All the things you enjoy in traditional stuffed peppers are included in this substantial soup. This warm, cozy, and flavorful Stuffed Pepper Soup cooks in just one pot thanks to its loaded contents of chopped veggies, lean ground beef, and rice!
This traditional dish for stuffed peppers is tasty, wholesome, and distinctive. It takes a lot of work, too! I like to prepare this homemade stuffed pepper soup instead because of this.
All you need to make is sauté some veggies and brown some lean ground beef, put everything in a soup pot, slow cooker, or Instant Pot, and set it aside for less than half an hour. Once it’s finished, you have a warm, savory, and rich evening supper.
Though it’s lighter than vegetable soup, the blend of nutritious veggies, flavorful lean ground beef, fire-roasted tomatoes, broth, and white rice is nearly as filling as chili. Feel free to add all of the toppings to each bowl. I like to add freshly chopped cilantro, but you could also use crumbled cotija cheese, parsley, or a dollop of Mexican crema.
INGREDIENTS IN STUFFED PEPPER SOUP
- Bell peppers: The soup will get a burst of color from a variety of red and green bell peppers.
- Garlic with onions
- Ground beef: 90% lean ground beef will provide you with a ton of taste without any oil.
- Seasonings: Chipotle powder, dried oregano, cumin, kosher salt, black pepper, and onion and garlic powders.
- Tomatoes: Since the soup has a tomato foundation, tomato sauce and canned fire-roasted diced tomatoes are required.
- Broth: Use beef or chicken broth, or if you have none at all, vegetarian broth.
- White rice: The long grain white rice in this soup will give it a delicate, warming taste with every bite. Brown rice is also an option; just be aware that it will take longer to prepare.
HOW TO MAKE STUFFED PEPPER SOUP
- Saute the vegetables: In a large saucepan over medium-high heat, cook the onion and bell peppers until they are tender and transparent. Add the garlic after that.
- Brown the meat: Put the ground beef and spices in the same saucepan. Once the meat is browned, split it up with a wooden spoon and continue cooking.
- Add the uncooked rice, tomato sauce, stock, and diced tomatoes and bring to a boil. After that, stir the soup and bring it to a boil. After it comes to a boil, lower the heat to a simmer for 20 minutes, then cover with a lid.
- Serve: Ladle soup into individual bowls, garnish with chopped cilantro, and arrange fresh bread on the side.
TIPS AND TRICKS
- The soup—is it too thick? You are welcome to add extra water or broth to thin it down in the end. If you wanted a thinner consistency, you could instead use only half of the rice.
- Instructions for a slow cooker: Before adding the meat and onions to your crockpot, sauté them in a frying pan over the fire. Combine all ingredients, excluding rice, in a saucepan and simmer on Low for six hours. Just before the soup is done, you must cook the rice separately and then add it into the soup.
- Instructions for using an Instant Pot: Saute the beef, onions, peppers, and garlic in the pot until the meat is browned and the vegetables are tender. After turning off the Saute mode, add the other ingredients, excluding the rice. Put the cover on tightly and cook for 15 minutes under high pressure. When the soup is cooked through, let the pressure drop freely. Heat the rice on the burner, then transfer a scoopful to each bowl, followed by the soup.
SUBSTITUTIONS AND VARIATIONS
A few simple ingredient changes might make this dish even better, even though it calls for simple ingredients:
- Use ground turkey, chorizo, pig, chicken, or sausage in place of ground beef.
- You may make this dish without rice or use barley or quinoa in its place.
- Would you like it to be vegan or vegetarian? Make use of vegetarian broth and switch out the beef for something plant-based, or leave it out completely.
- Add some heat to the soup by adding some red pepper flakes or by sautéing some chopped jalapenos with the bell peppers.
STORING AND REHEATING
To store, For up to four days, refrigerate the soup in the refrigerator by placing it in airtight containers.
To freeze, transfer the soup to a bag or sealed container that is safe to be frozen for up to three months. Thaw it overnight in the refrigerator or reheat straight from frozen.
To reheat, Put the leftovers in the microwave and zap for a few minutes to reheat. As an alternative, reheat them in a little saucepan over the stove.
MORE SOUP YOU MIGHT LIKE
Stuffed Pepper Soup
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 small yellow onion chopped
- 1 red bell pepper chopped
- 1 green bell pepper chopped
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- 2 tablespoons chili powder
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- ¼ teaspoon dried oregano
- 2 15-oz cans fire-roasted diced tomatoes
- 1 15-oz can tomato sauce
- 5 cups broth beef or chicken
- 1 cup uncooked long grain white rice
- chopped cilantro for garnish
Instructions
- In a big saucepan, warm up the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add bell peppers and onion. Saute until softened and transparent, stirring regularly, for 5 minutes.
- Stir continuously for 30 seconds after adding the garlic.
- Stir in the ground beef, paprika, dried oregano, chili powder, salt, powdered cumin, black pepper, and onion and garlic powders.
- The meat may be broken up into smaller pieces with a wooden spoon. Cook for 6 to 8 minutes, stirring periodically, or until the meat is browned.
- Add the uncooked rice, tomato sauce, broth, and diced tomatoes. Bring to a boil while stirring.
- For 20 minutes, simmer, covered, and on low heat.
- After turning off the heat, serve in bowls. Add chopped cilantro as a garnish.
Notes
- The soup—is it too thick? You are welcome to add extra water or broth to thin it down in the end. If you wanted a thinner consistency, you could instead use only half of the rice.
- Not using white rice? Barley, quinoa, or brown rice can be used in its stead. Remember that cooking times will change based on the type of grain.
- The recipe page above has directions for both the slow cooker and the Instant Pot.