Stuffed Pepper Soup

AI-generated recipe illustration

Prep time

15 min

Cook time

30 min

Total time

45 min

Yield

6 servings

Stuffed pepper soup is the deconstruction that improves the original: all the flavors of stuffed bell peppers — beefy tomato broth, sweet peppers, rice — without the blanching, stuffing, and praying they stand upright in the dish. Everything simmers in one pot in 45 minutes, and every spoonful gets the full combination instead of rationing the filling. We cook the rice separately and add it per-bowl, which sounds fussy but is the entire secret to leftovers that aren't porridge by Wednesday.

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 lbs ground beef
• 1 onion, diced
• 3 bell peppers (mixed colors), chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 can (28 oz) crushed tomatoes
• 1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes
• 4 cups beef broth
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 2 tsp Italian seasoning
• 1 tsp smoked paprika, 1/2 tsp each salt and pepper
• 3 cups cooked white rice, kept separate
• Shredded cheddar or mozzarella, to serve

How to make stuffed pepper soup

1. Brown the beef with the onion in a large pot; drain excess fat.
2. Add the bell peppers and cook 4 minutes; stir in the garlic and tomato paste for 1 minute.
3. Add the crushed tomatoes, diced tomatoes, broth, Italian seasoning, paprika, salt, and pepper.
4. Simmer uncovered 25–30 minutes, until the peppers are tender and the broth has deepened.
5. Scoop cooked rice into each bowl, ladle the soup over, and top with cheese.

Make it your own

Storage & leftovers

Soup (without rice) keeps 4 days refrigerated and gets better daily; rice keeps separately 4 days.

The rice-separate strategy makes this a top-tier freezer soup: 3 months in flat bags. Make fresh rice on serving day.

A few helpful answers

Cooking times and nutrition are estimates. Read our editorial policy, or send a correction.