Instant Pot Stuffed Pepper Soup

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This Instant Pot stuffed pepper soup is comforting, delicious and deeply satisfying. Get your bowl and spoon ready! This vibrant dish is filled with hearty savory flavors from meat, veggies and a cheese garnish. If you don’t have an Instant Pot, no worries. I’ve also included stovetop directions.

📌 PIN STUFFED PEPPER SOUP

During cold-weather months, there’s nothing more soothing than a warm flavorful bowl of Instant Pot stuffed pepper soup. The savory aromas rising from the pot are completely irresistible. It’s what makes this hearty nourishing dish a family favorite.

The secret to good soup is making it from scratch. Just like Grandma would do. Compared to stovetop preparation, using an Instant Pot for this recipe speeds up the cooking process. With this in mind, stuffed pepper soup is the ideal solution for a quick healthy meal during the busy work week.

It’s also perfect on weekends too. Spending less time in the kitchen, means more time we can spend with the family. During the winter holiday break, make this soup in advance and freeze it. Take it to the cabin so you’ll have a ready-made meal to enjoy after a fun afternoon of sledding or skiing.

🛒 INGREDIENTS

This Instant Pot stuffed pepper soup comes together quickly with fresh meat and veggies, and some basic pantry staples.

Here’s what you’ll need.

STUFFED PEPPER SOUP

• Ground beef
• Onion
• Green bell peppers
• Red bell pepper
• Garlic cloves
• Granulated sugar
• Smoked paprika
• Dried oregano
• Sea salt
• Black pepper
• Cans diced tomatoes
• Chicken stock
• Long-grain white rice
• Bay leaf

FOR UMAMI BOOST AFTER COOKING

• Olive oil
• Worcestershire sauce

GARNISHES

• Monterey Jack cheese
• Italian parsley

🧅 EASY INGREDIENT SUBSTITUTIONS

Missing an ingredient for this Instant Pot stuffed pepper soup recipe? Don’t put on your shoes and head to the market. Instead, head to your fridge or pantry. Check for these easy ingredient swaps.

It’s convenient and money-saving to use ingredients you already have on hand! Especially during stay-at-home times.

• Ground Beef: A delicious swap is Italian sausage. Or try a different protein like ground chicken or ground turkey. Because poultry are dryer-type meats without the juiciness of beef, you’ll want to compensate for this by adding olive oil or butter to bring in some rich savory flavor.
• Onion: Use shallots instead.
• Bell Peppers: Green bell peppers have a strong flavor, while red bell peppers are slightly sweeter. Use the type you have on hand or a mix of several colors: yellow, orange, red or green. Another flavorful option: use poblano peppers, seeded and diced.
• Garlic Cloves: There are 2 great swaps! Garlic powder: 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder is equivalent to 2 cloves of fresh garlic. Garlic flakes: 1/2 teaspoon garlic flakes equals 1 clove of fresh garlic.
• Smoked Paprika: Use a bit of chipotle pepper powder. It has a nice earthy taste. Made from smoked, dried jalapeño peppers, it’s the closest spice to smoked paprika. You can also try chili powder, cayenne powder, or regular paprika with a pinch of cumin.
• Dried Oregano: Try Italian seasoning, basil, thyme or dried marjoram.
• Canned Diced Tomatoes: Use fresh tomatoes instead: 2 cups freshly-diced tomatoes is equal to 1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes. Another great option: cans of Rotel diced tomatoes with green chilies.
• Chicken Stock: Sub with chicken broth, beef stock, beef broth, vegetable broth, or vegetable stock. You can also use water with bouillon cubes or granulated bouillon. Or use Better Than Bouillon.
• Long-Grain White Rice: Use white Jasmine rice or basmati rice instead. In the Instant pot, long-grain rice cooks in 4 minutes. If using Jasmine or Basmati, you’ll only need to cook it for 3 minutes. Do not use long-grain brown rice. It has a hard tough hull. The cook time would be substantially longer. By the time the rice is tender, the bell peppers would be mushy.
• Monterey Jack Cheese (garnish): Sub with mozzarella cheese. Or try something different. Use a dollop of sour cream!

