Stuffed Green Pepper Soup

5 from 9 votes

This Stuffed Pepper Soup has everything you love about stuffed peppers – bell peppers, ground beef, tomatoes, rice – in a hearty bowl of soup!

Prep Time20

Cook Time50

Total Time1 10

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American

Difficulty: Easy

Servings: generous servings

Calories: 388kcal

Author: Nora from Savory Nothings

Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 lb ground beef
salt & pepper to taste
1 medium yellow onion chopped
1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
1 teaspoon garlic powder
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 (32-oz) container beef broth
1 (15-oz) can tomato sauce
1 (32-oz) bottle tomato juice
1 large green pepper cored and diced
1 large red pepper cored and diced (or use 2 red/2 green, whatever you prefer!)
1 cup parboiled rice uncooked
Garnish: grated Parmesan cheese

Instructions

Prep:
Get your ingredients and your pot ready. A 5-6 quart pot or Dutch oven is perfect for this recipe.
Brown beef:
In a large pot over medium heat, heat the oil. Cook the ground beef until browned, seasoning with salt and pepper as it cooks.
Tip: Let it get a little browned on the bottom - that adds great flavor!
1 tablespoon olive oil, 1 lb ground beef, salt & pepper
Add aromatics and season:
Drain excess grease, then add the onion and cook for 5 more minutes until softened. Stir in the Italian seasoning, garlic powder, tomato paste, and Worcestershire sauce.
Tip: Cooking the tomato paste for a minute or two helps deepen the flavor.
1 medium yellow onion, 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, 2 tablespoons tomato paste, 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
Add liquids and peppers:
Stir in the beef broth (you may start with half a container if you prefer a less bright soup, adjust as you go), then add the tomato sauce, tomato juice, and diced peppers.
Scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot - they melt into the broth and make it extra savory.
1 (32-oz) container beef broth, 1 (15-oz) can tomato sauce, 1 (32-oz) bottle tomato juice, 1 large green pepper, 1 large red pepper
Simmer soup:
Bring the soup to a boil, then reduce the heat to low. Cover partially with a lid and let it simmer for at least 30 minutes, stirring from time to time.
Tip: Partially covering lets steam escape so the soup thickens slightly instead of getting watery.
Add rice and finish:
Stir the uncooked rice into the soup and continue simmering for 15–20 minutes, or until the rice is cooked through.
Tip: Give it a stir every few minutes so the rice doesn’t stick to the bottom. Add a splash of broth if it gets too thick.
1 cup parboiled rice
Serve:
Taste and adjust seasoning as needed, then serve immediately with grated parmesan.
Garnish: grated Parmesan cheese

Notes

Use uncooked rice - it cooks in the soup and soaks up flavor. If you don't have quick-cooking rice, add the rice right with the broth and simmer the entire soup for around 40-45 minutes. If you want to use brown rice, I recommend cooking it separately, but only use ½ the container of beef broth in the soup.
Soup too thick? Add a splash of broth. Too thin? Simmer uncovered. For a thicker/chunkier soup vs a brothier one, only use half the container of beef broth. Check on the soup as it cooks to add more if needed.
Use any ground meat: beef, turkey, sausage - all delicious.
Tomato juice: If you don't have tomato juice, just use diced tomatoes, more tomato sauce OR 1 cup tomato paste with 3 cups water.
Adjust peppers to fit your family (I love lots… my kids do not 😆)

Nutrition