Stuffed Pepper Soup

This stuffed pepper soup is rich, cozy, and packed with beef, peppers, and tomato flavor for an easy one-pot dinner with great leftovers.

Course Soup

Cuisine American

Keyword ground beef recipes, ground beef soup recipes, stuffed pepper recipes

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 40

Total Time 55

Servings servings

Calories 331kcal

Author Kathleen

Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 pound 80/20 ground beef
1 medium yellow onion, diced
1 large green bell pepper, diced
1 large red bell pepper, diced
1 heaping tablespoon minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon fine salt plus more to taste
1/2 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
1/2 teaspoon sweet paprika
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 (28-ounce) can tomato puree
1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes
4 cups low-sodium beef broth
1 heaping tablespoon Better Than Bouillon beef base
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
2 teaspoons brown sugar
2 to 3 cups cooked long-grain white rice, for serving
1 cup shredded mozzarella or mozzarella-cheddar blend, for topping
fresh parsley chopped, for garnish (optional)

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Brown beef. Heat a 5-quart Dutch oven or heavy soup pot over medium heat and add the olive oil (1 tablespoon). Add the ground beef (1 pound) and cook, breaking it up with a wooden spoon, until it is nicely browned and starting to develop deeper color in spots, about 8-10 minutes.
Discard all but 2 tablespoons of drippings from the pot. If you don't have that amount remaining, add olive oil to make up the difference.
Cook vegetables. Add the diced onion (1), green bell pepper (1), and red bell pepper (1) to the pot. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are softened and the onion is translucent, about 5-7 minutes.
Add garlic and seasonings. Stir in the minced garlic (1 heaping tablespoon) and cook for about 30 seconds, just until fragrant. Add the fine salt (1/2 teaspoon), black pepper (1/2 teaspoon), sweet paprika (1/2 teaspoon), and Italian seasoning (1 teaspoon). Stir for about 30 seconds so the spices coat the meat and vegetables evenly.
Toast tomato base. Make a small well in the center of the pot and add the tomato paste (1 teaspoon). Cook, stirring it in place, for 30-60 seconds. Pour in the tomato puree (1 can) and stir well. Cook, stirring often, for 2-4 minutes, until the puree darkens slightly and loses its raw canned taste.
Simmer soup. Add the diced tomatoes (1 can), beef broth (4 cups), Better Than Bouillon beef base (1 heaping tablespoon), Worcestershire sauce (1 tablespoon), and brown sugar (2 teaspoons). Stir well until fully combined and the bouillon is dissolved. Bring the soup to a gentle boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer, uncovered or partially covered for 20-25 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the flavors have blended and the soup has thickened slightly.
Adjust seasoning and serve. Taste and adjust salt and pepper as needed. Spoon cooked rice (2 to 3 cups) into each bowl, then ladle the hot soup over the top. Finish with shredded mozzarella or a mozzarella-cheddar blend (1 cup) and chopped parsley, if desired.

Notes

Toast the tomato base for deeper flavor. Cooking the tomato paste briefly and then letting the tomato puree simmer for a few minutes before adding the broth makes a big difference. It gives the soup a richer, more developed tomato flavor and helps it taste like it simmered much longer than it did.
Keep the rice separate for the best leftovers. Rice absorbs a lot of liquid as it sits, so serving it separately keeps the broth from getting too thick and helps the soup reheat much better the next day.
Let the beef really brown. That extra browning adds savory depth and keeps the soup from tasting flat. You want some real color on the meat, not just “no longer pink.”
Taste for salt at the end. Because the broth, Better Than Bouillon, and Worcestershire all add seasoning, it’s smart to start a little lighter on the salt and adjust once the soup has simmered.
Use mozzarella for the most classic stuffed pepper feel. Mozzarella melts beautifully and gives the soup that familiar stuffed-pepper vibe. If you want a little sharper flavor, use a mozzarella-cheddar blend.

Nutrition