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If you love classic stuffed peppers but don't always have time to stuff, bake, and wait on them to finish cooking, this Stuffed Pepper Soup is the answer. It has everything you love about traditional stuffed peppers—ground beef, tender bell peppers, tomatoes, rice, and plenty of savory seasoning—all simmered together in one cozy pot.

This is one of those hearty fall and winter soups that tastes like it has been cooking all day, but it's easy enough to make for a weeknight dinner.

Serve it with a loaf of crusty bread, homemade sourdough, or a simple grilled cheese sandwich, and you've got the ultimate cold-weather comfort meal.

Why You'll Love This Stuffed Pepper Soup

Traditional stuffed peppers are delicious, but they can take a little extra time to assemble. This soup gives you those same flavors without all the work.

It's:

• Made in one pot
• Hearty and filling
• Perfect for meal prep
• Freezer-friendly
• Easy to customize
• Great for chilly fall and winter nights

And if you're feeding a family, this recipe makes a nice big pot with plenty to go around.

Ingredients for Stuffed Pepper Soup

To make homemade Stuffed Pepper Soup, you'll need:

• 1 pound ground beef
• 1 tablespoon olive oil, if needed
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 1 green bell pepper, diced
• 1 red and yellow bell pepper, diced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
• 1 (15-ounce) can diced tomatoes
• 4 cups beef broth
• 1 (15-ounce) can tomato sauce
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
• 1 teaspoon dried basil
• ½ teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
• ½ teaspoon black pepper
• 1 cup cooked white rice
• 1 teaspoon brown sugar, optional
• Fresh parsley, for serving
• Shredded cheddar or Parmesan cheese, optional

How to Make Stuffed Pepper Soup

Brown the Ground Beef

Heat a large Dutch oven or soup pot over medium-high heat.

Add the ground beef and diced onion. Cook until the beef is browned and the onion begins to soften, breaking the meat apart with a wooden spoon as it cooks.

Drain off any excess grease.

Add the Peppers

Add the diced bell peppers to the pot. Cook for about 4 to 5 minutes.

You don't want the peppers completely soft at this point because they'll continue cooking while the soup simmers.

Add the minced garlic and cook for another 30 seconds to 1 minute.

Add the Tomatoes and Broth

Pour in the crushed tomatoes, diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, and beef broth.

Add the Worcestershire sauce, Italian seasoning, basil, oregano, smoked paprika, salt, and black pepper.

If your tomatoes are particularly acidic, add about a teaspoon of brown sugar. You won't really taste the sweetness—it just helps balance the acidity of the tomatoes.

Stir everything together.

Simmer

Bring the soup to a gentle boil, then reduce the heat to low.

Cover and simmer for about 20 to 25 minutes, or until the peppers are tender.

Taste and adjust the salt and pepper as needed.

Add the Rice

Stir in the cooked rice just before serving and allow it to warm through for about 5 minutes.

Ladle the soup into bowls and top with fresh parsley and a little shredded cheese, if desired.

Should You Cook the Rice Separately?

I recommend cooking the rice separately and adding it to individual bowls or stirring it into the soup right before serving.

Rice is basically a little sponge. If you cook it directly in the soup and then refrigerate the leftovers, it will continue soaking up the broth overnight.

You'll come back the next day to something that looks a lot more like stuffed pepper casserole than soup!

If you're planning on having leftovers, keep the cooked rice in a separate container in the refrigerator. Add a scoop to each bowl and pour the hot soup over it.

What Kind of Peppers Are Best?

I like using a combination of green, yellow, and red bell peppers.

Green bell peppers have that slightly savory, earthy flavor that immediately reminds me of old-fashioned stuffed peppers. Red bell peppers are sweeter and balance everything out.

You could also use yellow or orange bell peppers.

For the most traditional stuffed pepper flavor, though, don't skip the green pepper.

Can I Use Ground Turkey?

Absolutely.

Ground turkey or ground chicken can replace the ground beef if you'd like a lighter soup.

You can also use Italian sausage for an extra flavorful variation. A combination of half ground beef and half Italian sausage would be delicious, too.

What to Serve With Stuffed Pepper Soup

This soup is hearty enough to be a meal all by itself, but bread is practically mandatory when there's a big bowl of tomato-based soup involved.

Try serving it with:

• Crusty sourdough bread
• Garlic bread
• Dinner rolls
• Grilled cheese
• Cornbread
• A simple side salad

A thick slice of buttered homemade bread is my favorite because it's perfect for soaking up all that tomatoey broth.

How to Store Leftovers

Allow the soup to cool and transfer it to an airtight container.

Store it in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days.

If possible, store the rice separately from the soup. This keeps the rice from absorbing all the broth.

Reheat individual servings in the microwave or warm the soup in a saucepan over medium-low heat.

If the soup thickens after refrigeration, simply add a splash of beef broth when reheating.

Can You Freeze Stuffed Pepper Soup?

Yes! Stuffed Pepper Soup is a great freezer meal.

For the best results, freeze the soup without the rice.

Allow the soup to cool completely, transfer it to freezer-safe containers or freezer bags, and freeze for up to 3 months.

Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and reheat on the stovetop. Make a fresh batch of rice and add it when you're ready to serve.

Slow Cooker Stuffed Pepper Soup

You can easily make this recipe in the Crockpot.

Brown the ground beef with the onion first and drain off any grease.

Transfer it to your slow cooker and add the peppers, garlic, tomatoes, tomato sauce, beef broth, Worcestershire sauce, and seasonings.

Cook on LOW for 6 to 7 hours or HIGH for 3 to 4 hours.

Add cooked rice just before serving.

Tips for the Best Stuffed Pepper Soup

Don't overcook your peppers. Part of what makes this soup so good is having tender pieces of bell pepper throughout the soup rather than peppers that have completely disappeared into the broth.

Use beef broth instead of water. This adds another layer of savory flavor.

Cook the rice separately. This is especially important if you're planning on saving leftovers.

Give it time to simmer. Even 20 minutes allows the tomatoes, beef, peppers, and seasonings to come together.

Taste before serving. Canned tomatoes and beef broth can vary quite a bit in saltiness, so adjust the salt at the very end.

Easy Stuffed Pepper Soup Recipe

This hearty Stuffed Pepper Soup has all the flavors of classic stuffed peppers in an easy one-pot meal. Ground beef, bell peppers, tomatoes, seasonings, and rice come together for a cozy soup that's perfect for fall and winter.

The Perfect Cozy Dinner

There's something about a big pot of soup simmering on the stove that makes the whole house feel cozy.

This Stuffed Pepper Soup takes an old-fashioned comfort food and turns it into an easy dinner you can make without spending the evening stuffing individual peppers.

It's hearty, tomatoey, full of tender peppers and beef, and even better with a big piece of homemade bread for dipping.

And don't be surprised if the leftovers taste even better the next day!

Love Soup Recipes? Check These Out!

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• Butternut Squash Soup
• Homemade French Onion Soup