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Stuffed Pepper Soup (Best Flavor)

By: Melissa Erdelac · On: · Updated:

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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!

overhead shot of stuffed pepper soup in a blue bowl with blue napkin next to it

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A traditional stuffed pepper soup 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, and has earned hundreds of rave reviews on the site!

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 buffalo chicken chili and broccoli cheese soup, this recipe for stuffed pepper soup can be made on the stove, crockpot, or pressure cooker!

How to Make Stuffed Pepper Soup Recipe (Stove Top)

Like creamy chicken dumpling soup, even the stove top method is quick and easy. It’s mostly dump and cook, with the hardest part chopping onions and peppers!

shots showing three steps of making stuffed pepper soup
  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 

Crockpot stuffed pepper soup is ideal when you need a meal waiting for you! The ingredients can be prepped and stored the night before so you simply have to plug in and start in the morning.

  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

Making stuffed pepper soup in a pressure cooker is ideal for infusing a lot of flavor in a short amount of time. Although the Instant Pot method takes about the same amount of time as stove top, I find the flavors more pronounced.

  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, like pork meatloaf, this makes a great freezer meal. However, for best results omit the rice from the recipe before freezing. Freeze the 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.

up close shoot of stuffed pepper soup

How many calories in are in it?

Each cup of soup contains 326 calories. To reduce calories substitute ground turkey for ground beef, which will reduce calories to 197 per cup.

What to Serve Stuffed Pepper soup

Although this soup can be considered a meal-in-one dish with beef, rice, and veggies, many of the side dishes below pair great with it!

best Tips to remember

What makes this the best stuffed pepper soup recipe? It’s rich flavor and versatility. Many readers have shared their excellent tips and modifications to make this one of my most popular recipes!

  1. Want to make this recipe more healthy? Swap out ground turkey for the ground beef or reduce the amount of brown sugar.
  2. 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.
  3. 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.
  4. 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.
  5. Make this recipe even more decadent by topping the soup with shredded cheese. Try freshly grated parmesan or shredded mozzarella.
  6. I used red and yellow peppers for this recipe because I prefer the sweeter taste. Green peppers may be substituted.
  7. Have fresh tomatoes to use up? Substitute for the diced tomatoes and this makes the ideal bumper crop recipe!
  8. Like it spicy? Add hot sauce to your liking!

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a spoon lifting out a bite of soup

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overhead shot of stuffed pepper soup in a blue bowl with blue napkin next to it

Stuffed Pepper Soup (Best Flavor)

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, or instant pot directions!
4.31 from 214 votes
Print Pin Rate
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 40 minutes
Total Time: 50 minutes
Servings: 6
Author: Melissa Erdelac

Ingredients

  • 2 pounds ground beef
  • 1 medium onion chopped
  • 3 cloves garlic minced
  • 2 bell peppers (any color) chopped
  • (3) 8 ounce cans tomato sauce
  • (2) 14 ounce cans diced tomatoes undrained
  • 2 cups beef broth
  • 2 cups water
  • 3 tablespoons brown sugar
  • 1 ½ teaspoon Italian seasoning
  • ½ teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • ¾ teaspoon pepper
  • 1 ⅓ cups instant rice (see recipe notes for substituting long grain white or brown rice)

chopped fresh parsley or freshly grated parmesan cheese, for serving

    US Customary – Metric
    Text Ingredient List

    Instructions

    • In a large pot brown ground chuck with chopped onion and garlic for 7-8 minutes, or until beef is cooked through and onions are translucent. Drain liquid and return to stove.
      2 pounds ground beef,1 medium onion,3 cloves garlic
    • To the ground beef add chopped peppers, tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, 2 cups beef broth, water, brown sugar, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil then reduce heat and simmer UNCOVERED for 20 minutes.
      2 bell peppers (any color),(3) 8 ounce cans tomato sauce,(2) 14 ounce cans diced tomatoes,2 cups beef broth,2 cups water,3 tablespoons brown sugar,1 ½ teaspoon Italian seasoning,½ teaspoon garlic powder,1 teaspoon salt,¾ teaspoon pepper
    • Add instant rice and continue to simmer for 5-10 minutes, or until rice is cooked. Add additional beef broth if you prefer thinner soup. Season with more salt and pepper, if necessary. Serve with chopped parsley or freshly grated parmesan cheese.
      1 ⅓ cups instant rice
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    Equipment Needed

    Recipe Notes

     
    Substituting long grain white or brown rice
    If you prefer using long grain white or brown rice, prepare 2-3 cups cooked rice (3/4-1 cup uncooked) while soup is simmering on stove, slow cooker, or pressure cooker. Add cooked rice after soup has simmered. 
     
    Slow Cooker Directions:
    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.
     
    Instant Pot Directions:
    1. Brown beef, onion, and garlic using pressure cooker saute function. Drain grease, if necessary.
    2. Place 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.
     
