Stuffed Pepper Soup
This easy Stuffed Pepper Soup has all the flavors of stuffed peppers but in a soup. Ground beef, peppers, rice, broth and seasonings!
ALL THE FLAVORS OF STUFFED PEPPERS IN A SOUP!
One of my absolute favorite comfort foods is Stuffed Peppers. They can be a bit tedious to make though, right? This Stuffed Pepper Soup is an easy way to get all that delicious stuffed pepper flavor without all the work. This soup is ridiculously yummy!! It is a hearty, filling soup made with ground beef, bell peppers, and rice that is all simmered in a seasoned tomato-based broth. You just can’t go wrong!
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:
One cup of uncooked long grain rice will make about 3 cups of cooked rice.
Yes, you can make a vegetarian version of stuffed pepper soup by substituting the ground beef with a plant-based protein like lentils or chickpeas. You can also add more vegetables, such as zucchini, eggplant, and mushrooms.
Yes, you can make stuffed pepper soup in a slow cooker. To do this, brown the ground beef and sauté the vegetables in a skillet before transferring them to a 4 quart slow cooker. Add the remaining ingredients (minus the rice) to the slow cooker and stir to combine. Cover and cook on low heat for 4-6 hours or on high heat for 2-3 hours, until the vegetables are tender. Add the rice in the last 1/2 hour of cooking (so it doesn’t absorb too much broth.)
It doesn’t matter if you’re looking to cut carbs, choose “healthier” options, or just out of rice, there are tons of other options to try to use than traditional white rice if needed. You can try cauliflower rice, quinoa, orzo, or other options. You can try traditional white rice or brown rice too.
There are all sorts of ideas to try. You can try adding some crushed red pepper flakes, banana peppers, or hot sauce. Whatever your taste buds prefer and you have on hand. You can even try a can of Rotel.
Yes, you can make this soup ahead of time. Store as usual and then reheat when you’re ready to eat it.
Stuffed pepper soup will last about 2-3 days in the refrigerator. Keep in mind thought that the rice will continue to absorb liquid. If you are wanting to make stuffed pepper soup to have for the week, I would suggest making the soup without adding any rice. Store that in the refrigerator and add a bit of the cooked rice to the soup for each serving before reheating. This will keep the rice from being mushy.
Yes, stuffed pepper soup can be frozen for up to 3 months. To freeze the soup, let it cool completely, then transfer it to airtight containers or Ziploc bags and place it in the freezer. To serve, thaw the soup in the refrigerator and reheat it on the stove or in the microwave. However, keep in mind rice can become mushy when re-heated and it also continues to absorb the liquid it is in.
INGREDIENTS NEEDED (SEE RECIPE CARD BELOW FOR THE FULL RECIPE)
- ground beef– I recommend sticking to a leaner ground beef. If you choose a fattier ground beef, make sure to drain off any excess grease when cooking it. You could swap the ground beef out for ground chicken, ground turkey, or ground sausage. Over the years, I’ve even had readers share that they used venison and bison!
- onion – I use a sweet yellow onion here. I don’t know why they call them sweet since they aren’t sweet. I guess it just means they are slightly less pungent than your standard yellow onion.
- green pepper– if you prefer a sweeter profile, try this with red bell pepper.
- canned diced tomatoes – if you want to step up the flavor you can use fire roasted tomatoes.
- tomato soup– many of my readers have shared that they used V8 or other tomato juices instead of tomato soup. Also, some readers have shared using tomato sauce instead of soup to make this a rich soup. That’s something else you could try sometime.
- chicken broth – can be swapped for beef broth or vegetable broth.
- cooked rice– it really is important that it is COOKED rice! Otherwise the rice will absorb the liquid as it’s cooking and make this more of a thick stew.
- sugar – the sugar is there just to offset the acidity in the diced tomatoes. If you’ve ever meet an Italian grandmother you know she always puts a bit of sugar in her tomato sauces. This does not give it any sweetness at all. However, feel free to leave it out although I do feel you lose some of the balance of flavor when you do so.
