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 Buffalo Chicken Chili and 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)
- In a large pot brown ground beef with garlic and onions.
- Add diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, brown sugar, beef broth, water, seasoning, pepper, and onion.
- 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
- In a skillet brown beef, garlic, and onions until beef is cooked through and onions are translucent, about 7-8 minutes.
- Transfer beef mixture to the slow cooker along with remaining ingredients, except for rice.
- Cook on high for 3 hours or low 6-8 hours.
- 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
- Brown beef, onion, and garlic using pressure cooker saute function. Drain grease, if necessary.
- Add remaining ingredients, except rice, in the Instant Pot – broth, water, diced tomatoes, peppers, tomato sauce, brown sugar, italian seasoning, salt, and pepper.
- Stir, secure with lid, seal valve, and cook at HIGH pressure for 5 minutes.
- Let pressure release naturally for 5 minutes, then quick release.
- 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.
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.
- Irish Soda Bread – A golden, crunchy, sweet crust with a moist, buttermilk interior, and tangy cranberries dotted throughout.
- 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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Stuffed Pepper Soup
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
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.
- 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.
- 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.
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Equipment Needed
Recipe Notes
- In a skillet brown beef, garlic, and onions until beef is cooked through and onions are translucent, about 7-8 minutes.
- Transfer beef mixture to the slow cooker along with remaining ingredients, except for rice.
- Cook on high for 3 hours or low 6-8 hours.
- 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.
- Brown beef, onion, and garlic using pressure cooker saute function. Drain grease, if necessary.
- Place remaining ingredients, except rice, in the Instant Pot – broth, water, diced tomatoes, peppers, tomato sauce, brown sugar, italian seasoning, salt, and pepper.
- Stir, secure with lid, seal valve, and cook at HIGH pressure for 5 minutes.
- Let pressure release naturally for 5 minutes, then quick release.
- 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.
Nutrition
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Christine says
Can I triple this in a slow cooker? I need a potluck meal for church and this looks awesome.
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
Sandy says
One of my favorite recipes! Delicious, filling and freezes well, even with the rice added. Making a batch today.
Melissa says
So perfect on days like these!
Tracy says
Absolutely love this soup! Curious if the calories per cup that you listed are with or without the rice? Thank you!
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
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. 🥰
Melissa says
Hope you enjoyed it, Karen!
Amanda n koetz says
Flavorful. Cant get enough of it. Deffent a keeper in our family cook book
Melissa says
This is so great! I love hearing how much recipes become a part of family’s lives!
Best,
Melissa
Deborah Winsberg says
Super yummy and very easy. My family liked it a lot! I will make this again.
Melissa says
Thanks Deborah! Happy to hear!
Best,
Melissa
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!
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
Donna says
I made this on the stove top, used ground turkey & brown rice. It was so good.
Melissa says
So glad! Sounds like a great healthy adaptation. Thanks for taking the time to let me know.
Best,
Melissa
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!
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
Denise says
Delicious! Perfect comfort food!!
Melissa says
Thank you, Denise! I’m so glad you enjoyed the soup and thanks for writing!
Best,
Melissa
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!
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
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.
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
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!
carol a legere says
p.s. consider this my edit to my comment. There is no picture here of my soup, sorry for the error!
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
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.
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
Joe says
Wish I had found this sooner! What an amazing recipe will definitely be making again soon! Thanks
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
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
Melissa says
Hello! I’m so glad this recipe was such a hit for you. Thank you so much for taking the time to write.
Best,
Melissa
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!
Melissa says
Hi Marsha,
That makes me so happy! Thank you so much for sharing 🙂
Best,
Melissa
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
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
Kimberly Marcinkoski says
Love this soup. One of my husbands favorites.
Melissa says
Hi Kimberly, That’s great! I’m so happy to hear it 🙂
Best,
Melissa
Elaine Browne says
Quick and easy with basic pantry supplies. Great on a snowy evening
Melissa says
Hi Elaine, I couldn’t agree more! We enjoy this a ton in the winter time. Always comforting and delicious!
Best,
Melissa
Nancy says
I love this soup. I make rice on the side. But that’s just the way I like it. The seasonings sure just perfect. Delicious!
Melissa says
Hi Nancy,
I’m so glad you enjoy it. Thanks for writing!
Best,
Melissa
Cheryl says
I made this and it was a huge hit !!!So easy to make and the aroma was awesome.
Melissa says
Thank you so much Cheryl! That is really nice to hear. Thanks for writing!
Best,
Melissa
Kristine says
Thanks for this recipe! This was so tasty and perfect to eat while the snow is flying!
Melissa says
So glad you enjoyed it Kristine! I can’t get enough soup in the winter time. I want to eat it at every meal!
Best,
Melissa
Stephanie C. says
Can u use beef stock instead of beef broth?
Melissa says
Yes, that’s completely fine. I use them both interchangeably.
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!!
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
Brittany K says
Wow!! Can I say the flavor is amazing! This will definitely be a staple in my house.
Melissa says
Perfect! That is so kind of you to take the time to write. It’s always appreciated!
Best,
Melissa
Alice says
I give this soup 5 stars. So good and rich in flavor.
You think it was from a restaurant. Will
Be making it again.
Melissa says
Hi Alice,
That is so incredible, thank you so much! I’m so happy it was such a hit for you. Thank you for taking the time to write.
Best,
Melissa
Heather says
i made this in the crock pot using the ingredients suggested. We love it. Very tasty!
Melissa says
Thank you so much Heather! I’m glad to hear you enjoyed it. That always makes me happy 🙂
Best,
Melissa
Anonymous says
Love this recipe, tastes just like stuffed peppers without the hassle.
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
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!
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!
Elaine says
I made this soup in the crock pot. It’s really great.
Melissa says
Thank you Elaine! I’m glad you enjoyed it. It’s perfect for this time of year.
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.
Melissa says
You’re welcome, Kimberly, and thank you for all the ideas for how readers can build on it!
Linda says
How many servings and serving size?
Melissa says
Hello, It makes 10 1 cup servings. You can adjust the total amount of servings by sliding the bar next to SERVINGS in recipe above. Enjoy!
Susan says
Delicious Missi! Mom gave us some for our dinner tonight! I will have to make it for us one night to enjoy it again!
Melissa says
I’m glad you liked it, Sue. It tastes even better when someone else makes it for you!