My stuffed pepper soup recipe has all the comforting flavors of classic stuffed peppers in an easy one-pot meal. It is a hearty, freezer-friendly low carb dinner that's perfect for busy weeknights. Ready in just 45 minutes!
This keto stuffed pepper soup is my go-to when I am craving stuffed peppers but don't want the extra work of stuffing and baking them.
It's a filling, satisfying family favorite that we make again and again.
Stuffed pepper soup is a fast and easy comfort food twist on traditional stuffed peppers. Instead of baking whole bell peppers stuffed with ground meat, herbs, rice and tomato, you simmer all the same ingredients in one pot to create a rich, hearty soup.
In fact, you can also call it "unstuffed pepper soup". Get it??
Of course, my version swaps the rice for cauliflower to keep the recipe low carb and keto friendly.
READER REVIEW: "This is amazing! I substituted the peppers for a jar of fire roasted red peppers (liquid included) and added some red pepper flake. It is better the second day." (Christine)
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Easy! This is a one pot meal that you can make on the stove, in an Instant pot or Slow Cooker.
- Family-friendly - great for meal prep and freezes well. Simple, budget-friendly ingredients
- Keto and high protein - one serving is only 6.7g net carbs
Ingredients
Let's talk ingredients. You'll find exact quantities in the recipe card at the bottom of the post, but I wanted to give you a bit of extra info right here:
- Ground Beef - I used beef mince with a 5% fat content and season it with salt and pepper.
- Vegetables - Onion, garlic and celery flavor the broth. I used yellow and red bell peppers, but green peppers work just as well. Remove the seeds when you prep them.
- Cauliflower - Gets a special mention because it is not just a vegetable but also our keto swap for rice. Rice is the traditional filler in regular stuffed peppers and cauliflower is the perfect low carb alternative.
- Broth - I make it with beef stock, a can of chopped tomatoes and tomato paste to deepen the flavor.
- Herbs and aromatics - It's always the little extras that make all the difference. We need a bay leaf to the soup, as well as oregano, fresh basil and parsley. Not pictured is Worcestershire sauce, which I highly recommend adding. Its umami lift is a perfect pairing with beef.
Instructions
It is simple to make a low carb stuffed pepper soup recipe. Here are the basic steps.
Scroll down to the recipe card for the detailed method with ingredient amounts, timings and nutrition information.
STEP 1
Heat olive oil over medium heat in a large soup pan. Once it sizzles, add the ground beef and season it with salt and pepper. Fry until browned and caramelised, stirring occasionally while breaking up any larger clumps. Remove from the pot and set aside.
STEP 2
Heat the remaining olive oil in the same pot. Sauté the diced onions, celery and peppers for a few minutes, adding the garlic during the last 30 seconds until fragrant.
STEP 3
Add in the chopped tomatoes, tomato puree, beef or chicken stock, oregano, bay leaf as well as the cooked beef. Season with more salt and pepper to taste and a dash of (optional) Worcestershire sauce.
Bring to the boil, then reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
STEP 4
Stir in the cauliflower rice, basil and parsley. Simmer for a further 15 minutes until thick.
STEP 5
Serve hot topped with parmesan, a drizzle of olive oil and garnish with more fresh parsley.
Katrin's Top Tips
#1 Fabulous Flavor: Brown the beef properly to let the juices caramelize. This adds tons of flavor to the soup. Same goes for the peppers. Their sweet flavor intensifies as they brown, just like in the oven when roasting them.
#2 Time-saver: Use shop-bought fresh or frozen cauliflower rice. It tastes just as good in soup as making it from scratch (which I did as I had run out). This will save you around 15 minutes and lots of washing up.
Cooking Variations
Want to know how to make stuffed pepper soup in a Slow Cooker or an Instant Pot?
Crock Pot Stuffed Pepper Soup
- Option to saute the vegetables and brown the beef as per recipe (optional, but recommended for flavor).
- Add all ingredients except for the cauliflower rice to the slow cooker and stir to combine.
- Cook on low for 6 hours or on high for 4 hours. Stir in the cauliflower rice during the last 20-30 minutes.