- garlic powder – you could use fresh garlic or jarred garlic for this as well. I always say you measure garlic with your heart. Add a little in and taste and go from there.
- salt and pepper
- shredded cheddar cheese – this is optional. We all like to top ours with cheese but that is definitely a personal preference.
HOW TO MAKE STUFFED PEPPER SOUP:
Dice up the onion and green pepper. In a large pot, brown and crumble ground beef along with diced green peppers and onion over medium-high heat. When cooked, drain excess grease from beef mixture.
Put beef back into pot. Add in diced tomatoes, tomato soup and chicken broth (or beef broth). Give it all a good stir. Then add in rice. Stir in seasonings; sugar, garlic powder, salt & pepper (to taste).
Cover and let soup simmer on low heat for about 30 minutes to let all the flavors blend. The longer it simmers – the thicker it will get as the rice continues to absorb the liquids. And serve! Optional: serve this soup with shredded cheddar cheese on top.
CRAVING MORE RECIPES?
- Stuffed Pepper Casserole
- Crock Pot Stuffed Peppers
- Chicken Stuffed Peppers
- Crock Pot Taco Soup
- Crock Pot Chicken Parmesan Soup
- Instant Pot Stuffed Peppers
- Cabbage Roll Soup
- Crock Pot White Lasagna Soup
- Hamburger Vegetable Soup
- Lasagna Soup
- Sausage Corn Chowder
- 100 Ground Beef Recipes
- 25 Fall Soup Recipes
Originally published: November 2012
Updated photos and republished: November 2024
Stuffed Pepper Soup (with Video)
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 small onion, diced
- 1 large bell pepper, diced
- 29 ounce can diced tomatoes
- 10 ounce can tomato soup (or tomato sauce)
- 14 ounce can chicken broth (or beef broth)
- 2 cups cooked rice
- 1 Tablespoon sugar
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- salt and pepper, to taste
- shredded cheddar cheese (for topping, optional)
Instructions
- In a large pot, brown and crumble 1 pound ground beef along with 1 small onion, diced and 1 large bell pepper, diced over medium-high heat.
- When meat is thoroughly cooked, drain excess grease from beef mixture. Put beef mixture back into the pot.
- Add in 29 ounce can diced tomatoes, 10 ounce can tomato soup and 14 ounce can chicken broth.
- Give it all a good stir. Then add in 2 cups cooked rice. Stir again.
- Then stir in 1 Tablespoon sugar, 1 teaspoon garlic powder and salt and pepper, to taste.
- Cover and let soup simmer on low heat for about 30 minutes to let all the flavors blend. (The longer it simmers, the thicker it will get.)
- Serve with shredded cheddar cheese on top of each serving (optional.)
Video
Notes
- Please refer to my FAQ’s (Frequently Asked Questions) and ingredient list above for other substitutions or for the answers to the most common questions.
Nutrition
Nutritional Disclaimer
“The Country Cook” is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. If calorie count and other nutritional values are important to you, we recommend running the ingredients through whichever online nutritional calculator you prefer. Calories and other nutritional values can vary quite a bit depending on which brands were used.
I made this soup today and it was a hit! No leftovers! Thank you for a quick, easy and delicious recipe. I will be back!
Thank you for coming back to let me know how it turned out for ya Jennifer! So happy it was a hit!!
Is there a preference for the tomato soup or tomato sauce? And is there a preference for beef broth or chicken broth? Also, someone commented above it wasnt soupy enough, does it require 2 cans of broth?
I just made it tonight, I think I'd cut back on the rice by at least 1/2 a cup because it wasn't very "soupy".
Looks really good, I will have to try this sometime, thank you! Sounds like it may taste a little like chili, minus some spices. I think I will add some corn and some smoked sausage as well. I really loved stuffed peppers with some beef and sausage. Thanks again!
Followed the recipe exactly but it wasn't soupy enough. Thick like spaghetti sauce. I had to add water. Are you sure that wasn't supposed to be two cans of broth?
