If you’re craving a hearty, comforting meal, this easy unstuffed pepper soup delivers all the delicious flavors 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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If you haven’t tried bell pepper soup, you must try this easy recipe. I like to call this unstuffed pepper soup because it has the same flavors as stuffed peppers. It is easy to make, and you can easily meal prep it.
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 love soup as much as we do, try more of my easy gluten free soup recipes!
Why my family loves this unstuffed pepper soup recipe:
- This recipe cooks quickly, so it is perfect for a busy weeknight.
- You can vary the flavors quite a bit. See Variations for delicious flavor options.
- You can freeze the leftovers in single-serving portions. I love using these Souper Cubes for freezing.
If you have more time to cook, try my Gluten Free Stuffed Peppers recipe too.
This is one of my favourite soups. It’s so full of flavour and easy to make.”
peggy, blog comment
Allergen Information:
This hearty unstuffed pepper soup is gluten-free, dairy-free, egg-free, nut-free, soy-free, and oat-free.
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.
- 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
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.
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.
Step-By-Step Photos and Directions:
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.
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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.
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 with some parmesan cheese or cheddar cheese on top.
Try these awesome dippers:
I love to dip gluten free bread and breadsticks in my hot soup. They are my favorites for dipping.
Frequently Asked Questions:
Yes! Feel free to use any peppers you have on hand. Shishito peppers and poblano peppers would also add delicious flavors.
Store this soup in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 4 days. Reheat in a pot stovetop or in the microwave oven.
If you have a lot of leftovers, you can freeze them in individual portions in this excellent Souper Cubes container. They are pictured above. This truly is my favorite product for freezing soup and stew leftovers. Once your soup is frozen, place the one-cup cubes in a freezer bag.
More Easy Gluten Free Soup recipes:
- 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
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.
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Instructions
- 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.
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.
SPECIAL NOTE
Please know that every gluten free flour blend has a different starch to grain ratio. If you use a blend I didn’t test, my rule of thumb is to add more flour if your dough or batter is wet and add more liquid if the dough or batter is too dry!
Nutrition
Nutrition Disclaimer
Nutritional information is an estimate provided to you as a courtesy. You should calculate the actual nutritional information with the products and brands you are using with your preferred nutritional calculator.
Yummy! I used ground bison and it was a home run ! Thank you for all your hard work, Sandi! This was so easy.
I hope your daughter’s doing wel
You are very welcome, Mariane. I have been using ground bison a lot more lately. I love how low fat it is. Thank you so much!!!
This is my family’s very favorite soup. Not only have I made it over and over for us, this is my go to soup when my friends are sick or need a meal. Everyone loves this soup. If you haven’t made it yet, run, don’t walk to the kitchen and get started. Thanks for posting this delicious soup!
You made my day. We love this soup as well! I love to put it in a Thermos in a lunchbox too…it is hearty and warm on cold days.
This is one of my favourite soups. It’s so full of flavour and easy to make.
I am so glad you love this soup. It is in our regular rotation!
Did you use different color bell peppers or all the same, red, green, orange, yellow?
Hi Sheryl, I used red, yellow, and orange, but you can use any colors.
This soup is delicious! Rave reviews from all 3 of my teens, and hubby too. I used instant white rice. I didn’t have tomato paste so I used tomato sauce and didn’t add the water. Turned out great….and all
made in one pot-every mom’s dream.
I am so glad everyone loved this soup. It is one of my favorites too. Good to know you can use tomato sauce!
Made this last night with Beyond Meat, and my wife, who dislikes stuffed peppers, devoured her bowl. So dang good, it was hard to stop eating!
I am so glad she loved it. I love using vegan meat in this soup, though I have only tried Impossible meat in this recipe.
I made this with Hamburger meat. It was easy . So much better than stuffed peppers. I used red ,yellow and orange peppers. You can taste all the ingredients. My husband wants me to make this weekly now.
I am so glad you loved this recipe. Your husband said the same thing my husband said. I try to make it a couple of times a month now.