Instant Pot Instructions
- Brown the beef using the saute setting. Remove from the pot, then brown the vegetables.
- Combine all ingredients in the pot and seal the lid.
- Cook on high pressure for 5 minutes. Wait a further 10 minutes, then do a quick release.
Substitutions
- Change the protein: Try ground pork, chicken or ground turkey instead of the beef. Italian sausage is also a delicious choice.
- Add spice - Mix in poblano peppers for a hot and smoky flavor. Or, add red pepper flakes or cayenne pepper.
- Veggie swap: Vegetables that taste good in this soup are mushrooms, zucchini or spinach (add this right at the end).
Serving Suggestion
Serve stuffed pepper soup hot, topped with fresh parsley and grated cheese of your choice. I like parmesan, but cheddar or mozzarella are also great.
You can add sour cream or even Greek yogurt for a creamy finish.
It is delicious on its own but you can also pair it with low carb bread for an even more substantial meal (think cold winter nights!). I recommend my keto focaccia. For a quick keto bread, try my almond flour biscuits or the keto mug bread.
Recipe FAQs
Yes. The cauliflower thickens the soup. If you omit it, I recommend replacing it with shredded or spiralized zucchini. If you don't mind adding carbs, stir in pre-cooked long grain rice, quinoa or beans.
Let it simmer a little longer and don't use a lid. You can also stir in more tomato paste.
Of course. The base recipe is naturally dairy-free. Just omit the cheese on top or add a dairy-free cheese.
Storage
Store leftover soup in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
Stuffed pepper soup freezes well for up to 3 months. When I make a large batch, I like to freeze it in single serve containers. This way, I can defrost and reheat one portion at a time.
Related Recipes
Also try my ground turkey stuffed peppers.
Tried this recipe? Give it a star rating below!
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Recipe
Stuffed Pepper Soup
Equipment
- large soup pot
Ingredients
Beef
- 2 tablespoon olive oil divided
- 1.3 lb ground beef 600g
- ½ teaspoon flakey salt or more to taste
- ½ teaspoon cracked black pepper
Vegetables
- 1 onion diced small (70g)
- 1 red bell pepper diced (110g)
- 1 yellow bell pepper diced (110g)
- 2 ribs celery diced small (110g)
- 2 cloves garlic minced
Soup Stock
- 1 can chopped tomatoes 400g / 14oz
- ⅓ cup tomato paste 80g
- 5 cups beef stock or chicken stock, 1200ml
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano finely chopped
- 1 bay leaf
- 1-2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce to taste, optional but recommended
Add-Ins
- 2 tablespoon fresh parsley finely chopped
- 2 tablespoon fresh basil finely chopped
- 3 cups cauliflower rice frozen or fresh, 400g
TO SERVE
- ⅓ cup parmesan shaved (30g)
- 2 tablespoon fresh parsley chopped
- drizzle of olive oil
Instructions
- In a large soup pan, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil over a medium heat. Once hot, add the ground beef and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally while breaking up the beef, until browned, about 5-6 minutes. Remove from the pot and set aside.
- Heat the remaining olive oil in the same pot. Add the diced onions, celery and peppers and sauté 3 minutes. Now add the garlic and sauté 30 seconds longer until fragrant.
- Add in the chopped tomatoes, tomato puree, beef or chicken stock, oregano, bay leaf, cooked beef. Season with more salt and pepper to taste and add optional Worcestershire sauce. Bring to the boil, then reduce heat to low, cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 15 minutes.
- Add the fresh or frozen cauliflower rice, basil and parsley and simmer for a further 15 minutes until thick.
- Serve warm topped with parmesan, a good drizzle of olive oil and garnish with more fresh parsley.
Christine
This is amazing! I substituted the peppers for a jar of fire roasted red peppers (liquid included) and added some red pepper flake. It is better the second day. Will be passing along this recipe and it's bookmarked for me to make again! Thanks!
Katrin Nürnberger
What a great idea! Thank you for sharing.
Daniela Glenn
Made it today! It was delicious!
Katrin Nürnberger
So glad you liked the soup!