Description
Delicious and hearty Stuffed Pepper Soup with ground beef, bell peppers, tomatoes, and rice, perfect for a comforting meal that tastes like your favorite stuffed pepper in soup form.
Ingredients
Scale
Meat and Oils
- 1 lb. lean ground beef
- 1 tablespoon olive oil, divided
Vegetables and Aromatics
- 1/2 medium yellow onion, diced (about 1/2 cup)
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 red bell pepper, finely chopped
- 1 green bell pepper, finely chopped
Liquids and Canned Goods
- 2 (14.5 oz.) cans diced tomatoes
- 1 (15 oz.) can tomato sauce
- 2 cups beef broth
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
Seasonings and Extras
- 1 tablespoon sugar, or to taste (optional)
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- 2 cups cooked long grain white rice
- 2 tablespoons fresh Italian parsley, chopped
- Shredded cheddar or mozzarella cheese, for serving (optional)
Instructions
- Brown the beef: In a Dutch oven over medium heat, brown the ground beef while breaking up any clumps. Drain any grease and season the beef with salt and pepper to taste. Remove from the pot and set aside.
- Sauté vegetables: Using 1 tablespoon of olive oil, sauté the diced onion, red and green bell peppers in the same pot until soft, about 5 minutes. Add the minced garlic and cook for another 30 seconds until fragrant.
- Add liquids and seasonings: Stir in the cooked beef, diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, and beef broth. Season with Worcestershire sauce, sugar (if using), Italian seasoning, and adjust salt and pepper after tasting.
- Simmer the soup: Bring the soup to a gentle boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and let it simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally to meld the flavors.
- Incorporate rice and parsley: If serving immediately without leftovers, stir in the cooked rice and chopped parsley and simmer for 2 minutes until heated through. If saving leftovers, stir in parsley only and add rice to individual bowls when serving.
- Serve: Ladle the soup into bowls and garnish with shredded cheddar or mozzarella cheese if desired. Serve hot and enjoy!
Notes
- Use cooked rice only as raw rice will absorb too much broth and change the soup texture.
- Store leftover rice separately from soup to prevent rice from soaking up all the liquid; warm rice before adding to individual bowls.
- For a soupier texture, add extra beef broth during cooking or reheating.
- Enhance flavor with smoked paprika or cumin.
- Add more vegetables like celery, carrots, mushrooms, spinach, or potatoes for extra nutrition and texture.
- Boost protein by adding more meats such as Andouille or Italian sausage, or cooked crumbled chorizo.
- Spice it up with red pepper flakes, diced green chiles, or sliced jalapenos.
- Give a Mexican twist by adding taco seasoning to the beef and topping with Mexican shredded cheese.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup
- Calories: 270 kcal
- Sugar: 6 g
- Sodium: 550 mg
- Fat: 12 g
- Saturated Fat: 4 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 7 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 22 g
- Fiber: 4 g
- Protein: 18 g
- Cholesterol: 55 mg
