Rich flavors of bell peppers, onions, tomatoes, ground beef, and rice combine to create this hearty homemade soup. It’s a tasty and simple soup that can be enjoyed on any day!
This recipe is basically a soup made from a deconstructed stuffed pepper. All of the comforting flavors of stuffed peppers are now available in a hearty soup that’s ideal for cold nights! Additionally, since everything is prepared in a single pot, there are fewer dishes to clean up after the meal. One-pot meals are always appreciated because nobody wants to spend the entire night doing the dishes! Instead, prepare a double batch for a get-together of friends or spend the evening enjoying a delicious meal with the family.
Other names for this soup include “stuffed bell pepper soup” and “unstuffed pepper soup.” The bell peppers are IN the soup with other ingredients rather than being stuffed with the ground beef and rice mixture. All of the wonderful flavors we know and love are there, but it takes a lot less work.
How to Prepare Soup with Stuffed Peppers
- Get ready. It’s a good idea to do this before you begin. In this manner, everything is prepared for use! All of the vegetables should be chopped and put aside.
- The vegetables are sautéed. Add olive oil to a Dutch oven or other large pot and preheat it over medium heat. Cook the bell peppers and diced onions until they start to soften. Cook for a few more minutes after adding the diced tomato.
- The ground beef should be cooked. Place the ground beef in the center of the pot and push the vegetables to the sides. Break it up, put a lid on the pot, and cook for a few minutes. Continue to break up the meat and begin combining it with the vegetables after a few minutes. Cover and continue cooking until the beef is cooked through. As many clumps as you can should be broken up.
- Pour in the liquid. Add the beef broth after mixing in the tomato paste.
- Cook and season. Add the oregano, basil, garlic powder, salt, and pepper, stir to combine, and then reduce the heat to low. Leave a tiny gap for the heat to escape when you close the lid. Cook for roughly 20 minutes.
- Put the rice in. Add the rice, replace the lid, and cook until the rice is cooked. PRO TIP: Cook the rice separately and add it to the soup as needed if you anticipate having leftovers. If not, the rice will keep absorbing the soup’s liquid, which could result in an overly mushy texture.
Changes & Optional Supplements
- Including additional veggies: Add some vegetables, such as corn, carrots, leeks, kale, mushrooms, and green beans.
- Other meats: Ground pork, ground turkey, or ground pork sausage are some choices if you’d like to try something different.
- Options for rice: You can use wild rice or brown rice in this soup. Try using quinoa, farro, or couscous instead of rice in the soup. (Note: couscous and farro are not gluten-free.)
- Herbs: You can add fresh or dried herbs to the soup. Fresh herbs smell better, but they don’t have the same potency as dried herbs. Thus, modify amounts appropriately. The soup can also be seasoned with Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper.
Is It Possible to Prepare This Recipe in a Crockpot?
This soup is made with ground beef, which is a soft meat, so there’s no reason to make it in a slow cooker, even though you can technically make it in a Crockpot. Making it in a pot as opposed to a slow cooker will also result in a lot more flavor.
To prepare it in a slow cooker: Cook the beef and vegetables according to the recipe’s directions, then move everything to the slow cooker when the beef is almost done. Add the tomato paste, beef stock, oregano, basil, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Stir thoroughly, cover, and cook for 6 hours on LOW. In the final 20 minutes or so, you can add the rice and cook it until it’s just tender. (Alternatively, you could cook the rice separately and then serve it in individual bowls.)
Freezing, Heating, and Storing Directions
- Storage: Place the rice and stuffed pepper soup in different, airtight containers and refrigerate. It will take up to four days for either to start changing in texture.
- Reheating: Either microwave the soup or simmer it on the stove until it is thoroughly heated. Next, add cooked rice toward the end of the reheating process to warm it simultaneously, or mix in fresh rice.
- Freezing: For optimal consistency, keep the unstuffed pepper soup in the freezer without the rice. Thaw in the fridge before reheating, then freeze for up to three months in a zip-top bag or other sealed container. To ensure you only thaw what you need, it could be beneficial to store the soup in separate portions.
