This Stuffed Pepper Soup has all the awesome flavors of stuffed peppers, like ground beef, bell peppers, fire-roasted tomatoes, garlic, and rice, with a lot less time and effort. Just think of this recipe as deconstructed stuffed peppers. Serve up this hearty soup with corn muffins or garlic cheese bread for a down-home memorable meal.
This Stuffed Pepper Soup has the same awesome flavors as stuffed peppers with a lot less work. Just think of it as deconstructed stuffed peppers in soup form. It only takes about thirty minutes to prepare this soup, making it absolutely doable for weeknights.
How do you make Stuffed Pepper Soup?
First, heat the olive oil over medium heat in a large pot or Dutch oven. Add the ground beef and brown it breaking it up as it browns. About halfway through the browning process, add the onions and bell peppers. Stir several times to keep the meat browning and the vegetables from burning. Drain any excess grease from the pan. Reduce the heat to low and add the minced garlic, oregano, basil, and thyme, stirring constantly.
Add the fire-roasted tomatoes, tomato, sauce, beef broth, brown sugar, and rice. Bring the mixture to a boil and then reduce it to a simmer and cover with lid. Simmer for about 30 minutes or until the rice is tender. Season with kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste. Top each bowl with a little shredded cheese, fresh parsley, or red pepper flakes. This soup is best served promptly.
Recipe notes and helpful tips
- You can also substitute ground turkey, ground pork, ground chicken, or Italian sausage for the ground beef.
- If available, use sweet Vidalia onions. A little sweetness really makes this recipe stand out.
- Dice your bell peppers into small bite-size pieces. You can use any combination of colored bell peppers.
- You can use any long grain rice or short-grain rice, including white rice, brown rice, jasmine, basmati, or even quinoa. Please keep in mind that brown rice will require a slightly longer cooking time.
- Fire-roasted tomatoes really give this dish extra flavor, but you can use any canned diced tomatoes.
- If you know you will be saving leftovers, cook rice separately and spoon a small amount into each bowl before adding the soup. This way, the rice will not continue to soak up the liquid and swell.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. When reheating, use a reduced power level on the microwave and an extra low on the stove top to keep from cooking the rice more.
- To freeze first, completely cool. Then ladle into marked freezer zipper bags and freeze for up 3 months.
What to serve with stuffed pepper soup
This is a hearty soup that is quite thick and filling. Good options are cornbread, corn muffins, cheese garlic bread, or baguettes with sweet cream butter. Other ideas include a simple salad, grilled cheese, or cheese quesadilla.
Can you freeze stuffed pepper soup?
You most certainly can, although the peppers will be a little softer. First, cool the soup completely. Then ladle the cooled soup into quart or gallon-sized heavy-duty freezer zipper bags. Lay the soup bags down in a single layer on rimmed baking sheets and place the sheet in the freezer. Once fully frozen, stack the bags up on their side in the freezer to save on space. Thaw the soup in the fridge overnight.
Stuffed Pepper Soup is so quick to come together, and it is one of those recipes that you can cut and prep as you go. It does not require much simmering time, so it is perfect for a weeknight meal.
Other soup recipes you will love!
Stuffed Pepper Soup Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 lb ground beef
- 1 small onion finely chopped
- 1 green bell pepper finely chopped
- 1 red bell pepper finely chopped
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon dried basil
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- 2 14.5 ounce cans fire roasted tomatoes
- 1 15 ounce can tomato sauce
- 2 cups low sodium beef broth
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 3/4 cup uncooked white or brown rice
- Kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
- Shredded cheddar cheese garnish
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a large pot or Dutch oven. Add the ground beef and brown it breaking it up as it browns. About halfway through the browning process, add the onions and bell peppers and cook until the veggies are soft. Stir several times to keep the meat browning and the vegetables from burning. Drain any excess grease from the pan.
- Reduce the heat to low and add the minced garlic, oregano, basil, and thyme, stirring constantly.
- Add the fire-roasted tomatoes, tomato sauce, beef broth, brown sugar, and rice. Bring the mixture to a boil and then reduce it to a simmer and cover. Simmer covered for 25-30 minutes or until the rice is tender. Stir several times.
- Season with kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste. Sprinkle with fresh parsley and if desired, cheddar cheese and serve.
Notes
-
- You can also substitute ground turkey, ground pork, ground chicken, or Italian sausage for the ground beef.
-
- If available, use sweet Vidalia onions. A little sweetness really makes this recipe stand out.
-
- Dice your bell peppers into small bite-size pieces. You can use any combination of colored bell peppers.
-
- You can use any long-grain or short-grain white rice or brown rice, jasmine, basmati, or even quinoa. Please keep in mind that brown rice will require a slightly longer cooking time.
-
- Fire-roasted tomatoes really give this dish extra flavor, but you can use any canned diced tomatoes.
-
- If you know you will be saving leftovers, cook the rice separately and spoon a small amount into each bowl of before adding the soup. This way, the rice will not continue to soak up the liquid and swell.
-
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. When reheating, use a reduced power level on the microwave and an extra low on the stovetop to keep from cooking the rice more.
-
- To freeze first, completely cool. Then ladle into marked freezer zipper bags and freeze for up 3 months.
Nutrition
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juneal ramsdell
I have a question. what kind of white rice. Minute rice, long grain rice? I’m going to make this tomorrow.
Beth Pierce
I am so sorry that I missed this. I have been a little under the weather. It is like all the holiday hoopla caught up with me. You can use any long grain rice or short-grain rice, including white rice, brown rice, jasmine, basmati, or even quinoa. Please keep in mind that brown rice will require a slightly longer cooking time.
Jessica
Mmmm!! It was cold and snowy here yesterday and I was craving something like this so when I found it, I knew I should make it. So glad I did… it was awesome.
Beth Pierce
Thanks, Jessica! So glad that you liked the soup!
dana
This is such a hearty and cozy soup! We loved it!
Jess
This is the BEST soup! So good, my whole family loves it.
rebecca
YUM! I’m so much more willing to make this than stuffed peppers.
Brenda porter
The very best soup better then stuffed peppers in the oven,was delicious thank you so much for this recipe
Beth Pierce
The pleasure is all mine, Brenda!
TAYLER ROSS
I made this soup over the weekend and it was delicious! The perfect thing to eat when you need to warm up the soul!
Beth Pierce
Thanks, Tayler! So glad that you liked it!
Melissa Cushing
My husband and I loved this stuffed pepper soup. Such a warm and soothing soup, So comforting for the cold weather! Thank you for sharing!
Ryan Allen
This is now my favorite it soup. I have tried many versions of it and hands down yours is the best one I have tried.
Beth Pierce
Thanks so much, Ryan! So glad that you like it!
Jupiter Hadley
I have had stuffed peppers before but never as a soup! I bet this freezes much better than stuffed peppers would too!
Penny Young
I make this for my husband and freeze it does great freezing he takes it on the road with him when he has to be gone overnight
Beth Pierce
Thanks for the tip, Penny!
MELANIE E
That’s a clever idea. I’ve made stuffed peppers before. I bet the soup version is just as tasty.
Beth Pierce
And much easier!