This Stuffed Pepper Soup has the comforting flavors of traditional stuffed peppers. It features savory browned ground beef, tender bell peppers, onions, and garlic all cooked together in a flavorful tomato broth. Many people find it hard to stop eating! It’s easy to make, filling, satisfying, and offers familiar tastes without the added steps of stuffing the peppers. The soup is typically served over fluffy rice, and it includes mozzarella cheese for a delicious touch. Plus, it can be prepared in just 45 minutes and costs around $1.97 per serving, making it ideal for any time of year.
For those who enjoy classic stuffed bell peppers, this soup provides a simpler way to savor those same flavors during a busy weeknight. Unlike many stuffed pepper recipes that mix the rice directly into the filling, this recipe keeps the rice separate until serving. Since rice absorbs liquid, mixing it into the pot can result in mushy rice and little broth left the next day. Instead, it’s better to place the rice in individual bowls and pour the soup over it. This simple method helps maintain the texture of the rice and is especially useful for storing leftovers.
To simplify cooking, it’s effective to start the rice while preparing the soup. After the ground beef and vegetables—bell peppers, onion, and garlic—are cooked, the mixture is simmered in a rich tomato broth with herbs for 15 minutes. In addition, the recipe is budget-friendly, using green bell peppers, which are generally less expensive than red, yellow, or orange ones, along with canned tomatoes, dried herbs, and Better Than Bouillon for the broth. These economical ingredients allow a pound of ground beef to serve six hearty portions.
To enhance the soup, it’s recommended to cut the bell peppers and onions into medium-sized pieces. This helps them maintain their texture in the finished dish. Uniform-sized pieces will ensure even cooking. After sautéing and simmering, the peppers should be soft enough to be pierced with a fork but still retain their shape. If they seem too firm, letting the soup cook for a few more minutes will help.
It’s also important to remove excess grease, especially if using higher-fat ground beef. Draining the fat with a paper towel can keep the soup from becoming oily. Alternatively, the grease can be collected in a heatproof container and thrown away once cooled.
For those who prefer a more soupy consistency, adding a bit of extra beef broth or water can help adjust the texture. If there’s too much liquid, simmering the soup uncovered for a few more minutes while stirring can help thicken it. It’s wise to taste the soup and adjust the seasoning before serving.
This soup is a great way to incorporate extra vegetables. Diced carrots or celery can be added with the other vegetables, although carrots may need a bit more time to soften. Corn can be mixed in with the tomatoes and broth, while fresh spinach only takes a minute or two to cook at the end. Small diced potatoes can also be included, but they will require a longer cooking time and potentially more broth.
When making stuffed peppers at home, ground beef is often used, but it also makes up a significant portion of the cost of this soup. To save money, ground chicken, turkey, pork, or sausage can be substituted, or even lentils for a vegetarian option. Higher-fat ground beef tends to be less expensive, and using it is fine as long as the excess fat is drained after cooking to avoid an oily soup.
What type of ingredients would you add to your version of stuffed pepper soup?
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Source: Budget Bytes, by Melissa Nolan