This easy stuffed pepper soup recipe is hearty, comforting, and delicious. It has all the flavors of traditional stuffed peppers but is served in deconstructed soup form! Great for a weeknight meal.
Stuck in a dinner rut? Warm up with a cozy bowl of stuffed pepper soup, loaded with savory ground beef, flavorful bell peppers, tender rice, and creamy tomato broth. Perfect for chilly nights.
If you're looking for more soup recipes that are hearty enough to be a meal on their own, try my dairy free lasagna soup, dairy free zuppa toscana, or butternut squash soup next!
Why you'll love this recipe
This recipe was inspired by my one pot deconstructed stuffed pepper skillet! It's a reader favorite with over 1,000 shares.
- So simple: Stuffed pepper soup or unstuffed pepper soup is super quick and easy to make. Brown the meat, cook the veggies down, add tomatoes, sauce, and broth. Season, bring to a boil, then serve.
- Freezer friendly: In an effort to meal prep more and utilize our chest freezer, I've been working on making freezer meals. This one is simply perfect!
- Slow cooker option: For a hands off approach, start crock pot stuffed pepper soup earlier in the day and let it simmer away until dinner time. (See slow cooker method below!)
- Allergy-friendly: Just like all of my recipes, this one is dairy free and egg free! Stuffed pepper soup is also gluten free. To make it vegan, omit the meat or swap it with lentils.
What's in stuffed pepper soup
Below is a list of ingredients needed for this meal. Follow my tips on each ingredient for best results.
- Ground beef: I suggest using 85% lean/15% fat ground beef. The fat adds flavor, but can be swapped out for a lean ground beef or substituted with ground turkey or ground chicken.
- Peppers: We typically use 1 green bell pepper and 1 red bell pepper, but any color will work.
- Onion: Yellow onion works best here due to its mild taste with a hint of sweetness. If you have garlic on hand, feel free to use a couple cloves too!
- Diced tomatoes: This ingredient gives our soup a bright flavor along with some tanginess from the tomato's natural acidity. Don't toss the liquid in the can of the diced tomatoes.
- Tomato sauce: This thickens the soup and adds a rich flavor.
- Beef broth: Feel free to use any broth! Beef broth, chicken broth, and vegetable broth all work interchangeably here.
- Seasoning: I like to keep this recipe super simple by using Italian seasoning (which typically includes basil, oregano, rosemary, thyme, and marjoram) but feel free to season to your heart's desire. Paprika and garlic powder also add a nice touch.
- Rice: Use white rice or brown rice. This is an excellent use of leftover rice, too!
6-Quart Enameled Dutch Oven Pot With LidHow to make stuffed pepper soup
Use these process pictures to help guide you. The full recipe with measurements is found in the recipe card.
- Warm olive oil over medium heat in a dutch oven or large pot. Cook the meat, breaking it into small pieces as it browns.
- Add chopped onion and peppers, then let cook until softened, stirring occasionally.
- Stir in seasoning, canned tomatoes with juices, tomato sauce, and broth. Bring the soup to a boil then lower the heat and let simmer.
- As the soup simmers, cook uncooked rice according to package directions or in a rice cooker. When cooked, portion into bowls, and serve soup over top.
Slow cooker method
If you want to make slow cooker stuffed pepper soup instead of my speedy stove top version, be my guest! First, brown the ground beef. Transfer it to your crock pot along with remaining ingredients, except for the rice. Cook on low for 6-8 hours or high for 3-4 hours. About 30 minutes before serving, cook rice according to package directions. Portion rice into bowls then ladle soup on top.
Storage and freezing
Stuffed pepper soup makes fantastic leftovers for lunch the next day and freezes incredibly well. Just be sure to store the soup and rice separately!
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight, warm in the microwave or on the stove, serve over cooked rice.
Tips and variations
Make this dish your own! Sneak in some veggies like carrots and celery. My husband likes tossing in some red pepper flakes for extra flavor. I prefer garnishing with fresh herbs, such as fresh parsley.
Stuffed bell pepper soup is such a tasty meal the whole family will love, it's great for busy nights and easy lunches! If you give it a try, I'd love to hear how it turned out in the comments below.
Dairy Free Stuffed Pepper Soup
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 small yellow onion chopped
- 1 medium green bell pepper chopped
- 1 medium red bell pepper chopped
- 1 (14.5-oz) can petite diced tomatoes
- 1 (15-oz) can tomato sauce
- 1 (14.5-oz) can beef broth
- 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 cup white rice uncooked
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Warm olive oil in a dutch oven or large pot over medium heat. Add ground beef and cook until browned, breaking up into small pieces as it cooks.
- Add the chopped onion and bell peppers, and cook until softened.
- Stir in diced tomatoes with juices, tomato sauce, broth, and seasoning.
- Bring soup to a boil then reduce heat to low and let simmer for about 20 minutes.
- As the soup simmers, cook rice according to package instructions or in a rice cooker.
- Serve warm soup over cooked rice. Store leftovers separately in the fridge for 3-4 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
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