The Daily Plate

Easy Stuffed Pepper Soup

Stuffed peppers are delicious but fiddly; this soup captures every bit of their sweet-savory magic in one easy pot. Ground beef, diced bell peppers, and rice simmer in a rich tomato broth until everything is tender and cozy. If deconstructed classics are your thing, our Jack-o'-Lantern Stuffed Peppers are the fun full-size version. Forty minutes, one pot, pure comfort.

Stuffed pepper soup with ground beef, bell peppers and rice in savory tomato broth, cheddar on top
Prep time10 min
Cook time30 min
Total40 min
Yield8 servings
CuisineAmerican
📌 Pin it

🧺Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 lb ground beef (80/20)
  • 1 large yellow onion, diced
  • 3 bell peppers (red, green, yellow), diced
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 can (28 oz) crushed tomatoes
  • 1 can (15 oz) tomato sauce
  • 4 cups beef broth
  • 1 cup uncooked long-grain white rice
  • 2 tsp Italian seasoning
  • 1 tbsp brown sugar
  • 1 1/2 tsp kosher salt
  • 1/2 tsp black pepper
  • Shredded cheddar cheese, for serving

👩‍🍳Instructions

  1. Brown the beef. In a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat, cook the ground beef and onion, breaking the beef into crumbles, 6–7 minutes. Drain excess fat.
  2. Soften the peppers. Add the diced bell peppers and garlic; cook 4–5 minutes until the peppers begin to soften.
  3. Build the broth. Stir in the crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce, beef broth, rice, Italian seasoning, brown sugar, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil.
  4. Simmer. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer 22–25 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the rice is tender and the peppers are silky.
  5. Taste and adjust. The brown sugar balances the tomatoes' acidity — add a touch more if the soup tastes sharp. Adjust salt and pepper.
  6. Serve. Ladle into bowls and top generously with shredded cheddar. Crusty bread for dunking highly recommended.

💡 Soup smarts

Use a mix of pepper colors — green adds classic stuffed-pepper bite, red and yellow bring sweetness. The rice keeps absorbing broth as the soup sits; stir in extra broth when reheating leftovers. For a thicker, stew-like soup, use 3 cups of broth instead of 4. This is a freezer all-star: cool completely and freeze up to 3 months.

❓Common questions

Can I use ground turkey?
Yes — ground turkey or chicken work well. Add a tablespoon of olive oil when browning since they are leaner.

Can I make it in a slow cooker?
Brown the beef first, then combine everything in a slow cooker on LOW for 6 hours or HIGH for 3. Add the rice in the last hour so it does not overcook.

Is it freezer-friendly?
Very — freeze up to 3 months. The rice softens a bit on thawing; some cooks prefer freezing without rice and adding fresh rice when reheating.

How spicy is it?
Not at all — it is sweet and savory. Add red pepper flakes or a diced jalapeño with the peppers for heat.

Hearty stuffed pepper soup with melted cheddar
Save for later

Love this recipe?

Save it to your "Cozy Fall Recipes" board so a cozy one-pot soup night is always one click away.

📌 Pin it for later