Stuffed Pepper Soup Recipe – All The Flavor Without All The Work

Stuffed Pepper Soup is a great way to enjoy the taste of an iconic comfort food meal, without all the work.

I absolutely love the taste of stuffed peppers. Soft bell peppers that are filled with a flavored ground beef and rice mixture and cooked in a thick tomato sauce.

However, they do take quite a bit of time to make. First you have to either par boil or bake the peppers so that they become somewhat soft even before you stuff them.

Then you have to cook the rice, brown the hamburger and then mix in the tomatoes and seasoning. Finally, you have to divide the filling among the peppers and stuff them.

Not to mention, you just have to hope that the peppers remain in an upright position while they are in the oven. The entire process, from start to finish, typically takes over an hour to complete.

Although I love putting an entire pepper on my plate and slicing through to the filling, there are times that I want all the flavor, without all the work that is required.

And that is why I make the classic recipe into a soup instead! It is much easier, less time consuming, and the taste is perfect!

Stuffed Pepper Soup Recipe

INGREDIENTS

Lean Ground Beef
Green Pepper, seeded and diced
Red Pepper, seeded and diced
Yellow Onion, diced
Garlic, minced
Beef Broth
Tomato Sauce
Fire Roasted Diced Tomatoes
Brown Sugar
Dried Italian Seasoning
Bay Leaf
Uncooked Long Grain White or Brown Rice

More About The Ingredients

1. Ground Beef

It is always best to use lean ground beef so that there is less chance that grease will float to the top of your stuffed pepper soup. However, to make things a little healthier, you could also substitute ground turkey or chicken.

Just be aware that if you do use turkey or chicken, you will need to add a little oil to the pot when you go to brown the meat so it does not stick when cooked.

2. Bell Peppers

Whenever possible I try to use a combination of a green bell pepper and a sweet bell pepper. This adds another layer of flavor to the soup when cooked.

However, if you prefer, you can use just green peppers or just sweet peppers. The choice is up to you.

3. Beef Broth

Beef broth will give you the most flavor in this recipe. However, if you use ground turkey or chicken instead of ground beef, then I would recommend using chicken broth instead.

4. Diced Tomatoes

I always use fire roasted diced tomatoes whenever I make this stuffed pepper soup. The smoky flavor really enhances the broth. However, not everyone can find fire roasted tomatoes at the grocery store.

Therefore, substitute petite diced tomatoes, or diced tomatoes that are flavored with garlic and/or Italian seasoning instead.

5. Brown Sugar

A little sweetness goes a long way in this savory dish. You can substitute a sugar alternative or skip if if you are concerned about adding sugar to your diet.

6. Rice

You can use either white or brown rice for this recipe. However you will have to adjust the cook time accordingly.

INSTRUCTIONS

The first step in making stuffed pepper soup is to begin cooking the meat. Place a large stockpot over medium-high heat. Then add the ground beef.

*If you are substituting ground turkey or chicken for the beef, be sure to add 1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil to the pot. This will help the leaner meat not stick to the bottom while it cooks.

Saute the meat, breaking it up as it cooks, until half of the meat is no longer pink. Then add the diced onions and peppers to the pot.

Continue to saute until the meat is fully cooked and no longer pink. Drain and return the mixture to the pot.

Decrease the heat to medium and add the minced garlic to the pot. Saute over medium heat for one minute, stirring frequently so that the garlic does not burn.

Quickly pour in the broth and stir. Then add the tomato sauce, fire roasted diced tomatoes, brown sugar, Italian seasoning and bay leaf and stir until well mixed.

Cook Time

Bring the mixture to a boil and then reduce the heat so the contents are at a low simmer. Continue to simmer, stirring occasionally for 15 minutes.

Then add the uncooked rice and continue to simmer for 10-20 minutes or until rice is tender. White rice will take less time than brown rice to cook.

Be sure to stir frequently so that the rice doesn’t sink to the bottom of the pot and begin to stick to the surface.

Taste the stuffed pepper soup and add add salt and pepper to your preference.

Serve warm.

Storing Instructions

Refrigerate – If you have any leftovers, store in a sealed dish in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

Freezer – Rice typically does not freeze well. Therefore, it is best to freeze the soup before you have added the rice. Then when you go to reheat the soup, add the rice and cook until the rice is tender.

However, if you aren’t meal prepping and have true leftover soup that isn’t possible. You can go ahead and freeze the finished stuffed pepper soup, knowing that the rice will be softer when reheated.

I would also recommend adding additional liquid when reheating both refrigerator and freezer leftovers. This is because the rice will have soaked up a lot of the broth when stored.

Other Recipes That You May Like

If you have an Instant Pot, be sure to check out my Instant Pot Unstuffed Pepper Soup Recipe.

And if you are convinced that you want to make the stuffed peppers for dinner, check out a few of my favorite recipes:

• Best Stuffed Peppers
• Instant Pot Stuffed Peppers
• Philly Cheesesteak Stuffed Peppers (Low-Carb)
• Stuffed Peppers For Two

Enjoy! Mary

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