Easy Unstuffed Pepper Soup Recipe
This post may contain affiliate links.
This Unstuffed Pepper Soup has all the flavors of classic stuffed peppers, including seasoned ground beef, tender bell peppers, tomatoes and rice, in a cozy soup that’s ready in about 40 minutes. There’s no hollowing out peppers and no waiting on the oven. Everything simmers in one pot.
It’s also known as stuffed pepper soup, and it’s one of those easy ground beef dinners that works on a busy weeknight and reheats well for lunch the next day. Make it on the stovetop, or let the slow cooker do the work while you go about your day.
Serve it with a sprinkle of cheese and a slice of crusty bread, and dinner is done.
This is the perfect recipe for soup season. This filling soup makes hearty meal for a cold day or night. It is full of fabulous flavors. If you’re on a soup kick, my crockpot lasagna soup is another family favorite that basically makes itself
Why You Will Love This Recipe
Stuffed pepper flavor, half the work. You get the same comforting taste without stuffing, baking or waiting an hour.
One pot, about 40 minutes. Sauté, brown, simmer and serve, with only one pot to wash.
Budget friendly. It uses pantry staples like canned tomatoes, broth and rice, plus a pound of ground beef, to feed six.
Stovetop or slow cooker. Cook it fast tonight, or set it up in the morning.
Easy to customize. Swap in ground turkey, add a little heat, or use cauliflower rice for a lower-carb bowl.
Great for leftovers. It makes a hearty lunch the next day, and the base freezes well (tips below).
Ingredients.
- Bell peppers: Green peppers give the classic stuffed pepper flavor. For a sweeter, more colorful soup, use red, orange or yellow peppers, or a mix.
- Lean ground beef: 90/10 or 85/15 has plenty of flavor without leaving a greasy soup. Drain it well after browning.
- Onion and garlic: Fresh is best here. In a pinch, use ½ teaspoon garlic powder and 1 teaspoon onion powder.
- Diced tomatoes: Add them with their juices, since the liquid is part of the broth. Fire-roasted diced tomatoes add a subtle smoky flavor.
- Tomato sauce: Gives the soup its rich, stuffed-pepper-style base. Use plain canned tomato sauce, not marinara or tomato soup.
- Beef broth: Low-sodium broth lets you control the salt. Taste before adding the full teaspoon.
- Long grain white rice: It holds its shape better than short grain. You can use leftover rice or a pouch of precooked rice to save time.
- Italian seasoning and thyme: Give the soup that cozy, herby flavor. Dried herbs work well because they simmer right into the broth.
- Beef broth: Low-sodium broth lets you control the salt. Taste
See recipe card for quantities.
Bell Pepper Soup Substitutions & Variations
Protein: Swap the beef for ground turkey, ground chicken or Italian sausage. Sausage adds extra flavor, so cut the Italian seasoning to ½ teaspoon.
Broth: Chicken or vegetable broth both work in place of beef broth.
Rice:
Brown rice: Cook it separately first, since it takes about 45 minutes.
Cauliflower rice: Stir it in during the last 5 minutes for a lower-carb soup.
Quinoa: Also works well.
Add more veggies: Diced carrots, zucchini, celery or a handful of spinach (stir the spinach in at the end).
How to Make Unstuffed Pepper Soup Recipe
- Sauté the vegetables. Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the diced onion and bell peppers and cook for 5–6 minutes, until the onion is translucent. Stir in the garlic for 30 seconds, until fragrant, then transfer the vegetables to a bowl.
- Brown the beef. In the same pot, cook the ground beef over medium-high heat for 6–8 minutes, breaking it into crumbles, until no pink remains. Drain the excess fat.
- Build the soup. Return the vegetables to the pot. Add the diced tomatoes with their juices, the tomato sauce, beef broth, Italian seasoning, thyme, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil.
- Simmer. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 10–15 minutes, until the peppers are tender and the flavors have come together.
- Add the rice. Stir in the cooked rice and simmer for 2–3 minutes, just until heated through. Taste, adjust the salt, garnish with parsley and serve.
