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A cozy, hearty soup that captures the flavors of stuffed peppers with browned ground beef, bell peppers, tomatoes, and rice simmered in a savory tomato broth. Suitable for stovetop, Instant Pot, or crockpot preparation.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 pound ground beef
  • 1 cup diced onion
  • ½ tablespoon minced garlic
  • 2 cups diced bell peppers (red, orange, or yellow)
  • 14 ½ oz can petite diced tomatoes
  • 15 oz can tomato sauce
  • 3 cups water
  • 2 cups low sodium beef broth
  • ½ teaspoon dried parsley
  • ½ teaspoon dried basil
  • ½ teaspoon dried oregano
  • ¼ teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 bay leaf
  • ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
  • ⅔ cup long grain white rice

Instructions

  1. Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat; add ground beef and cook, breaking up, until browned and no pink remains (about 10 minutes).
  2. Add diced onion and minced garlic and sauté until fragrant and softened (about 2 minutes).
  3. Stir in diced bell peppers, petite diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, water, beef broth, dried parsley, basil, oregano, black pepper, bay leaf, red pepper flakes, and long grain white rice; mix well.
  4. Cover the pot, increase heat to high, and bring the soup to a boil, stirring occasionally to keep the rice from sticking (about 10 minutes to boil).
  5. Remove the lid, lower heat to medium, and simmer uncovered for about 2 minutes.
  6. Remove the pot from heat and let sit uncovered for 10 minutes to finish cooking the rice; discard the bay leaf.
  7. (Instant Pot method) Set Instant Pot to Sauté; heat olive oil until shimmering (about 3 minutes), add ground beef and brown, stirring, for about 10 minutes.
  8. Add garlic and onion and sauté in the Instant Pot for about 2 minutes.
  9. Pour in the remaining ingredients (tomatoes, tomato sauce, water, broth, peppers, rice, and seasonings) and stir, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom.
  10. Seal the Instant Pot lid and pressure cook on High for 2 minutes (allow ~8–10 minutes to come to pressure).
  11. Quick-release the pressure when finished and remove the bay leaf.
  12. (Crockpot method) Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium until shimmering and brown the ground beef, breaking it up, about 10 minutes.
  13. Add garlic and onion, sauté until soft and fragrant, about 2 minutes, then transfer to crockpot.
  14. Add remaining ingredients (peppers, tomatoes, tomato sauce, water, broth, rice, and seasonings) to crockpot and stir to combine.
  15. Cook in crockpot on low for 6 hours or high for 4 hours, checking rice for doneness; remove bay leaf before serving.
  16. (Slow cooker tip) To prevent mushy rice, reduce water by 1 cup and cook rice separately; stir in cooked rice just before serving.

Notes

To make Whole30 compliant, swap rice for cauliflower rice and add it toward the end to keep texture tender., Freezer friendly: freeze in airtight containers for up to 3 months., Reheating tip: thaw overnight or reheat from frozen with a splash of broth if needed., Flavor enhancements: add fresh herbs such as basil, parsley, or oregano; top with Parmesan and fresh parsley before serving., Substitutions: use avocado oil, butter, or ghee instead of olive oil; swap ground beef with ground turkey or chicken for a leaner option; add extra veggies like zucchini, mushrooms, or shredded carrots; substitute any canned tomato product if needed; chicken or vegetable broth can replace beef broth (low or no sodium recommended).

Nutrition

Find it online: https://mamapantry.com/stuffed-pepper-soup/