Like a “deconstructed” stuffed pepper, this soup has all the flavors of stuffed peppers in a broth of tomato and nourishing meat stock. You can have it on the table quickly, too! Naturally gluten free with a grain free and GAPS friendly variation, and perfect for most special diets, this hearty soup is a crowd pleaser.
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I could probably count the times I have eaten stuffed peppers on one hand. I made them once, for the experience. They are… OK. Neither objectionable nor fabulous. Not worth the hassle, in my opinion.
Stuffed pepper soup, on the other hand, is comfort food in a bowl. Bonus: you can make it in well under an hour using ingredients you likely have in stock. If you need a dinner plan, there is a good likelihood you could pull this soup together and have a meal on the table in a very reasonable amount of time.
This is a good recipe to make in quantity, as the flavor improves a bit overnight. Around here, it doesn’t make it through lunch the next day! It also freezes just fine if you leave out the rice.
A few pointers about the rice…
Cooked rice can become a bit fragile, so if you plan on leftovers, you will want to add the cooked rice right before serving it the first time and then stop the cooking process. Alternatively, add rice to individual bowls.
If you were to cook the rice directly in the soup, you would cook until just done, then turn off the heat. Don’t simmer long once the rice is in the pot! Also, you may need to add a little extra liquid, as the rice will absorb some.
If you use cauliflower, you have more leeway. Cauliflower holds up a lot better than rice. If you are doing GAPS, limiting carbs, or avoiding grains, it is your lucky day! You can freeze this soup with the cauliflower “rice” with good results, too.
Leaving the rice and cauliflower rice out entirely is also a perfectly good option. I actually prefer this soup without any form of rice, but my family disagrees. Tonight, we had this Stuffed Pepper Soup three ways– some with no rice, some with actual cooked white rice, and some with cauliflower rice. Flexibility can be conducive to family life!
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How to Make Stuffed Pepper Soup
Brown the ground beef in your soup pot. This takes long enough to chop your veggies up while it browns.
Chop up your peppers, onions, and garlic. Measure your seasonings.
Add the seasonings and vegetables to the beef in the pot once the beef is done or nearly so. Cook to soften.
Add the meat stock, tomato sauce, and chopped tomatoes.
Stir together, simmer for a few minutes, and then add rice or cauliflower rice. Adjust salt and other seasonings to taste.
Serve with desired toppings.
Easy Stuffed Pepper Soup
Ingredients
- 2-3 lbs. ground beef
- 2 bell peppers, any colors
- 1 onion
- 2 stalks celery
- 3-5 cloves garlic
- 4 tsp. oregano
- 2 tsp. basil
- 1 tsp. chili powder
- 2 15 oz. cans tomato sauce
- 1 15 oz. can diced tomatoes
- 1 quart meat stock or broth
- 1 C cooked rice OR 1/2 C uncooked rice OR 1 C cauliflower "rice"
- shredded cheese, sour cream, and fermented or pickled jalapenos for topping, if desired
Instructions
- In a large pot over medium heat, crumble and brown the ground beef.
- While the beef is cooking, chop the onion, celery, and garlic. Add them to the pot along with the beef when the beef is nearly cooked. Also add the basil, oregano, and chili powder. Cook, covered, until veggies are soft and beef is cooked through.
- Add the tomato sauce, tomatoes and meat stock. Heat through and simmer as long as you like before adding the rice.
- If you are cooking the rice in the soup, add it to the soup 20 minutes before you want to serve. You will probably want to add another cup of water or broth to the pot, as the rice will absorb about that amount. If you are using cauliflower "rice", it will need about 10-15 minutes to cook, so add it 10-15 minutes prior to serving time. If you are using cooked rice, you should add it just before serving so it doesn't break down too much.
- Check your seasonings before serving and add salt and pepper if needed to taste. Serve with shredded cheese, sour cream, chopped green onions, fermented or pickled jalapenos, or other toppings if you like.
Make Stuffed Pepper Soup Your Way
Soup is a marvelous dish. You can change it so many ways, and still have a delicious result. I hardly make this soup the same way twice! It depends in what I have in the refrigerator, or the freezer, and what odds and ends I need to use up. As long as you have plenty of seasoning and stock, you will do fine.
Here are some things you can play around with:
- The meat doesn’t have to be beef. It could be sausage, or ground turkey, chicken, pork, venison, etc., or even leftover shredded meat of some kind. It could be a combination if you are in the mode of using up leftovers, too!
- Even though I usually use beef for the meat, most often I use chicken stock. You can’t tell. In a pinch, water will work just fine, although it is nice to get the health benefits of a good meat stock.
- There is lots of flexibility with the vegetables. Carrots blend in without changing the taste, potatoes would be all right (though not traditional for stuffed peppers and certainly not GAPS approved), cabbage, peas, green beans, or other beans could find their way in, etc. Bits of leftover veggies you want to clear out the the refrigerator can sneak in as well.
- You could also play around with the seasonings, trying different herbs. Italian seasoning plays nicely with these flavors, and I keep meaning to try paprika. Smoked paprika would be great!
- This is a filling and tasty soup without toppings, and it is even better with toppings. All sorts of onions (fresh, green, yellow, pickled, or fermented), jalapeños (fresh, pickled, or fermented), shredded cheese, sour cream, croutons or crushed chips (but not on GAPS!), crumbled bacon, freshly chopped herbs, a dollop of sauerkraut, etc.
Love soup? So do I! Check out these soup recipes:
Packed with nutrition, this soup has a ton of flavor!