Crock Pot Slow Cooker Instructions
- In a medium skillet, sauté celery, onions and garlic. Cook until onion is translucent. Remove from pan and set aside.
- In the same pan, cook the ground beef until browned, Drain.
- Add beef, vegetables and remaining ingredients into a slow cooker.
- Cook on low for 4-6 hours.
Timesaving Tips and Helpful Hints
- Prep ahead: Dice the onion, peppers and garlic up to 3 days ahead and store them in the fridge.
- Use leftover rice: Day-old rice is perfect here, or use a microwavable pouch of precooked rice.
- Make it a day ahead: The flavors deepen overnight. Keep the rice separate and stir it in when you reheat.
- Double the batch: Freeze half the soup base (without rice) for a future no-effort dinner.
- Tools I use: You can find my favorite Dutch oven, slow cooker and soup storage containers in my Amazon shop.
How to Cook White Rice for Soup
While the soup simmers, combine 1 cup of long grain white rice with 2 cups of water in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, then cover, reduce the heat to low and simmer for 15 minutes without lifting the lid. Remove it from the heat, let it stand covered for 5 minutes, and fluff with a fork. This makes about 3 cups of cooked rice.
Why cook the rice separately? Uncooked rice soaks up the broth as it cooks and can turn the soup thick and mushy. Cooking it on the side keeps the broth brothy and the rice tender, and it makes leftovers easier to store (see storage tips below).
How to Store, Freeze and Reheat
Refrigerator: Store leftovers in an airtight container for up to 4 days. The rice keeps absorbing broth as it sits, so the soup gets thicker the next day. If you can, store the rice separately.
Freezer: For the best texture, freeze the soup without the rice. Let it cool completely, then transfer it to freezer-safe containers or bags, leaving about an inch of space at the top. Freeze for up to 3 months. Cooked rice can be frozen separately in a zip-top bag.
Reheating:
- From the fridge: Warm the soup on the stovetop over medium heat or in the microwave. Add a splash of broth or water to loosen it.
- From the freezer: Thaw the soup overnight in the refrigerator, then reheat it on the stovetop. Stir in freshly cooked or thawed rice once it’s hot.
More Great Soup Recipes
Unstuffed Pepper Soup
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 medium green bell peppers diced
- ½ cup diced onion
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 lb. lean ground beef
- 1 15 oz. can diced tomatoes, with juices
- 1 8 oz. can tomato sauce
- 4 cups beef broth
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 cup uncooked long grain white rice about 3 cups cooked
- Chopped fresh parsley for garnish
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onion and bell peppers and sauté for 5–6 minutes, until the onion is translucent. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds more, until fragrant. Transfer the vegetables to a bowl.
- If your rice isn’t already cooked, cook it now. Combine the rice and 2 cups of water in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce to a simmer and cook for 15 minutes. Remove from the heat and let it stand, covered, for 5 minutes, then fluff with a fork.
- In the same pot, brown the ground beef over medium-high heat for 6–8 minutes, breaking it up as it cooks. Drain the excess fat.
- Return the vegetables to the pot. Add the diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, broth, Italian seasoning, thyme, salt and pepper, then bring to a boil.
- Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 10–15 minutes, until the peppers are tender.
- Stir in the cooked rice and simmer for 2–3 minutes, until heated through. Garnish with parsley and serve.
Notes
Keep the rice from getting mushy: Rice keeps absorbing broth as it sits. For leftovers, store the rice and soup separately if you can, or add a splash of broth when reheating.
Freezing: Freeze the soup without the rice for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge, reheat on the stove, and stir in freshly cooked rice.
Nutrition
If you are not yet subscribing to my CELEBRATE THE SEASON newsletter, you can subscribe here. I share easy recipes for the season that the entire family is sure to love and also a few things that I don’t share here.
I don’t think the recipe is complete. It says to add tomatoe soup, but its not on the list of ingredients?
Thanks for reaching out Nana. Yes there was a typo and thank you for catching it. The recipe has been updated.