Instant Pot Stuffed Pepper Soup

Why This is the Best Recipe

Soup just happens to be one of my family's all-time favorite dinners. We think this is the best Instant Pot stuffed pepper soup recipe because:

1. So Easy: I love how quick it is to assemble a soup in the Instant Pot. The soup cooks in just 10 minutes.
2. Cozy and Comforting: Tender ground beef, savory tomato broth, and filling tender rice with sweet bell peppers, this is comfort food at its best.
3. Better than Stuffed Peppers: I actually love stuffed peppers, but my family doesn't enjoy the bell pepper shell and just eats the filling. This has all the same flavors and ingredients but is easier for picky eaters to enjoy since the peppers get so nice and tender in the soup.

Ingredients

This easy Instant Pot soup only needs a few ingredients:

• Ground Beef: You could substitute ground turkey or ground pork if you prefer.
• Onion
• Green & Red Bell Peppers
• Canned Tomato Sauce: You could also use leftover jarred tomato sauce if you have some in the fridge.
• Diced Fire Roasted Tomatoes
• Minced Garlic
• Dried Italian Herb Seasonings
• Cayenne Pepper
• Beef Broth or Beef Bouillon
• White Rice
• Olive Oil

Brown the Ground Beef

First, add the olive oil the Instant Pot and turn on the Saute function.

Add the ground beef to the pot and brown it, breaking it up with a spoon as it cooks.

When the beef is almost no longer pink, add the diced onion and stir. Continue to cook until the onions have just softened.

Add the minced garlic and stir. Cook for about 30 seconds or until fragrant.

Add the Peppers and Tomatoes

Add the canned tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, and bell pepper chunks.

Stir them into the sauce.

Season the mixture with the dried Italian herb blend and cayenne pepper.

Add the Beef Broth and Rice

Add the beef broth or water and bouillon to the Instant Pot and stir it together.

Pour in the rice and give it a really good stir so no dry rice is stuck at the bottom of the Instant Pot.

Instant Pot Cooking Instructions

Turn off the Saute function and place the lid on the Instant Pot.

Cook the stuffed pepper soup for 10 minutes on HIGH pressure.

You can quick release it and serve immediately.

Stovetop Alternative Instructions

If you don't have an Instant Pot, you can still easily make this delicious stuffed pepper soup.

Simply brown the ground beef in a large soup pot over medium-high heat on the stove top.

Then build the soup in layers as described above. Simmer the soup for 20 - 30 minutes or until the peppers have softened and the rice is tender and cooked through.

Variations

My family loved this stuffed pepper soup just as I served it, but there are lots of ways you could play with the recipe to change things up:

Spicy Stuffed Pepper Soup: Even though this recipe does have cayenne pepper in it, it is not spicy as written. You could double (or triple) the cayenne or add crushed red pepper flakes, hot sauce, or chile crisp to the soup.

Cheesy Stuffed Pepper Soup: Sprinkle shredded Monterey Jack cheese over the individual servings before bringing it to the table.

Chunky Pepper Soup: You could double the amount of bell peppers to make this a thicker stew.

Stuffed Pepper Soup with Extra Veggies: You could add chopped green beans, zucchini, or yellow squash to increase the amount of veggies in the soup.

Serving Suggestions

This cozy tomato-based soup was a huge hit with my family. I served it with wedges of apple bread and butter on the side for a fall treat but it would pair well with almost any homemade, warm fresh bread you wanted to bake.

Here are a few more of my favorites:

How to Reheat Leftovers

The best part about using an Instant Pot to make the soup is that everything cooks together all at once.

The problem with cooking the rice in the Instant Pot at the same time is that your leftovers will become quite thick as the rice continues to absorb the broth as it sits in the fridge overnight.

If you know you'll have soup leftovers, you could choose to cook the rice separately and just stir it into individual serving bowls to keep the pepper soup nice and brothy.

Otherwise, when you reheat the soup, expect that it will be thicker like a stuffed pepper stew.

You can spoon leftovers into a saucepan and reheat it on the stovetop over medium-high heat. Add additional beef broth to loosen the texture of the soup as desired.

If you add more beef broth, it may water down the balance of seasonings so be prepared to add a sprinkle more of Italian herb and cayenne.

More Instant Pot Recipes

If you love cooking with your Instant Pot like I do, you won't want to miss these other great recipes:

More Easy Soup Recipes

And if soup season is in high swing at your house, be sure to add these delicious and easy soup recipes to your meal rotation soon!