Stuffed bell peppers are a popular oven-baked dish, but have you tried stuffed pepper soup? All the reasons to love stuffed bell peppers with the same hearty ingredients and less of the assembly! Try Slow Cooker Stuffed Pepper Soup in any season for a satisfying, protein-rich and veggie-packed meal.

What’s To Love About Stuffed Pepper Soup In The Slow Cooker

If you already love the colorful bell pepper dish with the healthy fillings, you’re sure to love the same flavors together in a delicious beefy soup. By using a similar combo of ingredients in this easy stuffed pepper soup recipe, you can stretch the meal to feed a larger crowd. Since you’ll be using cooked ground beef, you can make this soup in as little time as 3-4 hours, or let it simmer for the day.

One of the best things about slow cooker soups (particularly stuffed pepper soup) is the delicious aroma in your kitchen leading up to your meal, without laboring away at the stove. Another reason to love this slow cooker soup: it is a great recipe to make ahead and store leftovers, or prep for the freezer to cook later.

Ingredients Needed

This soup is a perfect one for your meal plan if you already have a few pantry staples on hand. The added spices are key in bringing all the deliciousness of this meaty soup together.

You’ll need:

Ground beef – A leaner ground beef will have less grease to drain. Otherwise, simply drain prior to adding to the soup.
Bell peppers – Choose any color of bell peppers, or a combination of colors for a mix of flavor variance and visual appeal. Red peppers tend to be the sweetest and green peppers will have a sharper taste.
Black beans – Choose canned black beans and drain and rinse prior to adding to the slow cooker.
Diced tomatoes and tomato sauce – Again, choose both canned tomatoes and canned tomato sauce to add texture as well as rich and acidic flavors to the broth.
Beef broth – Beef broth makes the most savory liquid that ties all the other ingredients together. You can use a beef bouillon cube or paste, or use ready-made beef broth.
Seasonings – Open up your spice cabinet and use a bit of almost everything! You’ll need chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, onion powder, dried cilantro, and chipotle chili powder (a smoky addition).
Brown rice – Unlike some slow cooker soups, this time you will need cooked brown rice to serve at the end. You can cook the rice in advance, or find a minute or instant version to make as the soup cooks.

Optional ingredients: Any toppings or garnishes you may wish to add when serving!

How To Make Stuffed Pepper Soup in The Slow Cooker

Get ready to fill your kitchen with the scents of this savory soup in just a few simple steps.

Brown the ground beef in a skillet or multicooker and drain any excess grease.
Next, remove the ribs (white membranes), seeds, and stems from the bell peppers and dice into small pieces. (Note – Have you ever tried Gordon Ramsay’s easy, mess-free method for coring a bell pepper? Try it!)
Add the ground beef and bell peppers to the slow cooker along with all the remaining ingredients, except the cooked brown rice.
Cover and cook on high for 3-4 hours or low for 6-8 hours until the peppers are fork-tender.
Serve a generous bowl of soup topped with a big scoop of warmed, cooked brown rice.
Finally, garnish with any fresh herbs and add salt and pepper to taste along with any desired toppings.

Recipe Variations

Slow cooker soups are so easy to make swaps and additions based on what you have on hand. Because of the extended cooking, the ingredients release so much flavor after hours of simmering away. Here are a few options for substitutions you may want to try:

Meats – Instead of ground beef, you can use ground pork or ground chicken. Try a ground sausage for extra added flavor.
Veggies – Choose any color combination of bell peppers. Add in a can of yellow corn (drained and rinsed) as well.
Rice – I chose brown rice here for its nutritional benefits, but use any rice you like or leave it out altogether to keep the dish low-carb. Another low-carb option would be a scoop of heated cauliflower rice to top off the soup when serving.
Spice – For those who like added spice in savory dishes, try adding diced jalapeños along with the other ingredients. Also, increase the amount of chipotle powder to take it to the next level of spice!

What To Serve With Stuffed Pepper Soup

As with many soups, the toppings can elevate the whole dish! Try topping with a spoonful of sour cream, a sprinkle of fresh cilantro or shredded cheese, and crushed tortilla chips.

Cornbread or toasty brown bread would be an excellent side to help you savor every last bit of the soup broth. If you’d like another option besides brown rice, you could serve a side of quinoa or cauliflower rice to top off the soup.

Since this stuffed pepper soup is already going to be very filling, serve it with a light fresh salad or even raw veggies with a sour cream dip.

Storing and Reheating

Thick, filling soups and stews make the best leftovers! This stuffed pepper soup is no different – but, one caveat! After the soup has cooled, I recommend storing the soup and rice in separate containers (whether refrigerating or freezing) so that the rice does not become soggy or mushy from absorbing all the broth.

You can store the soup in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days and in the freezer for up to 3 months.

Reheat by warming up a single serving in the microwave or in a saucepan on the stove until simmering. For frozen soup, allow extra time to defrost in the fridge or just place it straight into a saucepan to begin heating on low.

Bonus – you can also prep this soup for a freezer meal! Once the ground beef has cooled, follow the rest of the preparation steps and combine all ingredients (except the rice) in a freezer-safe plastic bag. Defrost in the fridge for a few hours before adding to the slow cooker and continue the rest of the steps!