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Easy Stuffed Pepper Soup

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This stuffed pepper soup recipe uses everyday ingredients and is simple to make on the stove or in your slow cooker! Get all your favorite stuffed pepper flavors in a warm and hearty soup with minimal effort.

Want to make it in your Instant Pot instead? Try this Instant Pot Stuffed Pepper Soup version.

close-up of a ladle of stuffed pepper soup in a pot

Why you'll love it

You know when you're craving stuffed peppers, but just thinking about the effort leaves you tired? This soup solves that! I'm all for quick and easy, and this stuffed bell pepper soup fits the bill perfectly. Honestly, the hardest part is chopping up the veggies, and I actually find that kinda therapeutic.

This is one of those soups that tastes like it's been simmering for hours, but it can be on your table in well under an hour. Your whole family can enjoy the cozy, familiar flavors of ground beef, bell peppers, and rice in this inexpensive soup on a busy weeknight and might even prefer it to actual stuffed peppers!

What you'll need

  • Rice - I recommend a white rice variety like jasmine, basmati, or sometimes you can find rice labeled as a general "long grain white rice". Brown rice will work too.
  • Olive oil - the base for sautéing
  • Onion - use your favorite variety. I like Vidalia (sweet) onion
  • Ground beef - use the leanest than you can find. The 1.5 pound measurement of beef doesn't have to be exact!
  • Garlic - infuses more savory flavor. You can use more or less depending on preference.
  • Bell peppers - I used one red and one green, but any colors are fine
  • Tomato sauce - for my international readers, this is very similar to passata
  • Diced tomatoes - we're using fire-roasted tomatoes for extra flavor
  • Chicken broth - you could use beef broth if you prefer for a richer color and flavor
  • Italian seasoning - it's a blend of dried herbs that comes in a single jar
  • Mild paprika - one of my favorite spices to enhance the broth. It sets it apart from other soups!
ingredients in small bowls on a marble surface for stuffed pepper soup

Tips for success

  • The quality of your canned tomatoes really matters in this recipe. I find that Muir Glen's fire-roasted variety is ideal for this soup, but you can use regular diced tomatoes.
  • If you're not a fan of larger pieces of tomato, you could sub for petite diced tomatoes for a different texture.
  • If the tomatoes end up tasting a little bit acidic, a great trick to counter that is adding in a pinch of sugar to take the sour edge off!

How to make stuffed pepper soup on the stove

This is an overview with step-by-step photos. Full ingredients & instructions are in the recipe card below.

making rice and frying onions and garlic in a soup pot for stuffed pepper soup

Cook the rice. Meanwhile, sauté the onions for 5-7 minutes in a large pot or Dutch oven.

cooking ground beef in a soup pot

Add the beef and cook for 5 minutes until browned. Stir in the garlic.

adding in peppers, broth, tomatoes, and rice to stuffed pepper soup

Put in the remaining ingredients except for rice and salt & pepper, and let the soup simmer for 15 minutes. Once the rice is cooked, add it to the pot and simmer for a further 10-15 minutes, then season the soup and enjoy!

How to make stuffed pepper soup in the Crockpot

  • Brown the beef first, and then transfer it to your slow cooker along with everything except for the rice and salt & pepper.
  • Cook on low for 6-8 hours or on high for 3-4 hours.
  • About 20-30 minutes prior to serving, add the cooked rice and season to taste. Easy!

Substitutions and variations

  • Want to make this soup spicy? Add in hot paprika instead of regular paprika or some cayenne pepper and/or red pepper flakes.
  • I've seen people top this soup with shredded cheddar cheese, so feel free to do that if it's your thing!
  • I used ground beef in here, but you can swap in ground turkey, ground pork, or even ground chicken if you prefer.
  • You could cook the rice right in the soup, but I don't advise it since timing may be tricky. You also might need more liquid and to stir constantly so that it doesn't stick to the bottom of the pot.

What to serve with stuffed pepper soup

Leftovers and storage

  • Leftovers will last in the fridge for a few days, but the rice will soak up the liquid the longer you leave it. You may need to add a splash of broth to revive any leftovers.
  • If you think you'll have lots of soup left over, you may want to store the cooked rice separately and add it just prior to serving when you're rewarming the soup.
  • If you plan on freezing the soup or eating the bulk of it as leftovers, I recommend not adding the rice until you're warming it up again! It'll last in the freezer for 3 months.

