Filled with tender beef, cooked rice, and a rich tomato sauce, this stuffed pepper soup is everything you love about stuffed peppers made in a single pot.
If you love the flavors of traditional stuffed peppers but don’t have the time (or patience) to cook, stuff, and bake them, this stuffed pepper soup recipe is a great alternative. It includes everything you love about the original dish – savory ground beef, tender rice, bell peppers, and tomatoes – and turns them into a comforting one-pot meal.
It’s perfect for a busy weeknight or a cold winter night, and tastes like it’s been simmering on the stove all day, but comes together in under an hour.
Why You’ll Love It
- Made in One Pot – This recipe highlights the flavors of classic stuffed peppers in a single pot.
- High in Protein – The use of lean ground beef gives this soup over 33 grams of protein per serving.
- Keeps Well – This stuffed pepper soup recipe keeps well in the fridge and freezer, making it a great meal prep idea.
Ingredients + Substitutions
- Ground Beef – To add some protein. The recipe calls for lean ground beef, but any style of ground beef or other ground meat, such as ground pork or ground turkey, will also work well.
- Bell Peppers – To add some veggies and color. The recipe calls for a red and green bell pepper, but any color will work.
- Rice – To add some carbohydrates. The recipe calls for raw white rice, but brown rice will also work well. You can also cook the rice separately in a rice cooker, or use leftover rice if preferred. See the notes section of the recipe card for details.
- Tomatoes – To make the rich tomato broth. The recipe calls for a can of diced tomatoes and crushed tomatoes, but tomato sauce will also work. See the notes section of the recipe card for details.
- Onion + Garlic – To flavor the soup. The recipe calls for a whole onion and garlic cloves, but you can use onion powder and garlic powder if needed. See the notes section of the recipe card for details.
- Herbs – To flavor the soup. The recipe calls for dried oregano, dried basil, and fresh parsley, but you can use dried parsley or Italian seasoning if needed. See the notes section of the recipe card for details.
- Broth – To make the soup. The recipe calls for beef broth, but chicken broth, vegetable broth, or water will also work.
- Salt and Pepper – To season.
Dietary Adaptions
To Make it Gluten-Free: Use certified gluten-free beef broth.
To Make it Dairy-Free: No adaptations are needed; this recipe is dairy-free.
Red’s Nutrition Tip
The recipe calls for lean ground beef; however, you can increase the protein and reduce the fat and calorie content of the soup by using extra-lean ground beef if preferred. Not only is it one of the leanest cuts of beef, but it’s a high-protein, low-calorie food and a great source of iron.
Serving Suggestions
This unstuffed pepper soup is a balanced meal with protein, carbohydrates, fiber, and fat. It can be enjoyed on its own or adapted to suit your personal calorie or macro needs, for example:
- To make it lower in carbs, swap the white rice for cauliflower rice.
- To make it higher in carbs, serve the soup with a side of crusty bread.
- To make it lower in fat, use extra-lean ground beef or ground turkey instead.
- To make it higher in fat, serve it with some shredded cheese on top.
- To make it higher in fiber, swap the white rice for brown rice and/or serve the soup with a side of fresh bread and/or a side salad.
- To add more flavor, swap the ground beef for ground sirloin or Italian sausage, and/or add a dash of Worcestershire sauce to the soup.
Can you make it in a slow cooker?
Yes, you can make this stuffed pepper soup in a slow cooker or crock pot. Simply warm the olive oil and brown the beef in a large pan (or the slow cooker base if removable), then transfer the ground beef to the slow cooker, along with all of the other ingredients, except the fresh parsley, and stir until well combined. Turn the slow cooker on and cook on high for 3-4 hours or on low for 6-8 hours. Once cooked, add the chopped parsley, stir to combine, then taste and adjust seasoning as needed.
Storage + Reheating
To Refrigerate: Allow the soup to cool completely, then transfer it to an airtight container and store it in the refrigerator for 4 days.
To Freeze: To freeze stuffed pepper soup, allow it to cool completely, then store it in an airtight container in the freezer up to 3 months.
To Reheat: Once thawed, the soup can be reheated in a pot on the stovetop on medium heat for 5 minutes or until warm, or in the microwave for 1-2 minutes.
More Lean Ground Beef Soup Recipes:
More Stuffed Pepper Recipes:
Print
Stuffed Pepper Soup
This one-pot stuffed pepper soup is high in protein, easy to make, and keeps well in the fridge and freezer, making it an ideal recipe for a weeknight dinner, meal prep, or batch cooking.
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Prep Time: 10 minutes -
Cook Time: 35 minutes
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Total Time: 45 minutes
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Yield: 4 servings 1x
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Category: Soup
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Method: Stovetop
Prep Time:
Yield:
Category:
Method:Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- 1 onion, diced
- 2 red bell peppers, seeded and diced
- 2 green bell peppers, seeded and diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 (14 ounce) can diced tomatoes
- 1 (14 ounce) can crushed tomatoes
- 3 cups beef broth, or water
- 1/2 cup white rice, uncooked
- 1/4 cup fresh parsley, finely chopped
Instructions
- In a large pot or Dutch oven on medium-high heat, warm the olive oil, then add the ground beef and cook, breaking it up with a spatula or wooden spoon, for 4-5 minutes until mostly cooked through.
- Add the diced onion and cook for an additional 2-3 minutes until they are slightly tender.
- Add the diced bell peppers, minced garlic, dried basil, dried oregano, red pepper flakes (optional), and salt, stir to combine with the beef mixture, and cook for an additional minute until fragrant.
- Pour in the diced tomatoes, crushed tomatoes, and beef broth, scraping up any tasty bits from the bottom of the pan, and stir until well combined.
- Add the uncooked rice, stir again to combine, and bring to a gentle boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook for 20-25 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the rice is cooked through.
- Once cooked, add the chopped parsley, stir until well incorporated, then taste the soup and adjust the seasoning with additional salt and pepper as needed, or add more water if you want a thinner soup.
- The soup can be served immediately or cooled and stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Notes
To Use Onion Powder: Swap the onion for 1 teaspoon of onion powder and add it in step #3. Skip step #2.
To Use Garlic Powder: Swap the garlic cloves for 1/2 teaspoon of garlic powder in step #3.
To Use Dried Parsley: Swap the fresh parsley for 2 teaspoons of dried parsley and add it in step #3, instead of step #6.
To Use Italian Seasoning: Omit the dried basil and oregano, and add 2 teaspoons of Italian seasoning in step #2 instead.
To Use Tomato Sauce: Swap the crushed tomatoes for 1 1/2 cups of tomato sauce in step #4.
To Use Brown Rice: Swap the uncooked white rice for 1/2 cup of uncooked brown rice in step #5 and increase the cooking time to 40-50 minutes.
To Use Leftover Rice: Swap the uncooked white rice for 1 1/2 cups of cooked white rice, add it in step #5, and reduce the cooking time to 5 mintues.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 391 calories
- Sugar: 13 grams
- Fat: 12 grams
- Carbohydrates: 41 grams
- Fiber: 6 grams
- Protein: 33 grams
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