Homemade Stuffed Peppers Soup

This stuffed peppers soup recipe is made with a variety of fresh ingredients including ground beef, fresh vegetables, and rice. Make this tonight for a comfort food version of the classic dish! 

Now you can have all of the summer flavors of stuffed peppers in a comforting bowl of soup that’s perfect for chilly evenings.

As a bonus, everything cooks in the same pot, so there are fewer dishes to wash after the meal! We can always appreciate one-pot meals because who wants to do the dishes all night. Enjoy the night of sharing a wonderful meal with the family instead or make a double batch for a gathering of friends.

This soup is also known as “unstuffed peppers soup.” Instead of stuffing the bell peppers with ground beef and rice mixture, the bell peppers are IN the soup along with other ingredients. It’s a lot less work but all the same great flavors we know and love.

Which bell pepper is the healthiest?

All bell peppers are good sources of nutrients like potassium, fiber, folic acid, and vitamins A and C. Although, the are not all the same.

The longer a bell pepper sits on the vine, the richer in nutrients it becomes. As a result, red bell peppers are the healthiest, with orange peppers right behind them. Yellow and green bell peppers have the fewest nutrients. 

In fact, red bell peppers have almost 11 times more beta-carotene than green ones!

INGREDIENT NOTES AND SUBSTITUTIONS

Note: This is only a partial list of ingredients. For the full ingredient list, see the recipe card at the bottom of this post.

Ground beef – you can use lean ground beef like 90/10 but it tends to be chewier due to the lack of fat. I prefer to use 85/15 or even 80/20 ground beef for juicier and tastier beef. (You can substitute ground turkey for a leaner version of this recipe.)

Bell peppers – Feel free to use whichever color you prefer. Using a mix of different ones can add a fun variety of colors to this bell pepper soup.

Tomato – Use a can of fire roasted or garlic diced tomatoes to save time and add an extra depth of flavor.

Beef broth – although beef broth is preferred for deeper flavor, you can substitute vegetable broth if needed. 

Rice – I prefer to use jasmine rice, but any long grain rice, basmati, or brown rice will work just as well. Just keep an eye on the soup as some will take longer to cook than others.

How to make stuffed peppers soup

This recipe is actually quite simple, and the soup is ready in under an hour! Just saute the vegetables, brown the meat, and then simmer everything together until done.

While it’s filling enough on its own, this soup pairs well with a side salad or some crusty bread.

INSTRUCTIONS

Cook the vegetables: Heat the oil in a Dutch oven, then saute the onion and bell peppers until soft. Stir in the tomatoes and cook until they release their juices.

Brown the meat: Push the vegetables to the side and add the ground beef to the center of the pot. Break into smaller chunks with a spoon, then cover and cook until most of the pink is gone.

Simmer the soup: Stir in the rest of the soup ingredients, then place the lid back on while leaving a gap on the side. Simmer for about 20 minutes for the flavors to combine.

Add the rice: Next, combine the uncooked rice with the soup. Replace the lid and continue simmering until the rice is tender. Serve and enjoy!

NOTE: If you know you’ll have leftovers, cook the rice separately instead and add it to the soup as needed. Otherwise, the rice will continue to absorb the liquid from the soup and the texture may become too mushy.

Storing, Reheating, and Freezing Instructions

Storage – Store the bell pepper soup and rice in separate airtight containers and keep in the refrigerator. Both will last up to 4 days before the texture starts to change.

Reheating – Simmer the soup on the stove or heat in the microwave until warmed through. Then, mix in fresh rice or add cooked rice towards the end of reheating to warm it at the same time.

Freezing – Again, store the unstuffed peppers soup without the rice for best consistency. Freeze in a zip-top bag or sealed container for up to 3 months, then thaw in the refrigerator before reheating. It may help to store the soup in individual portions so you can thaw just what you need.

Got extra bell peppers?

Bell peppers are really versatile. Use up small amounts by using them to make an omelet, garden salad, or even to tuna or chicken salad for sandwiches.

MORE STUFFED PEPPER RECIPES

For the more classic version of this dish, try any of the following flavor varieties:

Chicken Fajita Stuffed Peppers

Sausage and Onion Stuffed Peppers

Chorizo and Quinoa Stuffed Peppers

Salisbury Steak Stuffed Peppers

If you made any of my recipes and shared them on Instagram, make sure to tag me @willcookforsmiles and #willcookforsmiles so I can see all the things you tried!

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Originally published on Will Cook For Smiles in January, 2014. Updated August 28, 2020.