More cozy recipes

a bowl of stuffed pepper soup

Questions about this simple stuffed pepper soup? Did you make it? Talk to me in the comments below! You can also tag me #saltandlavender on Instagram.

close-up of a ladle of stuffed pepper soup in a pot

Easy Stuffed Pepper Soup

This easy stuffed pepper soup recipe uses everyday ingredients and is simple to make on the stove or in your slow cooker! Get all your favorite stuffed pepper flavors in a warm and hearty soup with minimal effort.
5 from 9 votes
Print Recipe Pin Recipe Save
Prep Time 10 mins
Cook Time 35 mins
Total Time 45 mins
Course Soup
Cuisine American
Servings 6
Calories 331 kcal

Ingredients
 

  • 3/4 cup uncooked rice 
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1/2 medium onion chopped
  • 1.5 pounds lean ground beef
  • 3 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 red bell pepper chopped finely
  • 1 green bell pepper chopped finely
  • 1 (13.5 fluid ounce) can tomato sauce
  • 1 (28 fluid ounce) can fire-roasted diced tomatoes (with juices)
  • 4 cups chicken broth
  • 1/4 teaspoon Italian seasoning
  • 1 teaspoon paprika
  • Salt & pepper to taste

Instructions
 

  • Start by cooking the rice according to package directions. If you have already cooked rice on hand, save it for later in the recipe.
  • While the rice is cooking, add the oil and onion to a large soup pot and sauté for 5-7 minutes (ok if it browns slightly - that'll give the soup more flavor). To save time, I chop the peppers while the onions are cooking. 
  • Add the ground beef to the pot and cook it for 5 minutes, using a spoon to stir/break up the beef as it cooks. If the beef is particularly fatty (it shouldn't be if you bought lean), drain most of the excess grease before proceeding to the next step.
  • Stir in the garlic and cook for about a minute.
  • Add in the peppers, tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, chicken broth, Italian seasoning, and paprika. Increase the heat to high and bring it to a gentle boil. Once boiling, reduce heat and let the soup simmer for 15 minutes.
  • Add the cooked rice to the pot and continue to cook the soup for another 10 minutes or so. This will helped thicken the broth a bit and infuse more flavor into the soup. Season as needed with salt & pepper. 

Notes

  • You can use regular diced tomatoes if you wish, but the fire-roasted ones give it extra flavor. 
  • I used jasmine rice in this recipe. Feel free to swap with another rice e.g. brown rice or any variety of long grain white rice. 
  • Freezing and leftovers: If you plan on freezing the soup or eating most of it as leftovers, I suggest not adding the rice until you're warming it up again. It'll either go mushy or soak up most of the broth.
  • Crockpot version: You can definitely make this stuffed pepper soup in a slow cooker. Brown the beef first, and then transfer it to your Crockpot, along with everything except for the rice and salt & pepper. Cook on low for 6-8 hours or on high for 3-4 hours. About 20-30 minutes prior to serving, add the cooked rice.
  • Check out the Instant Pot version.
  • Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy only and should be construed as an estimate rather than a guarantee. Ingredients can vary and Salt & Lavender makes no guarantees to the accuracy of this information.

Nutrition

Calories: 331kcalCarbohydrates: 32gProtein: 29gFat: 9gSaturated Fat: 3gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 70mgSodium: 1190mgPotassium: 860mgFiber: 3gSugar: 8gVitamin A: 1669IUVitamin C: 60mgCalcium: 84mgIron: 5mg
Keyword stuffed bell pepper soup, stuffed pepper soup recipe
Author Natasha Bull

This recipe was originally published on April 19, 2018. It's been updated with new photos and better instructions but is the same great recipe!

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  1. Anita Freeman says

    I made this tonight but didn’t have fire roasted tomatoes so I googled the ingredients in them, it said they have a smoke flavor. I added just a dab of liquid smoke and a dash of Worcestershire like I read in one of the comments. It was delicious and I will make it again. Thanks for the recipe!

    Reply

  2. Brenda Callison says

    This is a great recipe I tweaked mine aclittle bit and added Ragu spaghetti sauce instead of tomato sauce and I put mozzarella cheese on top of mine right before serving it .It is delicious!

    Reply

  3. Karen Swartz says

    5 stars
    Delicious soup! I’ve made it twice now, and the family loves it. My crew aren’t fans of rice however, so I made it once with acini de pepe pasta, and the second time with ditalini. I liked the ditalini better, personally. I added a little A1 sauce and worchestershire to the party, and used Spicy V8 juice for the liquid. Out of this world!!! Great recipe!

    Reply

    • Miranda @ Salt & Lavender says

      Hi Renee! It sounds like you skipped past the Ingredients heading within the blog post. It's all explained there. Enjoy the soup! 🙂

      Reply

  6. Abby Jaeger says

    5 stars
    Second time making this recipe. Very easy and very good! I use a rice cooker for the rice while I get the ingredients prepped. I also added celery and frozen spinach for some extra veggies. The flavor reminded me of jambalaya, which we love!

    Reply

  8. Julie says

    5 stars
    My family and I LOVE this recipe. The only thing I do differently is add cauliflower rice instead of actual rice. We have this soup at least once a week during the cooler months. It’s so comforting and warming. It’s a family favorite.

    Reply

  11. Neda says

    5 stars
    This was FANTASTIC and the left overs were just as amazing. In addition to the chopped garlic I added garlic powder into the soup, added cheese on top with sprinkling chopped parsley. Thank you for the recipe.

    Reply

  14. Lakhwinder Brar says

    I made this dish and already had ordered a pizza for the kids. They are soo picky and I just wasn't having it. Well, hehe, we had the pizza for breakfast! Kids loved the soup! Thanks so much!!

    Reply

  16. Tracy says

    5 stars
    This was really delicious! I love the flavors and it's definitely more streamline than doing traditional stuffed peppers. Thank you!

    Reply