Stuffed Pepper Soup

Stuffed Pepper Soup recipe makes the perfect easy, comfort food meal for weeknight dinners. Everyone gobbles up this family favorite version full of bell peppers, rice, ground beef, and a flavorful tomato base.

Choose your favorite way to cook it – STOVE TOP, SLOW COOKER, and INSTANT POT directions!

A traditional Stuffed Pepper Soup recipe has comfort food written all over it. Ground beef, rice, and plenty of bell peppers in a rich tomato sauce always seems to hit the spot with my family.

Plus I love how this easy-to-make soup uses simple, economical ingredients, is low calorie, and freezes great for future meals.

Whether you have little as 30 minutes or want it to cook all day, choose which cooking method works best for you. Like Zuppa Toscana, this best Stuffed Green Pepper Soup recipe can be made on the stove, crockpot, or pressure cooker!

How to Make Stuffed Pepper Soup Recipe (Stove Top)

1. In a large pot brown ground beef with garlic and onions.
2. Add diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, brown sugar, beef broth, water, seasoning, pepper, and onion.
3. Reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes, or until peppers are tender. Add the rice and cook 5-10 minutes longer. Season with salt and pepper, if necessary.

How to Make Slow Cooker Stuffed Pepper Soup 

1. In a skillet brown beef, garlic, and onions until beef is cooked through and onions are translucent, about 7-8 minutes.
2. Transfer beef mixture to the slow cooker along with remaining ingredients, except for rice.
3. Cook on high for 3 hours or low 6-8 hours.
4. Towards the end of cooking cook instant rice or long grain rice separately. Add to soup at the end of slow cooking. Alternatively, scoop cooked rice onto bowls of soup when serving.

How to Make Instant Pot Stuffed Pepper Soup

1. Brown beef, onion, and garlic using pressure cooker saute function. Drain grease, if necessary.
2. Add remaining ingredients, except rice, in the Instant Pot – broth, water, diced tomatoes, peppers, tomato sauce, brown sugar, italian seasoning, salt, and pepper.
3. Stir, secure with lid, seal valve, and cook at HIGH pressure for 5 minutes.
4. Let pressure release naturally for 5 minutes, then quick release.
5. Add instant rice and simmer for 5 minutes. Alternatively stir in 2-3 cups of cooked white or brown rice, depending on your preferred soup consistency.

Intimidated by using an Instant Pot? Learn in minutes with this Easy Start Instant Pot Guide full of tips, hacks, and tricks.

 

Substituting Different Types of Rice

Stuffed Pepper Soup recipe calls for using instant rice for a couple reasons. First, it saves the step of cooking the rice separately. Secondly, while the rice cooks in the tomato base it releases starches and thickens the soup.

Traditional white rice or brown rice may be substituted, though. If you prefer these types of rice, prepare 3/4 to 1 cup of uncooked rice while soup is simmering. This will yield 2-3 cups cooked rice.

Add cooked rice at the end of the recipe or dish it into bowls as you serve it. Adding the cooked rice as you serve it is beneficial for storing leftovers.

Rice will absorb the liquid as it is stored in the refrigerator or freezer, so the soup will become very thick. It may be thinned out upon reheating, but keeping the rice separate avoids having to do this.

How to thicken or thin

Thinning soup: Add additional water, beef broth, or tomato sauce until desired consistency is reached.

Thickening soup: Add additional cooked rice, reduce the amount of water or beef broth, or skim off ladles of liquid at the end of cooking. Note: Soup will continue to thicken as sits because rice absorbs liquid. 

Can I Freeze this Soup?

Yes, but leave omit the rice from the recipe. Freeze cooled soup in serving size portions or in large gallon freezer bag.

When ready to serve, add cooked rice to the bowls after the soup has thawed and been reheated.

You may freeze the soup with the rice in it, but the rice will absorb the liquid and make the soup thicker. Once thawed, you will have to add additional water, beef broth, or tomato sauce to thin it back out.

How many calories in are in it?

Each cup of Stuffed Pepper Soup contains 326 calories.

To reduce calories substitute ground turkey for ground beef, which will reduce calories to 197 per cup.

What to Serve with this recipe

• Strawberry Salad – Easy salad layers fresh greens, juicy strawberries, toasted nuts, and creamy cheese all covered with tangy, sweet vinaigrette dressing.
• Apple Pecan Salad – Fresh greens, candied pecans, crisp apples, dried cranberries, and tangy blue cheese all tossed together with a maple vinaigrette dressing.
• Quick Cheese Bread – Savory cheddar loaf bread that easily mixes up in minutes without yeast or kneading!
• Bacon Cornbread – Southern-style cornbread sweetened with maple syrup, dotted with chopped bacon throughout, covered with a sticky maple bacon topping.
• Gluten Free Cheese Scones – A savory, fluffy scone recipe flavored with cheddar and garlic.

Tips for Making the best Stuffed Pepper Soup

• Want to make this recipe more healthy? Swap out ground turkey for the ground beef or reduce the amount of brown sugar.
• This makes a thick, hearty soup. If you prefer your soup thinner, add and an additional cup of beef broth or reduce amount of rice.
• Rice will absorb the liquid in the soup and make it thicker upon sitting. Adding additional water or beef broth may be necessary during reheating. To avoid this, keep the cooked rice separate and add it bowls as serving.
• Brown rice or long grain white rice may be substituted for the instant rice. Cook brown or white rice separately while soup is simmering and add it at the end.
• Make this recipe even more decadent by topping the soup with shredded cheese. Try freshly grated parmesan or shredded mozzarella.
• I used red and yellow peppers for this recipe because I prefer the sweeter taste. Green peppers may be substituted.

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