Stuffed Pepper Soup – The Cooking Jar

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Stuffed pepper soup is a cozy and hearty one-pot dinner loaded with ground beef, onions, bell peppers and rice in a rustic tomato-based broth. It has all the flavors of stuffed peppers in comforting soup form and is just as delicious.

This warm and cozy stuffed pepper soup is a deconstructed soup version of traditional stuffed peppers. If you love stuffed peppers, you will love this. It takes less effort than stuffed peppers and makes a hot bowl of soup in about 40 minutes.

There’s nothing more comforting than a big bowl of soup when it’s cold out so this soup is a great meal for fall or winter. Pair it with some crusty bread for a filling, belly-warming meal.

For more comforting soups, try some slow cooker chicken gnocchi soup or a creamy tortellini soup. For something more traditional, make some hearty beef stew or this thicker, white chicken chili. My personal favorite for comfort though, is this slow cooker chicken and dumplings.

Ingredients in Stuffed Pepper Soup

STUFFED PEPPER SOUP RECIPE TIPS

• Ground beef – I used lean ground beef so there’s no need to drain any grease. You can substitute beef with ground sausage or with healthier options like ground chicken or turkey.
• Onions and garlic – Onions and garlic add a lot of flavor and should not be skipped. If you’re in a pinch, you can substitute them with onion and garlic powder but I highly recommend using fresh onions and garlic for the best flavor.
• Bell peppers – I used red and green bell peppers but you can also use yellow or orange bell peppers, or mix and match any two choices. The brighter colors are usually the sweetest.

Recipe Notes:

Green peppers are not fully ripe and are slightly bitter and peppery. Yellow, orange and red bell peppers are fully ripened and taste sweet and fruity, with red being the sweetest and juiciest.

• Diced tomatoes – We’re adding chunky diced tomatoes on top of the tomato sauce for some bulk and texture. I used Del Monte diced tomatoes with basil, garlic and oregano because I feel it has more flavor than other brands. Any kind of brand or variation of diced tomatoes will work though. For more flavor variations, try some brands like Rotel’s fire-roasted diced tomatoes with green chiles.
• Tomato sauce – Tomato sauce is used on top of diced tomatoes in this recipe to enhance the tomato flavor.
• Rice – While you can technically cook the rice in with the broth, using raw rice will soak up most of this broth from the soup. We use cooked rice in this recipe to avoid this. You can substitute white rice with brown rice for a healthier option.
• Beef broth – I used beef broth to enhance and compliment the flavor of the ground beef but you can also use chicken or vegetable broth. For a healthier option, substitute with low-sodium versions of broth. I made my broth with Better than Bouillon paste – two teaspoons makes about 2 cups of broth.

• Italian seasoning – Italian seasoning is a great way to add more flavor. You can substitute it with dried basil and oregano.
• Worcestershire sauce – Worcestershire is a flavor enhancer that adds a layer of depth to just about anything. It’s a balance of tangy, salty and sweet flavors and should not be skipped!
• Sugar – I like adding some sweetness to balance the tartness from the tomatoes. If you are used to or prefer the tartness, feel free to skip this ingredient. Kids usually like tomato-based sauces with sugar so this addition will be popular with them. Add more or less sugar, to taste.
• Adding rice – If you plan on having leftovers, warm up the cooked rice and add it individually to each bowl before serving. Add more or less rice until you reach the soup consistency you prefer. 

Recipe Notes:

If you mix the rice in with the soup and refrigerate it as leftovers, your rice will expand, absorb all the liquid and you will end up with mush. You may like this if you prefer a mushier soup closer to a gumbo-like consistency. If not, separate the rice from the soup when serving and when storing leftovers.

• Parsley – This is a garnish but highly recommended to add more fresh flavors to the soup. I like using flat-leaf Italian parsley over the curly kind.
• Shredded cheese – Garnish your bowl with some shredded cheese for the full stuffed pepper experience and their traditional cheesy top. You can even go a little crazy and load it up with a lot of cheese and broil it until melted for a pseudo-French onion soup-like cheesy layer.
• Leftovers – Leftovers will keep for up to 3 days. I recommend storing the rice separately and adding it in when reheating the soup so the rice does not absorb all the liquid over time. The soup might have thickened a little in the fridge so feel free to add a splash of beef broth to loosen it up a little when reheating.
• Freezing – You can freeze the soup for up to 2-3 months. It’s best to freeze the rice separately so it doesn’t absorb all the liquid. Thaw overnight in the fridge and reheat on the stove.
• Slow cooker method – Brown the beef in a skillet and transfer to a 6 qt. slow cooker. Add everything else (except cooked rice) and cook on LOW for 6-8 hours or HIGH for 3-4 hours. Warm up the cooked rice and stir into individual bowls before serving.

And that’s about it. Let me know how you liked it, or what substitutions you made in the comments below.

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