Name: Stuffed Pepper Soup
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 50 min
Ingredients: 1 pound ground beef (or sausage); 1 can diced tomato (28-ounce); 1 can tomato sauce (15-ounce); 4 cups water; 1 package frozen pepper and onion blend (either 1 or 2 pound); 2 teaspoons chili powder; 2 teaspoons paprika; 2 teaspoons salt; 1 teaspoon pepper; 1 teaspoon garlic powder; 2 teaspoons basil; 4 cups rice (cooked (for serving))

Filled with ground beef, rice, and multiple herbs and spices, this flavorful stuffed pepper soup recipe is quick and easy to make.

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I love soups and stews this time of year and this stuffed pepper soup recipe is no exception. Actually, I love them all year long but my family looks at me funny when they come home from a 100+ degree day in August to find a big pot of chicken stew with hot cornbread on the stovetop, so I have to get my kicks in the fall and winter months in order to tide me over through the summer.

Once that first bit of chill hits the air, I’m off to the races!

I whipped up this stuffed pepper soup recipe earlier in the week when I decided I wanted a soup version of Mama’s stuffed pepper casserole. I based the recipe loosely off of hers, but rest assured it’s filled with all the best fillings, like diced tomatoes, multiple herbs and spices, peppers, onions, and ground beef. Trust me, it’s so flavorful your family won’t complain when you make it, even if it’s warm outside 😉. It’s basically like stuffed peppers without the hassle and extra work – how good does that sound on a busy weeknight?

Another stuffed pepper recipe I love is this stuffed peppers recipe with ground turkey and my cornbread-stuffed bell pepper rings. Can you tell I’m a fan?

Recipe Ingredients

Salt
Pepper
Tomato sauce
Diced tomato can (can also use a crushed tomato can)
Garlic powder
Dried basil
Paprika
Frozen pepper and onion blend
Ground beef
Chili powder
Rice

Brown your ground beef.

After you’ve browned your beef, add your onion and bell pepper blend and continue cooking until your peppers are soft and the onions are a bit translucent.

Or until you get tired of fooling with it, whichever comes first.

Add all of your remaining ingredients to the pot, except for the rice.

You can’t see the water in this photo because I haven’t added it yet because I wanted you to be able to see the other ingredients in there.

Bring this just to a boil and then reduce heat to simmer for about 30 minutes, or until you just can’t wait any longer. Stir in the cooked rice just before serving your stuffed pepper soup.

Note: If you aren’t going to eat it all that day, I suggest stirring rice into each individual bowl of soup rather than the whole pot.

Now eat that up! One-pot comfort coming right up!

Storage

Store soup leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Store the rice in a separate container and reheat leftovers either on the stovetop or in the microwave. You can also freeze soup leftovers (minus the rice) for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight before reheating as mentioned.

Recipe Notes

The frozen bell pepper and onion blend is sold under a few different brands. It is basically a bag of pre-diced assorted colored bell peppers and onions. Not only does this take a lot of work off of you but it saves a good bit of money over buying a few bell peppers fresh. I am using a bag that is 1 pound, 6 ounces but you can just use a one-pound bag if that is what you find. It will be fine and still taste just as good. This really gives our soup a PUNCH of flavor.
The chili powder isn’t pictured because I thought I could do without it. Mama said it needed just a bit of body but I thought “Hmm, I’ll wait and see…”. Once again, Mama was right. A tiny bit of chili powder (amount is in the recipe below) really helps to fill out the flavor of this soup but doesn’t impart a chili taste at all. It just makes it better – actually good, if you will. ~winks~ Alternatively, add red pepper flakes.
Another option is to make this stuffed bell pepper soup in the slow cooker. Once you cook the meat and vegetables, place all of the ingredients in the crock pot, cook on low for the day, and then add the rice when you get home.
You can use any ground meat you like in this recipe, such as ground chicken, ground sausage, ground pork, or ground turkey.
To make this soup low-carb, simply ignore the rice.
Speaking of the rice, you can use either brown rice or white rice. You can also substitute it for another grain like quinoa, barley, or farro. Or opt for cauliflower rice instead.
Serve this stuffed pepper soup recipe with shredded cheese (either cheddar or mozzarella cheese) and chopped fresh parsley on top. You can also serve the main dish with fresh bread, cornbread, buttermilk biscuits, a simple side salad, or roasted vegetables if you like.