This easy unstuffed pepper soup delivers the delicious flavor of classic stuffed peppers, without the extra work! It is packed with savory ground turkey and fresh bell peppers, and it has a rich, flavorful broth. This one-pot soup comes together in just 35 minutes for the perfect cozy dinner!
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❤️ Sandi’s Recipe Summary
The Quick Bite: This hearty soup has all of the flavor of stuffed peppers, but needs only a fraction of the work and cook time. It is a beginner-level recipe and freezes perfectly to stock up your freezer with freezer meals. Use any ground meat, including vegan meat.
This is one of my favourite soups. It’s so full of flavour and easy to make.”
peggy, blog comment
We are soup people. We often make hearty soups that double as a full meal, and we load up the freezer with frozen soup for weekdays, so we have a quick lunch to reheat. I like to call this unstuffed pepper soup because it has the same flavors as stuffed peppers.
This is a soup that needed little testing by me, because every version I have made has tasted good. I have added vegetables to the fridge, like carrots, zucchini, and even spinach. I have tested this recipe with both beef and vegetable broth, which both worked well. Even brown rice worked instead of white rice, but note that the cook time took 15 minutes longer using brown rice.
Whether you serve this soup with a grilled cheese sandwich for a meal or enjoy it in a Thermos for lunch, you will want to make it. If you have more time to cook, try my Gluten Free Stuffed Peppers recipe too.
Ingredient Notes:
For the full list of ingredients and amounts, please go to the recipe card below.
- Ground Meat – I made my soup with ground turkey, but any ground meat, including Impossible vegan meat, will work well.
- Bell Peppers – You can use any color of bell pepper in this recipe. I used red, yellow, and orange. You can also use any peppers you have on hand. Shishito peppers and poblano peppers would also add delicious flavors.
- Onion – I used a yellow onion, but a white onion would also work well.
- Canned Diced Tomatoes – I used plain-flavored, but fire-roasted would also taste great. If you like spice, they make diced tomatoes with green chiles, too.
- Broth – I used chicken broth because I made mine with ground turkey. If you use ground beef, use beef broth. I recommend using low-sodium broth.
- Rice – link is rice gluten free post
How to Make Unstuffed Pepper Soup (Step-By-Step)
Step 1: Heat a tablespoon of oil in a soup pot on medium heat.
Step 2: Wash and remove the seeds from three medium-sized bell peppers. Slice them into small pieces. Add it to the soup pot.
Step 3: Chop an onion with a sharp knife. I like to make the pieces small. Add this to the soup pot and use a rubber spatula to stir the vegetables as they cook. Cook for 3 minutes.
Step 4: Add the ground meat, chop it, and stir so it is in small pieces as it cooks. I used ground turkey for this recipe, but ground beef, ground pork, and Impossible meat also work very well.
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Step 5: Continue to cook the meat and veggies over medium heat until the meat is cooked.
Step 6: Add the can of diced tomatoes, broth, and seasonings. Add the uncooked white rice to the pot as well. Cover the pot and bring the soup to a boil. Let it boil for 4-5 minutes, then reduce the heat to low.
Step 7: Cook the soup until the rice is soft. Serve hot, topped with Parmesan or cheddar cheese.
Try these fun flavor options!
- Add 2 teaspoons of smoked paprika for a smoky flavor.
- Cook 3-4 slices of bacon and chop it up. This adds a rich flavor.
- Add 1/3 cup of shredded cheddar cheese for some extra cheesy flavor.
- Add a kick of spice by adding chopped fire-roasted hatch chiles or three tablespoons of canned green chiles.
Try these awesome dippers:
I love to dip gluten free bread and breadsticks in my hot soup. They are my favorites for dipping.
Tips For Success
1. Break the meat up into small bits as it is browning.
2. Cut the peppers into small pieces.
3. Really stir the soup well when you add the rice so it doesn’t clump on the bottom of the soup pot.
4. If you love spice, I highly recommend adding some fire-roasted hatch chiles. Here is a good tutorial on how to fire-roast hatch chiles.
You can freeze the leftovers in single-serving portions. I love using these Souper Cubes for freezing.
More Easy Gluten Free Soup recipes:
If you love soup as much as we do, try more of my easy gluten free soup recipes! If you enjoy hearty soups, this Crawfish and Corn Soup recipe is another winner!
- Grandma’s Gluten Free Chicken Soup
- Gluten Free French Onion Soup
- Creamy Potato Chicken Soup
- Hearty Lentil Bacon Soup
Love This Recipe?
If you made and enjoyed this recipe, I would be incredibly grateful if you could leave a comment below. This will help others know this recipe is delicious. Thank you!
Unstuffed Pepper Soup In 35 Minutes
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground turkey Any ground meat is okay to use.
- ⅓ cup diced onion
- 3 diced bell peppers
- 2 tablespoons canola oil
- ¾ cup white rice I used Jasmine
- 14.5 ounces diced tomatoes
- 3 cups broth * see notes
- 3 tablespoons tomato paste
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 2 teaspoons dried basil
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon salt more to taste
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper to taste
- 14.5 ounces water fill the diced tomato can with water and use that.
Method
- Place a large soup pot on the stove. Add the 2 tablespoons canola oil and heat the pan on medium heat.
- Add the ⅓ cup diced onion and 3 diced bell peppers. Sauté for 2 minutes.
- Add the 1 pound ground turkey to the pot. Use a wooden spoon to chop it into small pieces as it cooks.
- When the meat is browned, ¾ cup white rice, 14.5 ounces diced tomatoes, 3 cups broth, 3 tablespoons tomato paste, 2 teaspoons dried oregano, 2 teaspoons dried basil, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, 1 teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon ground black pepper, and 14.5 ounces water. Cover and bring this to a boil.
- Let the soup boil for 5 minutes then reduce the temperature to low. Cook an additional 20 minutes until the rice is cooked.
- Serve hot.
Nutrition
Notes
- If you use ground beef, use beef broth. If you use ground turkey or chicken, use chicken broth. If you use Impossible vegan meat, use vegetable broth.
- Use Jasmine or Basmati rice.
- Store the leftovers in an airtight container. This soup will keep fresh for up to 4 days.
- You can freeze this soup. I recommend Souper Cubes, which I list in the blog post. This will allow you to freeze single serving portions easily.
Private Notes
Tried this recipe?
Let us know how it was!
I truly hope you enjoy this recipe. I have been testing and creating gluten-free recipes for over 15 years. Creating gluten-free recipes that do not taste gluten-free is my goal for every recipe. Sometimes I only have to test a new recipe a couple of times, and others it takes multiple times. I do this so you get reliable, delicious results every time!
I really love this recipe, coming back to it again and again, and have made it in various iterations each time! True comfort food, like a warm hug, no matter the season!!! In fact, I have a batch that I made back at the beginning of August, that I am thawing for supper tonight! This batch added; 2 toes of garlic crushed, mild Italian sausage crumbled out of the casing, white beans, edamame, frozen diced spinach, Parmesan Asiago Romano cheese grated, garlic and onion powder, touch of cinnamon and allspice, bay leaf, and celery seed. Sort of a compilation of two of my favourites, ”Unstuffed Pepper Soup” and Minestrone. Thank you so much Sandi for sharing your beautiful culinary gifts and continuing to inspire my gluten free creativity in the kitchen!
Thank you so much. I love all of the additions; I need to try these ideas sometime. They sound delicious.