Stuffed Pepper Soup

This Stuffed Pepper Soup Recipe has everything you love about Stuffed Peppers in a bowl of hearty soup! It tastes like classic stuffed peppers, but without all the work!

If you like traditional stuffed bell peppers, this soup is for you. It has all the same flavors, but instead of stuffing individual peppers, you put all the ingredients in one pot and make comforting soup. 

Soup is a staple in our kitchen year-round, but especially when the temperatures are a little cooler. There’s just something about an easy-to-make, simple-to-eat, healthy-ingredient soup that is perfect for cozy weather. 

Ingredients for Stuffed Pepper Soup:

• Beef: We typically use grass fed ground beef that is about 90% lean for this recipe since it has lots of flavor and not too much grease. If you use beef with a higher fat content, be sure to drain the grease. If you don’t have ground beef on hand, another option is using stew meat or leftover beef roast cut in small chunks.  
• Bell Peppers: Choose any color bell pepper you like.  Personally, we like to use red and yellow peppers, but they’re all good.
• Rice: You can use either brown rice or white rice. The rice absorbs a lot of liquid so instead of stirring it in, we recommend spooning the rice into individual bows and ladle the soup over the top. 
• Cheese: You can use your favorite cheese to sprinkle on top. Our favorite cheeses for this soup are cheddar, mozzarella, or pepper jack. 
• Beef Broth: We often use homemade beef bone broth for this recipe because it increases the nutritional value of the soup. However, store-bought works great too. 
• Onion: A classic aromatic for any soup or stew that adds flavor. 
• Diced Tomatoes & Tomato Sauce: Add depth to the soup and  give it a wonderful Italian flavor.
• Spices: The perfect blend of Italian spices bring the recipe together. 

What type of beef is in Stuffed Pepper Soup?

Traditionally, Stuffed Pepper Soup calls for ground beef.  We typically use grass fed ground beef that is about 90% lean for this recipe since it has lots of flavor and not too much grease. If you use beef with a higher fat content, be sure to drain the grease. 

Because this is a thick soup that almost resembles a stew, we’ve also made this soup with using leftover chuck roast cut into small pieces. This gives the soup a different texture, but it still tastes great.  

Using leftover roast in this recipe surprises people sometimes, but chuck roast and ground beef (often called ground chuck on grocery store labels) come from the same area on a cow, the chuck primal cut. The only difference is how the butcher prepares the beef cut — the roast is cut into large pieces and ground beef is ground up.  Learn more about beef cuts here. 

Tips for making Stuffed Pepper Soup

• The rice absorbs a lot of liquid so instead of stirring it in, we recommend spooning the rice into individual bows and ladle the soup over the top. 
• If you plan to have for leftovers, store the rice in a separate container in the refrigerator and then add to the soup the next day.

How to make Stuffed Pepper Soup on the stove top

1. Brown beef on the stove in a large pot. Add onion, bell peppers and garlic and saute. 
2. Add in diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, broth, herbs
3. Bring to a boil then reduce heat, cover and simmer for 20-30 minutes. 
4. Prepare rice while soup simmers. 
5. Stir in cooked rice and season with salt and pepper as desired. 
6. Serve hot with cheese as a topping (optional)

How to make this  Stuffed Pepper Soup in a slow cooker 

Making stuffed pepper soup in a crockpot is easy!

1. Brown ground beef on the stove and add garlic and onion to the pot and saute for another 5 minutes. Transfer to the slow cooker. 
2. Add all remaining ingredients to the slow cooker. Stir well.
3. Cook on low for 6 hours.
4. Cook rice separately and add to bowls prior to serving. 

Recipe variations

We love this recipe as written, but feel free to experiment and change some of the ingredients based on what you have on hand and what flavors you crave.  Here are some variations you could try for Stuffed Pepper Soup:

• Beef: Typically, we make this soup with ground beef. However, if you don’t have ground beef, you could also use leftover beef roast cut in small chunks.   
• Spices: Add red pepper flakes for a light kick.
• Cheese: Try any of your favorite cheeses, such as Cheddar, Monterrey Jack, Mozzarella, or Pepper Jack.

What to serve with Stuffed Pepper Soup

This is a very hearty soup that could be a one-bowl meal. We usually serve it with some bread, roasted vegetables, or a small salad. 

Storing and reheating

Store and Reheat: This soup will keep for 3-5 days in the refrigerator if stored correctly in an airtight container. Because the rice will absorb the liquid, be sure to store the rice in a separate continer in the refrigerator and then add to the soup the next day. Reheat in the microwave or stovetop. 

Other ways to use beef and bell peppers

In our kitchen, bell peppers and beef go together like peanut butter and jelly. We are always combining them in recipes. Here are a few of our other favorite recipes with bell peppers and beef

• Stuffed Bell Peppers
• Unstuffed Peppers Skillet
• Pepper Steak Stir Fry
• Slow Cooker Pepper Steak
• One-Skillet Nacho Supreme Dip

KITCHEN PRODUCTS WE LOVE

• Meat thermometer

ONE MORE THING

Do you want to learn more about beef? Join our weekly e-newsletter where we share farm happenings, recipes and beef availability. Sign-up and get a cheat sheet with 9-must-ask questions before buying beef directly from a farmer. Or, we have an entire ebook about beef that goes through purchasing and preparing beef from a cattle farmers perspective.

Here are a few other links you may like:

• What everybody ought to know about beef cuts
• Buying a Cow. How Much Beef Is It?
• Is It Done Yet? The Best Meat Thermometer
• How We Raise Our Grass Fed Beef
• Bonfire Burger
• Prime Rib Roast with Garlic Herb Butter