My mom made this today and modified it a bit. She had so many tomatoes from the garden to use so she just used the fresh tomatoes in stead of soup or sauce or the canned tomatoes. It was really, really good! I will be making it myself sometime, but will probably have to use the canned tomatoes. Thanks for the recipe!
This is my new favorite recipe! For the person asking, this will freeze Perfectly! I adapted to the crock pot and cooked on low all day and then added the cooked rice in at the end. I doubled the recipe, so I couldn't do this myself this time, but you could also add in the additional water (that you would cook the rice in)directly to the crock pot and toss in the rice. Adjust the pot to HIGH for the duration until the rice is cooked. You could even put this in the crock pot frozen and BOOM it will be done at dinner. Thank you for a great recipe. I am sharing it like crazy!
Thanks so much Beth! I just love hearing that!!
Wondering if this is a soup you can make in big batches and can?
This sounds so good; gonna have to try it – soon!! ~ I was wondering if the can of diced tomatoes is drained – or do you use the juice, as well?
– Thank you for sharing all of these recipes! 🙂
Ok, so I have made this once, and my husband and son (18 months) both loved it!!! Today, I went home on my lunch break and made all of the ingredients, but threw it in my crockpot, so that it will cook while I am at work!! I hope it tastes just as good!! 🙂 I'm so excited!! 🙂
I have made this twice. Last night I made it and added some zucchini! It is super yummy! My husband and I both love it! Thanks for sharing all your wonderful recipes! I have used many and have not been disappointed:)
I've been in a real slump with meals for my family. We made this tonight and we all loved it! Thanks for the recipe!
I have made Stuffed Pepper Soup twice now and it tastes WONDERFUL! I did add some cumin to my version. (I don't know how much though, I just sprinkled it in and kept tasting until I thought it was enough!)
Does this freeze well? My sister is having her second baby soon, and I would love to make her a variety of go-to-meals for her and her family to simply reheat.
I saw your post on Facebook about this receipe. I immediately clicked on the link and printed off the receipe. The directions were easy to follow and this soup turned out great!
I wish I had found this soup earlier today – I would be making it instead of the chicken & rice on the stop now. I'll be trying this one soon! However, instead of draining the meat like you do, I tilt the frying pan on the edge of the stove with a kitchen towel under it to absorb the heat. Push the meat to the top of the pan and the grease will drain to the bottom. I use a paper napkin or paper towel to absorb the grease and then discard them. This keep grease from clogging my pipes.
Set a can in the sink and drain grease into that can. Then, set the can aside and before long it will harden. Then, you can just toss the can. I realize this is not environmentally kind, but take the advice if you want. Otherwise , I will sometimes run my hot tap water and then drain the meat WHILE the hot water is running and continue to run the water for a tad afterwards. This way it can’t solidify in the pipes!
Wonderful * Awesome
I did add Italian Sausage & Used Progresso Recipe Starters Fire Roasted Tomato Instead Of Tomato Sauce
Oooh, love the fire roasted tomato soup, great addition! Thank you so much!
This is an awesome soup- just made it- HOWEVER to me it was missing something…needed some ground cumin!! PERFECT!!!
Wonderful recipe! My whole family loves it and wants more! Thank you so much for sharing this, Brandie. I see it becoming a family favorite.
Thank you so much!
Hello, Brandie! Sounds like a great recipe. I was planning on trying it tomorrow, until I noticed that you put t tsp. garlic powder. Would that be 1 tsp. garlic powder? Thanks!
Oh goodness, you are so right! I fixed it. Thank you for letting me know. It should be one teaspoon. 🙂
I used this basic recipe today but made some edits to make it "clean eating" and diet friendly:
Switched the white rice out for brown rice
Used ground turkey instead of beef
Used two bell peppers instead of one (to boost the veggie content)
I did not add the sugar–instead, I made sure to use organic tomato sauce, which tends to be sweeter than non-organic. I also added about a tablespoon of fresh, minced basil to play up the sweetness.
It turned out fabulous!!
Love that you made it your Jessica!
Quinoa would be a good substitute for the nutritionless white rice, also. And I would use stevia instead of sugar.. or Splenda at the last before serving.
