If you love the savory, hearty goodness of traditional stuffed peppers but don’t always have the time (or patience) for stuffing and baking, this recipe is your weeknight savior. Our Stuffed Pepper Soup takes all the iconic flavors of the classic comfort food—the seasoned ground meat, the tender rice, the sweet bell peppers, and the rich tomato sauce—and turns it into a comforting, one-pot bowl of deliciousness.
This is more than just a quick fix; it’s a deeply satisfying meal that’s perfect for a chilly evening or a busy weekend. The long, slow simmer melds the flavors of the bell peppers, ground beef, and Italian spices into a robust, rich tomato broth that tastes like it cooked all day. By deconstructing the classic dish, we create a soup that is easy to customize, fantastic for meal prep, and unbelievably freezer-friendly.
Get ready to ditch the foil and the fussy presentation, and dive straight into a bowl of pure, effortless comfort with this Easy Stuffed Pepper Soup Recipe.
Why This Stuffed Pepper Soup is a Weeknight Game Changer
Converting a classic bake into a soup format does more than just save time; it actually enhances the core flavor and convenience of the meal.
- Ultimate One-Pot Convenience: Everything, from browning the meat to simmering the rice and peppers, happens in a single Dutch oven or large pot. This dramatically cuts down on cleanup time—a major win on busy nights.
- Built-in Portion Control: Serving the dish as a soup makes it easy to manage portions and is less labor-intensive than scooping and stuffing individual pepper halves.
- Maximum Flavor Infusion: Unlike baking, where the flavors are somewhat contained, simmering the ingredients together allows the delicious beef, onion, and Italian seasoning to fully saturate the broth and the rice, resulting in a deeper, more cohesive flavor profile.
- Budget-Friendly & Hearty: This soup is packed with inexpensive staples like rice, ground meat, and canned tomatoes, turning simple ingredients into an incredibly filling and satisfying meal.
- Freezer-Friendly Meal Prep: This soup freezes beautifully! It’s an ideal batch-cooking recipe, offering multiple meals down the road for future quick dinners.
Ingredients
The ingredients are simple, mirroring what you’d use for the baked version, but the ratio of liquid is key for the soup base.
For the Stuffed Pepper Soup
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 pound lean ground beef or ground turkey
- 1 large yellow onion, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 large bell peppers (use red, yellow, and green for color), chopped into 1/2 inch pieces
- 1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes (or diced tomatoes for a chunkier texture)
- 1 (15-ounce) can tomato sauce
- 6 cups low-sodium beef broth (or chicken broth)
- 1/2 cup uncooked long-grain white rice (see notes for pre-cooked rice)
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 teaspoon Kosher salt (plus more to taste)
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper (plus more to taste)
For Serving (Optional)
- Shredded cheddar or mozzarella cheese
- Dollop of sour cream or Greek yogurt
- Chopped fresh parsley
Step-by-Step Instructions: Simmering to Perfection
This recipe is divided into a quick sauté phase and a long, rewarding simmer.
Part 1: Browning the Meat and Aromatics (15 Minutes)
- Sauté Meat: Heat the olive oil in a large Dutch oven or soup pot over medium-high heat. Add the ground beef (or turkey) and break it up with a wooden spoon. Cook until the meat is browned and no longer pink. Drain off any excess grease.
- Sauté Aromatics: Add the diced yellow onion to the pot. Sauté for 5–7 minutes until the onion is softened and translucent.
- Add Garlic and Spices: Stir in the minced garlic, dried oregano, basil, and thyme. Cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
- Deglaze: Pour in the Worcestershire sauce and scrape up any flavorful brown bits from the bottom of the pot.
Part 2: Simmering the Base (30 Minutes)
- Add Tomatoes and Broth: Pour in the crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce, beef broth, salt, pepper, and the bay leaf. Stir everything well to combine.
- Bring to Simmer: Bring the soup mixture to a boil over high heat, then immediately reduce the heat to low. Cover the pot and allow the soup to simmer gently for 15 minutes. This allows the dried herbs and tomatoes to fully bloom and develop a rich base flavor.
- Add Rice: Stir in the uncooked white rice. Cover and continue to simmer for another 15–20 minutes, or until the rice is tender. The rice will absorb liquid and thicken the soup.
Part 3: Adding Peppers and Finishing (10 Minutes)
- Add Bell Peppers: Stir in the chopped bell peppers. Do not add them earlier if you want them to retain a slight bite (al dente) and vibrant color.
- Simmer Peppers: Simmer the soup, uncovered, for another 5–7 minutes. The peppers should be softened but not mushy.
- Final Adjustments: Remove and discard the bay leaf. Taste the soup and adjust seasoning with additional salt and pepper if necessary. If the soup is too thick, stir in 1/4 cup of extra broth. If too thin, simmer uncovered for an extra 5–10 minutes.
- Serve: Ladle the Stuffed Pepper Soup into bowls. Top immediately with a sprinkle of shredded cheese and chopped fresh parsley.