📖 RECIPE STEPS

RECIPE PREP: In a fine-mesh strainer, rinse uncooked rice under cold running water. Swish the grains back and forth with your fingers until the milky water runs clear. Removing the surface starch will prevent the rice from developing a gooey texture while cooking.

• STEP 1: Heat the Instant Pot using the “Saute” function. Add ground beef. Break it into small pieces with a wooden spoon. Stir until the meat is browned with no more pink, about 5 minutes. If using extra lean ground beef, stir in a drizzle of olive oil to add some delicious moisture.
• STEP 2: With a slotted spoon, remove ground beef from the pot. Transfer it to a medium bowl. Leave the drippings in the pot. Add the onion. Cook, stirring frequently, about 3 minutes until onion is lightly caramelized. Add bell peppers, garlic, oregano and paprika. Cook 1 minute. Return ground beef to the pot. Stir briefly to combine.
• STEP 3: Add diced tomatoes (with their juices), chicken stock, rice and bay leaf. Stir to combine. Attach Instant Pot lid. The valve should be in the “sealing position.” Set Instant Pot to “Pressure Cook – Manual” for 4 minutes. Once Instant Pot has finished cooking, allow the pressure to naturally release for 10 minutes.
• STEP 4: Carefully remove the lid. Stir the soup. Remove bay leaf. Add a drizzle of olive oil and some Worcestershire sauce. Adjust seasonings to taste. Ladle stuffed pepper soup into bowls. Garnish with shredded Monterey Jack cheese and chopped Italian parsley.

🥘 HOW TO MAKE STUFFED PEPPER SOUP ON STOVETOP

No Instant Pot pressure cooker? No problem. Make this soup on stovetop. It’s how Grandma would prep all her homemade soups. This method takes a little more time, but the outcome will be equally delicious!

• STEP 1: Make steamed rice in a small pot. Follow package instructions for water/rice ratio. While the rice is cooking, continue making the recipe.
• STEP 2: In a Dutch oven over medium heat cook the beef until no longer pink, breaking up chunks with a wooden spoon.
• STEP 3: Stir in all the remaining ingredients EXCEPT the rice. Bring soup to a boil then reduce the heat. Simmer uncovered for 30 minutes or until the bell peppers are tender.
• STEP 4: Add cooked rice to the pot. Simmer 10 minutes more with the pot uncovered. Remove bay leaf. For more umami flavor, stir in some olive oil and Worcestershire sauce. Adjust seasonings to taste. Ladle the soup into bowls. Garnish as desired.

KITCHEN SMARTS: When using the stovetop method, the rice is cooked separately. If the rice was cooked together with the rest of the ingredients, it would soak up a great deal of the liquid in the pot. It’s not what we want.

👩🏻‍🍳 RECIPE FAQ

These are the most commonly asked questions when making Instant Pot stuffed pepper soup, and the most helpful answers for recipe success.

🍲 MORE DELICIOUS SOUP RECIPES

If you enjoyed this Instant pot stuffed pepper soup, you’ll also want to try these flavorful, comforting soup recipes. Add them to your recipe arsenal. Print your favorites for later or pin them to Pinterest.

• Wonton Soup
• French Lentil Soup
• Creamy Asparagus Soup
• Creamy Butternut Squash Soup
• Alphabet Soup
• Minestrone Soup
• Tomato Basil Soup
• Loaded Baked Potato Soup
• Italian Wedding Soup

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STUFFED PEPPER SOUP > JOIN THE CONVERSATION

Have you assembled or tried a different stuffed pepper soup Instant Pot recipe? Did the comforting taste and hearty textures have you reaching for another serving? Below, share your thoughts on this savory one-pot meal.