This healthy stuffed pepper soup is SO hearty and delicious! Ground beef, bell peppers, onion, and fire roasted tomatoes simmer in a savory broth with cauliflower rice stirred in at the end. It’s ready in 45 minutes, makes 8 servings, and works on the stovetop or in the Instant Pot!
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Stuffed pepper flavor in one easy pot
I love stuffed peppers, but stuffing each pepper is a lot of work on a weeknight. This soup has all the same flavors in one pot, and it’s SO much easier.
Fire roasted diced tomatoes give it a smoky, deep flavor, and the red and green peppers make it taste just like the classic. Instead of white rice, I stir in frozen cauliflower rice at the very end so it stays tender and doesn’t get mushy.
It makes a big pot, so it’s perfect for meal prep or feeding a crowd on a chilly night. Top it with shredded cheese and fresh parsley, and serve it with a slice of my easy skillet cornbread for dunking!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- One pot and ready in 45 minutes
- Fire roasted tomatoes for smoky, rich flavor
- Cauliflower rice instead of white rice
- Stovetop or Instant Pot, your choice
- Makes 8 servings for easy leftovers
Erin's Expert Tips
From my kitchen to yours
- Make it in the Instant Pot. Sauté the meat, onion, and peppers on the sauté setting, adding garlic at the end. Turn off sauté, add the tomatoes, tomato sauce, broth, and seasonings, and cook on manual for 10 minutes. Natural release for 10 minutes, quick release, then stir in the cauliflower rice. The hot soup cooks it through.
- Drain the meat after browning. This keeps the soup from being greasy and lets the fire roasted tomato flavor shine.
- Add the cauliflower rice in the last 5 minutes. The heat cooks it through perfectly without it getting mushy.
- Adjust the broth. Start with 2 cups for a thicker, heartier soup and add more as you go to get the consistency you like.
Ingredients for stuffed pepper soup
Here’s what goes into this one pot soup. Full amounts are in the recipe card below!
- Ground beef: Ground turkey or chicken work too.
- Bell peppers: One red and one green, just like stuffed peppers.
- Yellow onion and garlic: The flavor base.
- Fire roasted diced tomatoes: Two cans for smoky flavor.
- Tomato sauce: Makes the broth rich.
- Beef broth: 2 to 3 cups depending on how thick you like it.
- Frozen cauliflower rice: Stirred in at the end.
- Seasonings: Dried basil, oregano, salt, pepper, and fresh parsley.
How to make stuffed pepper soup
Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Brown the ground beef, breaking it up with a wooden spoon, then drain it and set it aside.
Add the remaining olive oil to the pot and cook the onion and peppers until soft, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic for a minute, then stir in the diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, and parsley. Add the beef back in along with the seasonings and broth.
Simmer on low for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in the frozen cauliflower rice for the last 5 minutes, then serve with shredded cheese and parsley!
Frequently Asked Questions
Here are the stuffed pepper soup questions I get the most!
Yes! Stir in about 2 cups of cooked white or brown rice at the end instead of the cauliflower rice.
Brown the beef and veggies first, then add everything except the cauliflower rice to the slow cooker. Cook on low for 6 hours and stir in the cauliflower rice for the last 15 minutes.
Yes! Freeze it in airtight containers for up to 3 months and thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating.
Use 2 cups of broth instead of 3, or let it simmer uncovered for a few extra minutes.
Storing leftovers
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Reheat on the stovetop or in the microwave, adding a splash of broth if it thickens.
If you tried this recipe or any other recipes on my blog, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below. Follow @erinliveswhole on Instagram and tag me in any of the recipes you make so I can repost them!
Ingredients
- 1 lb ground beef can use turkey or chicken
- 2 tablespoon olive oil divided
- 1 small yellow onion diced
- 1 small red pepper deseeded + diced
- 1 small green pepper deseeded + diced
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 2 14.5 oz cans fire roasted diced tomatoes
- 1 15 oz can tomato sauce
- ¼ cup chopped parsley
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon pepper
- 2-3 cups beef broth depending on how thick you want it to be
- 3 cups frozen cauliflower rice
Instructions
- In a large pot or dutch oven, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium high heat. Add your meat and break up with wooden spoon. Once cooked, drain the meat.
- In the same pan (without the meat), heat remaining olive oil over medium high heat. Add onion and peppers and cook until soft, about 5 minutes.
- Add in garlic and cook for a minute.
- Stir in diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, and parsley. Then add the meat back in.
- Stir in spices and broth. Let simmer over low for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- In the last five minutes, add in frozen cauliflower rice. Stir. The heat will cook the rice.
- Serve! Optional: add cheese and parsley.
- Make in the Instant Pot: Saute meet with olive oil, onion, and peppers on saute function. Add in garlic at the last minute. Turn off saute function and add in diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, broth, salt, pepper, oregano, basil, parsley. Place lid on and cook manual for 10 minutes. Let naturally release for 10 minutes then quick release. Stir in cauliflower rice. It will cook in the hot soup.
- Drain the Meat After Browning: Once the ground beef is fully cooked, drain it before adding it back to the pot — this keeps the soup from being greasy and lets those fire-roasted tomato flavors really shine.
- Add Cauliflower Rice in the Last 5 Minutes: Stir the frozen cauliflower rice in during only the final 5 minutes of simmering. The residual heat will cook it through perfectly, and this prevents it from getting mushy.
- Adjust the Broth for Your Preferred Thickness: The recipe calls for 2–3 cups of beef broth, start with less if you want a heartier, thicker soup and add more as you go to get the consistency that's right for you.
Nutrition
Per serving. Nutrition is an estimate.
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Recipe by Erin Morrissey and Photos by The Mindful Hapa
Carley Fedorowicz says
I made this recently and it tasted so good! Even my toddler loved it.
Erin says
Hi Carley, so happy it was a big hit!!