Pro Tips for the Best Stuffed Pepper Soup
A few simple tricks can elevate your Stuffed Pepper Soup from a simple weeknight meal to a truly unforgettable comfort dish.
- Pre-Cooked Rice Shortcut: If you are short on time (or want to guarantee your rice doesn’t over-thicken the soup), use pre-cooked rice (like leftover rice). Stir it in during the last 10 minutes of simmering, after the bell peppers have cooked for 5 minutes.
- The Power of Color: Use a mix of bell peppers (red, yellow, and green). The red and yellow peppers are sweeter and balance the savory base, while the green peppers offer that classic, slightly bitter, traditional stuffed pepper flavor. The colors also make the finished soup visually stunning.
- Don’t Overcook the Peppers: Overcooked bell peppers become soft and mushy, losing their vibrant color and fresh texture. Add them near the end of the cooking time (only 5–7 minutes) so they are tender-crisp.
- Boost the Beef Flavor: To enhance the savory depth, consider substituting 1/2 cup of the beef broth with 1/2 cup of red wine during the deglazing stage (Part 1, Step 4). Let the wine reduce for 2 minutes before adding the rest of the liquid.
- Sweetness Balance: If your canned tomatoes are acidic, the soup can taste too sharp. Balance the flavor by stirring in 1/2 teaspoon of granulated sugar or a teaspoon of balsamic vinegar at the very end.
Serving Suggestions and Flavor Variations
This versatile soup is satisfying on its own, but can easily be customized to your taste or dietary needs.
Serving Suggestions
- The Classic Topping: Serve with a generous sprinkle of sharp cheddar or mozzarella cheese, which melts beautifully into the hot soup. A dollop of sour cream or Greek yogurt adds a lovely creamy tang.
- Side Bread: Pair the soup with a crunchy baguette, garlic bread, or even a side of salty crackers for dipping.
- Freshness Finish: A spoonful of fresh chopped parsley or oregano stirred in just before serving adds a final burst of fresh, herbal flavor.
Creative Variations
- Spicy Kick: Add 1/4 teaspoon of crushed red pepper flakes along with the dried spices, or serve with a dash of your favorite hot sauce.
- Smoky Flavor: To mimic a slow-smoked pepper, add 1 teaspoon of smoked paprika when sautéing the aromatics.
- Vegetarian Stuffed Pepper Soup: Substitute the ground beef with 1 pound of firm diced mushrooms (like portobello or crimini) or plant-based ground meat substitute. Use vegetable broth instead of beef broth. You can also swap the ground meat for 1 cup of brown lentils (add these with the rice, as they require long cooking).
- Different Grains: Replace the white rice with 1/2 cup of brown rice (requires an extra 20 minutes of simmering time), or 1/4 cup of small pasta (like ditalini or elbow macaroni) added during the last 10 minutes of cooking.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Can I freeze Stuffed Pepper Soup? Yes, this is an excellent freezer-friendly soup, but with one important note: the rice. Rice can absorb too much liquid and become mushy when thawed and reheated. Pro Tip for Freezing: Cook the soup without the rice. Cool the soup completely, then freeze it. When you thaw and reheat the soup, cook the rice separately and stir the cooked rice into the pot just before serving.
- What kind of rice works best? Long-grain white rice is the traditional choice as it stays distinct and doesn’t get overly sticky. If you use instant rice, you only need to simmer it for 5 minutes. If using brown rice, start simmering it 20 minutes before you add the bell peppers.
- How do I prevent the soup from becoming too thick overnight? As the soup cools, the rice continues to absorb liquid, making it very thick when reheated. When storing leftovers, if you didn’t follow the freezing tip above, plan to add 1/2 to 1 cup of extra beef broth or water when reheating on the stovetop.
- Can I make this dairy-free? Yes, the soup base itself is naturally dairy-free. Simply skip the cheese, sour cream, or yogurt toppings. The soup is thickened naturally by the rice and does not contain any dairy.
- What is the best way to get the shredded cheese to melt smoothly? To ensure the cheese melts quickly and smoothly, use high-quality block cheese that you shred yourself. Pre-shredded cheese contains starches to prevent clumping, which can sometimes make the cheese melt unevenly in soup.
This Stuffed Pepper Soup is your ticket to getting all that homemade flavor in half the time. It’s perfect comfort food without the kitchen mess!
Don’t forget to Pin this recipe for later and share your favorite topping for this classic soup in the comments below!
Classic Stuffed Pepper Soup
This classic stuffed pepper soup is a hearty, comforting bowl filled with ground beef, bell peppers, tomatoes, and rice. It has all the flavors of traditional stuffed peppers in a simple, cozy soup.
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- In a large pot, cook ground beef and onion over medium heat until beef is browned. Drain excess fat.
- Add bell peppers and garlic. Cook for 3–4 minutes until softened.
- Stir in diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, beef broth, oregano, basil, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil.
- Reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Stir in cooked rice just before serving.
- Serve hot, garnished with fresh parsley if desired.
Notes
Use green, red, or yellow bell peppers for variety. Substitute ground turkey for a lighter version. Add extra broth if the soup thickens too much after sitting.