    Freezing Stuffed Pepper Soup
    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.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 326kcal | Carbohydrates: 21g | Protein: 18g | Fat: 19g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Cholesterol: 64mg | Sodium: 707mg | Potassium: 534mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 933IU | Vitamin C: 38mg | Calcium: 54mg | Iron: 4mg
    Course: Soup
    Categories: Dairy Free Dinners Fall Freezer-Friendly Game Day Gluten Free Grain Free Instant Pot Low Carb One Pot Meals Recipes Slow Cooker Soups Spring Vegetables Winter

    This post contains affiliate links. My opinions are always my own. If you purchase a product through an affiliate link, I make a small commission – at no cost to you. Read full disclosure policy here.

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Coffey Karizmah says

      I’d never even HAD stuffed pepper soup before using this recipe. Made on stovetop . I was afraid of needing to add a lot of salt, since all of my tomato products are salt-free, so I made traditional white rice separately with broth made from vegetable favor “Better Than Bouillon” instead of plain water . The broth for the rice balanced it perfectly. Came out great! Thank you for an easy, delicious recipe!

      Reply

    2. peggy says

      This is so delicious that I’ve made it twice in 2 weeks. Shared some with a neighbor and she requested the recipe. Since I can’t seem to leave a recipe alone I made a couple changes to accommodate what I had on hand. Used 2# ground turkey, all beef broth (no water) and a 28 oz. can of pasta sauce instead of the 3 small cans of tomato sauce. First time I used the instant rice and it was fine but we prefer brown rice so the 2nd time I made brown rice and we put some in our bowl and the soup over it. Perfect. Thanks so much for this easy, delicious and flexible recipe. It’s a keeper.

      Reply

    3. Peggy Egan says

      Made this tonight for the 2nd time and loved it again. I used what I had in hand which was 1# ground chicken & 1# ground turkey. Used 4 cups of beef broth and a 24 oz. can of pasta sauce instead of the tomato sauce. Brown rice cooked separately. So easy and so good. Hubby as well as our neighbor just live it so it will be in the regular rotation. Thank you so much for making me look like a great cook!

      Reply

    5. Shirley says

      This was so good! I took it to our church pot luck and there wasn’t a drop left! I will definitely be making this again.

      Reply

    6. Bonnie says

      I’ve made this a couple of times.I did add a little heat since hubby likes his insides burned out. I love that you relisted the ingredients as you assemble the soup. Makes it so much easier than having to keep going back to ingredient list, and the fact that you give instructions for various way to cook it for inexperienced cooks! Loved it & keep up the good work.

      Reply

      • Melissa Erdelac says

        Hi Bonnie,
        Really appreciate all this, Bonnie! Glad to hear you find the ingredients in the instructions helpful! I’ll slowly start rolling this out to all my recipes.
        Best,
        Melissa

        Reply

    7. Anonymous says

      I made this today! I am trying to be low carb so I didn’t even add the rice. It was still so good. Also easy and fast to make. I will be making this again for sure!

      Reply

    8. Kate says

      Loves this soup. I doubled the amount of Italian seasoning and added 1/2 tsp of cayenne pepper to give it a small kick without being overwhelming. Absolutely making this again!

      Reply

    10. Joanne says

      This soup was delicious. Following the suggestion to cook the rice separate and place in the individual serving bowls first and then ladling the soup over it is the best. I added cooked rice to the soup
      And the next day it was really thick. I added more beef broth when reheating.
      Thank you for a great recipe. I also made the apple salad suggested as a side and it was outstanding. I used plain pecans and it was delicious. No time to make the candied pecans. Thanks for a great fall dinner.

      Reply

      • Melissa says

        Hi Christine,
        This recipe makes quite a bit, so I would only worry about how much your slow cooker could hold. Given the yield of a single recipe (about 9 cups) doubling the recipe could be done in a 6 or 7 quart slow cooker.
        Best,
        Melissa

        Reply

      • Melissa says

        Hi Tracy,
        The calories are with the rice, but I did a quick calculation and it looks like omitting the rice would take away 76 calories / per serving.
        Best,
        Melissa

        Reply

    14. Karen says

      Going to try this today. Will post results and rating later. I have made another version before. I like another like a bit of heat. Will add that too. Thanks. 🥰

      Reply

    17. Amy Downing says

      One of the best tasting and easiest recipes! My teenagers even love it! I always make this in the instant pot. So quick and easy for this working mama. I even shared it with a co-worker and she makes it often too!
      Thanks!

      Reply

      • Melissa says

        Hi Amy,
        I appreciate this so much! Thank you and kudos to you for making those home cooked meals while working. I know that isn’t easy!
        Best,
        Melissa

        Reply

    19. Faith says

      This recipe is amazing! I added paprika, red chili flakes, and a bit of chili powder as well. I also only used one can of tomatoes cause I forgot to buy another can. But this is soup is still amazing with those adjustments! I’m going to meal prep this as well since it makes so much and it’s a low calorie dish. Thank you for sharing!

      Reply

      • Melissa says

        Hi Faith,
        Sounds like wonderful additions to the recipe! It does make a lot and freezes really well too without adding the rice. You are on it with the meal prep! Thanks for writing!
        Best,
        Melissa

        Reply

    21. Alexandra says

      I love soup, and this is such an amazingly tasty AND easy recipe!! My boyfriend is obsessed with it and couldn’t stop raving about how good he thought it was! I substituted lean ground turkey in place of the ground beef for a healthier soup and it turned out great!

