Stuffed Pepper Soup

By
Diana Rattray
Diana Rattray
Diana Rattray
Southern-cuisine expert and cookbook author Diana Rattray has created more than 5,000 recipes and articles in her 20 years as a food writer.
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Updated on 02/25/22
Easy stuffed pepper soup

The Spruce

Prep: 10 mins
Cook: 35 mins
Total: 45 mins
Servings: 6 servings

Stuffed peppers are one of America's favorite comfort foods, and there are all kinds of ways to fix the dish. Instead of stuffing the peppers and baking them, why not make soup with the ingredients? Soup takes just minutes to prep, and you get all the flavor with less fuss and mess. If your family loves stuffed peppers, they will love this soup.

This soup takes about 45 minutes total prep and simmering time. Use green bell peppers or any combination of green, red, and yellow peppers. Serve it with freshly baked cornbread, crusty rolls, or crackers. Adding a tossed salad would make it a nice, hearty dinnertime meal or serve it as a lunch soup with a half sandwich.

It's also quite versatile. To sneak extra vegetables in for the kids, add some diced carrots and celery to the soup. Or make it with corn. Beans would be an excellent addition as well. Feel free to use all green bell peppers in the soup or use multicolored peppers for a more colorful soup. For Paleo diets, the rice can be omitted; increase the ground beef and peppers.

The recipe makes about 2 quarts of soup and is easily doubled for a large family or crowd.

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

  • 1 pound lean ground beef

  • 1 small yellow onion

  • 2 to 3 bell peppers

  • 1 (14.5-ounce) can petite diced tomatoes with juice

  • 1 (15-ounce) can tomato sauce

  • 2 cups unsalted or low-sodium beef stock

  • 1 to 2 tablespoons granulated sugar, to taste

  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, or to taste

  • 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

  • 1 cup long-grain white rice, or brown rice, cooked

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Ingredients for easy stuffed pepper soup
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  2. Heat the olive oil in a Dutch oven or stockpot over medium heat. Add the ground beef and cook until no longer pink, breaking up and stirring frequently. 

    Heat beef
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  3. Meanwhile, peel the onion and remove the stem and seeds from the peppers.

    Peel the onion
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  4. Chop the vegetables and set aside.

    Chop the vegetables
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  5. Drain the beef well and return it to the pot.

    Drain the beef
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  6. Add the chopped onion and peppers to the ground beef and continue cooking over medium heat for about 5 minutes.

    Add chopped onion
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  7. Add the diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, and beef stock. Taste and add sugar and kosher salt, as desired. Add the ground black pepper.

    Add diced tomatoes
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  8. Bring the soup to a simmer.

    Bring soup to simmer
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  9. Reduce the heat to low, cover the pot, and simmer for about 25 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender.

    Reduce heat to low
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  10. Add the cooked rice to the soup or mound the rice in bowls and ladle the soup around it.

    Add the soup to a bowl
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  11. Serve and enjoy!

Recipe Variations

  • Add 1/2 to 1 cup of canned, drained black beans or pinto beans to the soup.
  • Add 1/2 to 1 cup of corn kernels to the soup.
  • Dice a rib of celery and a carrot (peeled) and add them to the soup along with the peppers.
  • Omit the rice and add extra ground beef and peppers, or use cooked bulgur, quinoa, or another grain.
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
295 Calories
13g Fat
20g Carbs
25g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 6
Amount per serving
Calories 295
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 13g 17%
Saturated Fat 4g 21%
Cholesterol 67mg 22%
Sodium 735mg 32%
Total Carbohydrate 20g 7%
Dietary Fiber 3g 9%
Total Sugars 9g
Protein 25g
Vitamin C 37mg 185%
Calcium 48mg 4%
Iron 4mg 21%
Potassium 707mg 15%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)