medium heat after adding the vegetables so the onions don't burn.
Variations/ Substitutions
- Spicy - Add diced jalapenos to the ground beef mixture for an extra kick of heat and flavor.
- Vegetarian - Use plant-based ground beef alternative and vegetable broth to make this a vegan meal.
- Chicken or Turkey - Use ground chicken or ground turkey and chicken broth to make a poultry based soup instead of beef.
- Add Sweetness - Just like some stuffed pepper recipes, you can add a little ketchup or brown sugar to the mix to create a sweeter flavor.
- Italian Variation - Add some Italian seasoning in place of the chili powder and smoked paprika. Top the hot soup with shredded parmesan cheese for even more comforting flavors. You could even substitute Italian sausage for the ground beef.
If you like red bell peppers, also try my recipe for Roasted Sweet Red Peppers.
Storage
Refrigerate this stuffed pepper soup for up to three days in an airtight container. For longer storage, freeze your unstuffed pepper soup for up to a month in an air-tight, freezer-safe container. This easy soup recipe can be prepared a day in advance and then heated in the microwave for a busy weeknight dinner with minimal effort. The leftovers are also great for lunch the next day.
Top Cooking Tips
- Add your vegetables about halfway through cooking the ground beef so they're tender when the soup is finished.
- Don't add the garlic to the beef. It could burn and become bitter. It is added with the beef broth and tomatoes.
- A Dutch oven is your best friend for this easy recipe because of its excellent heat retention.
FAQs
Stuffed pepper soup is a soup made with all the classic ingredients of stuffed peppers. It has the same flavor profile. You just eat it with a spoon!
If you overcook ground beef, it will become rubbery and lose much of its flavor. Stop cooking it as soon as it's browned and cooked through.
When onions are cooked on heat that's too high, they burn. This creates a bitter flavor rather than a deep, sweet flavor. So make sure to slowly cook onions so they caramelize.
Related
Looking for more soup recipes like this? Try these:
Serving Suggestions
A bowl of this soup is a hearty meal in itself. I do like to sometimes make it a soup and salad combo. A Classic House Salad is the perfect accompaniment. Shredded cheese and fresh herbs are perfect soup toppers as well as homemade sourdough croutons. Or a thick slice of crusty bread or beer bread slathered in butter always works on the side too.
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RECIPE
Stuffed Pepper Soup
Ingredients
- 2 pounds lean ground beef 85 - 90 % lean
- 3 bell peppers (use any colored) seeded and chopped
- 2 14 ounce cans fire roasted diced tomatoes
- 4 cups low sodium beef broth
- 1 medium onion diced
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 1 tablespoon worcestershire
- 1 cup basmati rice uncooked
- optional: sour cream, fresh herbs or grated cheese for serving
Instructions
- In a large pot or Dutch oven, cook ground beef on medium high heat for a few minutes or until it starts to brown. Add onions, peppers and seasonings and cook for about 5 minutes on medium heat or until the beef is browned and there is no pink left. Stir often. Drain any excess fat with a few paper towels.
- Add in garlic, worcestershire sauce, tomatoes, beef broth and uncooked rice.
- Bring mixture to a boil then reduce to a simmer for 20 to 25 minutes or until rice is tender and cooked.
- Ladle in bowls and serve with sourcream, shredded cheese or fresh chopped parsley.
Notes
Nutrition
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