I made this soup and shared it with my best friend and she shared it with her daughter and family and now they want me to adopt them, I gave them the web site and told her how easy it was to make. It was sooo delicious. I didn't have any diced tomatoes so I used Rotel tomatoes and it gave it some what a kick, so good.
I add about a half-pound of hot ground sausage for additional flavor and spice.
Great recipe! I made it tonight, my family is a big fan of stuffed peppers and i've never seen it in soup form. I added red pepper flakes to make it a little spicy, and it turned out delicious!
Just got done making this soup, it tastes great. We like spice in our soups so I put some red pepper flakes in it to give it a little kick.
in the ingredients listed you put "t tsp. garlic powder". what is the amount of tsps of garlic powder that is needed?
This was really good. I am always looking for things for my Son to make for dinner.He is becoming a great cook. I had tortilla chips with mine, my son and husband had buttered bread with theirs. We will surely make this again……..Thank you for the great recipes……….Sandy
Sandy, I loved reading your comment! Thank you so much! I am so happy you enjoyed this one!
I made this last night!!! I tripled some ingredients and it was AWESOME!!!! everyone loved it!!!!
Thank you for coming back to let me know Kim! So glad this was a winner!
If you have time, how did you triple it, I was just thinking of making this and bringing it to my daughter. Thanks
Making this now, but as I scroll down there are so many of your recipes I want to try. Like ALL of them. They look so yummy! Maybe one a week? 🙂 Thanks a bunch.
What a sweet comment! Thank you! Hope you love all the ones you might try!
This soup is so good !!! Easy to prepare as well. I will definitely be making this again … and again.
I love this soup!!!! how many servings is in one batch
Great recipe! Loved stuffed green peppers as a kid so when I saw this recipe, I had to give it a try. It was great! In laws came over and kept going back for seconds! Thanks for sharing!
very good, just finished a bowl with a fresh loaf of Italian bread…I used chicken broth, traditional speg sauce and sharp cheddar…..
Does anyone prefer chicken broth over beef? I have an opened beef that needs used up, but thinking the chicken would be better? any suggestions?
I make this all the time with beef broth and it’s great.
This is awesome! Great recipe that I know I'll be making a lot!
Amazing and delicious!
Just made this for dinner and it was DELICIOUS! Thanks for the easy yet delicious recipe!
Brandie- This looks soo yummy!! It is at the top of my "to make" list for this week! I was wondering which do you prefer… using the tomato soup or the tomato sauce?
Thanks for the inspiration 🙂
This recipe inspired me! I promise to post my recipe soon but I made it in the crock pot and modified a few ingredients to fit our dietary requirements. The hubby went NUTS. Thank you, Brandie, for inspiring a keeper.
Yay! I have a container of left over pepper stuffing in the freezer and wasn't quite sure what I was going to do with it. Now I know!
So happy y'all really like this one!
I love a meal that is hearty and healthy! Skip the cheese and it's low fat too…ya like that's gonna happen!
I love making stuffed pepper soup, cabbage roll soup too.. but while m'honey love the real McCoy, he doenst really care for the soup version.. persnickity, huh. He eats it anyways I love it & I love the ease of the dish.. I enjoyed seeing your version.
I'm making this now! It's simmering on the stove and tastes delicious! Thanks for sharing this, Brandie! I love your simple, yet fulfilling meals! 🙂
I'm really liking your blog! Lots of good savory recipes and they're quick for weeknights!
One of my favorites from childhood is stuffed peppers. Unfortunately, my stomach has turned against me. I can no longer eat green peppers. But, I can eat red ones if I keep the portion small. So, this sounds very good, with one minor exception … I will use red peppers instead of green. Thanks.
Love this!
This is delicious. I first had stuffed pepper soup several years ago when I was living in Wisconsin. It was one of the rotating soups at a restaurant I used to go to. I've tried to make it a few times, but it hasn't been quite right. I've bookmarked this one to try! Thanks!
Yumm! Looks warming and really filling soup!
I make this recipe alot – always a favorite!
I like my topping to be a nice "blob" of sour cream.