      Reply

      • Melissa says

        Hi Alexandra,
        This soup is something we enjoy frequently at our house because everyone loves it. I’m glad it was such a hit with you and your boyfriend, and I really appreciate you taking the time to let me know.
        Best,
        Melissa

        Reply

    22. Susan says

      I made this tonight. So good! Easy and quick too. I was short a can of diced tomatoes so I added a can of rotel. It was so good. I’ve got a new favorite soup. Thanks for the recipe.

      Reply

      • Melissa says

        Hi Susan,
        Love the rotel addition to add a little spicy kick. So glad you enjoyed the recipe and thank you for taking the time to drop me a line!
        Best,
        Melissa

        Reply

    23. carol a legere says

      So easy and so good! For personal tastes, I’d add a bit more Italian seasoning, and he’d like to kick the heat up a notch at the table. Lastly, when I took this pic, there were 2 cups of rice in the soup pot of the three I made. Added the final cup per request – for me, fine either way. Thank you for this recipe, it was a pleasure to post this on the food group I belong to (and you’ve been acknowledged there in my post); it will be a great go-to recipe this and next season when I need some extra time and leftovers!

      Reply

      • Melissa says

        Hi Carol,
        I’m so glad you enjoyed the soup and those sound like wonderful adaptations. Thank you for sharing the recipe. I hope others are inspired by it!
        Best,
        Melissa

        Reply

    24. Susan B says

      When I was living at home my mother would make stuffed peppers with mashed potatoes for dinner. Her pepper were very similar to this recipe. So I found this recipe two days ago and made the soup today. After tasting the I left the soup remain on the thick side and immediately made mashed potatoes. Got out a soup bowl put a mound of potatoes and ladled the soup over them. I was back in my childhood and enjoying every bit of it. Thank you for posting this recipe. It has been saved on my soup board and I will enjoy making it again and in the future.

      Reply

      • Melissa says

        Hi Susan,
        Love this! It’s my favorite thing to hear when recipes bring back memories. I know classics are hard to recreate, and I’m glad this soup brought some comfort.
        Best,
        Melissa

        Reply

      • Melissa says

        Hi Joe,
        I’m so happy you DID find this recipe and it was such a success! Thank you for taking a moment to let me know how much you enjoyed it:)
        Best,
        Melissa

        Reply

    26. Melissa says

      I made this last night and it was super easy and really yummy. I’m a soup lover so I’m always searching for new recipes! I’ll definitely make this again!

      Melissa

      Reply

    27. Marsha says

      Not only was this recipe easy it was absolutely delicious! I didn’t need to tweak it at all. My family loved it!

      Reply

    28. Diane says

      Is the nutritional value for the whole pot of soup or 1 serving and how much per serving? Is it 1 cup. Just wondering for weight watcher points

      Reply

      • Melissa says

        Hi Diane,
        The serving amount is per serving and it is based off a heaping 1 cup portion. Of course, using lean ground turkey would lighten the calories as well.
        Have a good day!
        Melissa

        Reply

    34. Connie Johnson says

      Made this soup with substitutions: Diced Cauliflower Rice instead of regular rice (soaks up flavor from the broth). No salt added diced tomatoes with garlic and oregano, no sodium added Beef or Turkey Broth; used low fat ground beef or turkey. Loved, loved this soup. Make and freeze. Low carbs, low sodium!!

      Reply

      • Melissa says

        Thank you for all the low carb and healthy suggestions. This will be very helpful for everyone and I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
        Best,
        Melissa

        Reply

      • Melissa says

        Yes! Although stuffed peppers are delicious, I never have the extra time to make them. Thank you so much for taking a moment to write. It’s always appreciated!
        Best,
        Melissa

        Reply

    39. Jack says

      Great recipe! Easy and really tasty. Only change I made(do this with any soup using rice or pasta)was to cook my rice, in the amount I needed for meal, separately and serve with soup added at serving time. That way any left over soup is still soup, not a dry gummy mess, and can be served again with fresh rice or pasta! FYI: left over soup thickens a bit and makes a great sauce for pasta! Thanks for a great recipe!

      Reply

      • Melissa says

        Hi Jack, Thank you so much for writing and adding your tips. I love the idea of swapping out pasta to the soup. I’m going to try that next time I make it!

        Reply

    41. Kimberly Stotmeister says

      I used this recipe as a guideline and made it with what I had available in my pantry. I didn’t have tomato sauce, so I substituted that for 1 regular size can of paste and 1 large can of enchilada sauce. I only had 1 can of diced tomatoes, so I added a can of Rotelle to substitute for the other. I also added 1/2 bag of frozen corn and instead of 2 lbs ground beef I only used 1 and also 1 lb of medium spiced italian sausage. And instead of the water I used chicken broth, and added 2 cubes of beef bullion. And instead of white rice I used 2 c. brown. My family loved my version of this soup, Thank you for the incredible base to start with.

      Reply

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