Go Back
Stuffed Peppers Soup: Family-Friendly One-Pot Beef and Rice Dinner for Weeknights Pinterest recipe pin

Hearty Stuffed Peppers Soup with Beef and Rice

A dependable stuffed peppers soup with browned ground beef, tender long-grain rice, and bright peppers—timed to avoid mushy rice and thin broth for easy family dinners.
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Total Time 1 hour
Servings: 6 servings
Calories: 420

Ingredients
  

  • 1 lb ground beef 85/15
  • 1 tbsp olive oil divided
  • 1 medium yellow onion diced (about 1 1/2 cups)
  • 1 cup diced carrot about 2 medium carrots
  • 3 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 tbsp tomato paste
  • 28 oz can crushed tomatoes
  • 5 cups low-sodium beef broth
  • 1 large green bell pepper diced
  • 1 large red bell pepper diced (reserve 1/2 cup for finishing)
  • 3/4 cup long-grain white rice rinsed
  • 1 tsp kosher salt plus more to taste
  • 1/2 tsp black pepper
  • 1/2 tsp dried oregano
  • 2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley optional, for serving
Optional additions
  • 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese optional
  • 1 tbsp Worcestershire-style seasoning substitute optional

Equipment

  • 1 6-quart Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed soup pot
  • 1 Measuring cups and spoons
  • 1 Wooden spoon or sturdy spatula
  • 1 Fine-mesh sieve (for rinsing rice)

Method
 

Prepare and brown the meat
  1. Heat a 6-quart Dutch oven over medium-high and add 1 tablespoon oil; add 1 lb ground beef and let brown undisturbed 2–3 minutes, then break up and finish browning 4–5 more minutes until no pink remains; season with 1 teaspoon kosher salt and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper and transfer beef to a plate, leaving fond in the pot.
Build the soup base
  1. Reduce heat to medium and add remaining 1 tablespoon oil if needed; cook 1 diced onion and 1 cup diced carrot 5 minutes until softened, add 3 cloves minced garlic and 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano and cook 30 seconds, then stir in 1 tablespoon tomato paste and cook 1 minute.
  2. Add one 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes and 5 cups low-sodium beef broth, scraping up browned bits; return beef to the pot and stir to combine.
Simmer with peppers
  1. Stir in 1 diced green bell pepper and most of the diced red bell pepper (reserve 1/2 cup); bring to a simmer, then lower heat and simmer gently 10 minutes to develop flavor.
Add rice and finish
  1. Rinse 3/4 cup long-grain white rice until water runs nearly clear, stir into simmering soup, cover, and simmer gently 12–15 minutes until rice is tender but not mushy; check a grain after 12 minutes and add up to 1/2 cup extra hot broth or water if soup thickens too much.
  2. Stir in the reserved 1/2 cup diced red pepper and 2 tablespoons chopped parsley just before serving.
Serve
  1. Ladle into bowls and offer shredded cheddar as an optional topping; store leftovers in airtight containers in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.

Notes

Use 85/15 ground beef for flavor but drain excess fat if you choose a fattier grind. If using brown rice, increase broth to 6 1/2 cups and simmer 30–40 minutes. To freeze, cool and freeze before adding the reserved fresh peppers; thaw overnight before reheating.