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Stuffed Pepper Soup

Stuffed pepper soup with ground beef, tender bell peppers, and long-grain white rice simmered in a hearty tomato broth. Finished with melted shredded cheddar and fresh parsley for a classic stuffed-pepper flavor in soup form.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 35 minutes
Total Time 50 minutes
Servings: 8 servings
Course: Main Dish
Cuisine: American
Calories: 540
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Stuffed pepper soup ingredients
  • 1.5 lb ground beef
  • 2 green bell peppers diced
  • 1 red bell pepper diced
  • 1 onion diced
  • 4 garlic minced
  • 1 can (28 oz) crushed tomatoes
  • 1 can (14 oz) diced tomatoes
  • 4 cup beef broth
  • 2 tbsp tomato paste
  • 1 cup long grain white rice uncooked
  • 1 tsp Italian seasoning
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 0.5 tsp smoked paprika
  • 1 shredded cheddar for serving
  • 1 fresh parsley for serving
  • 0.1 tsp salt to taste
  • 0.1 tsp black pepper to taste

Equipment

  • 1 Dutch oven

Method
 

Brown the beef
  1. Brown the ground beef in a large pot over medium-high heat, stirring, until no pink remains; drain the fat. Keep the surface sizzling so the soup base builds flavor.
Sauté the vegetables
  1. Sauté the onion and both bell peppers in the same pot for 4-5 minutes until the peppers start to soften and the onion turns translucent. Add garlic and tomato paste and cook for 2 minutes to deepen the tomato flavor.
Simmer the soup
  1. Add the crushed tomatoes, diced tomatoes, beef broth, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, and smoked paprika; bring to a boil. Look for steady bubbling across the pot before proceeding.
  2. Add the uncooked long grain white rice, reduce the heat to maintain a gentle simmer, cover, and simmer for 18-20 minutes until the rice is cooked through. Keep the lid on so the rice steams evenly.
Finish and serve
  1. Season the soup with salt and pepper to taste. Serve topped with shredded cheddar and fresh parsley so the cheese melts slightly from the hot broth.

Notes

For the best texture, keep the simmer gentle after adding the rice so it cooks evenly without turning the soup starchy. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator up to 4 days; reheat on the stove with a splash of broth or water if needed. Freezing is not ideal because rice can soften too much after thawing. For a lighter option, use lean ground beef (or swap to ground turkey) and consider reduced-sodium beef broth.