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    Home » Recipes » Instant Pot

    Instant Pot Stuffed Pepper Soup

    Published: Aug 21, 2019 · Updated: Jan 16, 2022 by Dawn · This post may contain affiliate links.

    Jump to Recipe Pin Recipe

    Instant Pot stuffed pepper soup is the perfect combination of everything you love in stuffed peppers, but in a hearty soup. We use different color bell peppers, but you can use your favorites!

    Bowl of stuffed pepper soup topped with melted cheese and garnished with fresh parsley.
    The cheese is optional but makes a great topping

    One thing we always loved making here in the fall is stuffed peppers. What way can we make them even better? By making them into a soup! This stuffed peppers soup recipe is so much easier then stuffing and baking. You won't be missing any of the flavor either.

    I actually started to make this soup because for a while the peppers in the store were rather funky and small. We did eventually start growing peppers, but for a while it was just hard to get nice peppers for stuffing.

    When we would stuff them, we would need 5 or 6, but with the soup we can use just 3 and they don't have to be shaped perfect either!

    Jump to:
    • The ingredients
    • Can I make stuffed pepper soup vegetarian?
    • Cooking the rice
    • What size Instant Pot for stuffed pepper soup?
    • Frequently asked questions
    • Other great Instant Pot recipes:
    • Recipe

    The ingredients

    Ingredients prepped for stuffed pepper soup.

    The ingredients come together perfectly to add the flavors, but you can use some substitutions here in the Instant Pot stuffed pepper soup!

    The meat - We use ground beef but you can also make the Instant Pot stuffed pepper soup with ground turkey as well! It tastes great with turkey too.

    Rice - We use brown rice for this soup, but you can use basmati or jasmine in it's place. Please note that the cook times are different for each rice tho! See below

    Peppers

    red and green bell peppers chopped on a cutting board

    The peppers are where you can get creative! Mix them up, try your favorite because most peppers taste good in it. We quite often use red and green here, but we use whatever peppers we have on hand (or look good in the store if off season.)

    Yellow, orange and even cubanelle peppers go well in this soup!

    Onion - We use only white onions or yellow onions here, but both taste great in the Instant Pot stuffed pepper soup. I would try to stick with 1 of these 2 onions. Sweet would be ok, red is not a great option here.

    Mushrooms - mushrooms are optional but I will say that the kids won't notice them in there and I won't tell on you. They add a great but subtle flavor while adding some nutrients to the soup. You likely won't notice a big difference with or without them, they are not the main part of the flavor.

    Broth - low sodium or no sodium broth is best here, but if using full sodium you may want to reduce the amount of salt you use. Regular broth has quite a bit of sodium and this recipe was written with low sodium broth. We recommend beef, but chicken or even vegetable broth can be used as well!

    Diced tomatoes and tomato sauce - I do not recommend mixing these up, but in a pinch you can use crushed tomatoes in place of diced. Diced are better for the texture and liquid here tho. Puree can be used in place of the sauce if needed.

    Cheese - This is optional, we always serve Instant Pot stuffed pepper soup with shredded cheese at the table. Any kind of cheddar or even Colby Jack is great for the cheese, but you can use your favorite! 4 cheese Mexican blend is a great topping too.

    The spices

    • chili powder - no substitution recommended
    • cumin - no substitution recommended
    • salt - you can adjust the amount of salt as needed
    • black pepper - adjust the amount as needed
    • Italian seasoning - can mix 2 teaspoons parsley, 2 teaspoons basil and 2 teaspoons oregano in it's place. Italian seasoning has other spices in it too, but this works if you don't have the seasoning mix.
    • garlic powder - can use minced fresh garlic in it's place
    • turmeric - you can leave out if you don't have it, but I recommend using it if you can!
    • red pepper flakes - can use cayenne in it's place.

    Can I make stuffed pepper soup vegetarian?

    Bowl of stuffed pepper soup with cheese melted on top and garnished with fresh parsley.

    Yes you can make it vegetarian! You can also make it vegan by using a plant based cheese or leaving the cheese out. It is an optional topping.

    To make Instant Pot stuffed pepper soup vegetarian, substitute the beef broth with your favorite vegetable stock. We have made it with homemade vegetable stock before and it was delicious!

    For swapping out the meat, we recommend using Impossible burger. This is the only brand we have tried but we do really like them. Of course you can use your favorite, but that is the only brand we have used. We have used it in our classic chili as well and loved it!

    Cooking the rice

    You can use your favorite rice in the Instant Pot stuffed pepper soup. We recommend either brown rice or Jasmine, but you can use basmati or long grain white rice.

    Brown rice - you should soak it for at least 10 minutes in cold water and then rinse before adding to the Instant Pot. I let it soak while chopping up the vegetables. You can soak it overnight as well!

    Basmati rice - If you are using basmati rice, rinse the rice until the water runs clear. I do this every time I cook with it, not just for this recipe. We use this rice for a lot of dishes! But this rice does require a much shorter cook time. You will cook the soup on high pressure for 6 minutes and then do a 10 minute natural release before finishing with a manual release.

    Jasmine rice - You need to rinse this rice as well before adding it to the Instant Pot. The water should run clear. Jasmine cooks a little faster then the others (typically 3 minutes) but you still need a long enough cook time for other ingredients. You want to cook on high pressure for 5 minutes and then natural release for 10 minutes before finishing with a manual release.

    Long grain white rice - This is not my favorite rice for a rice dish as the texture isn't always as good, but it will work good in a soup! Rinse the rice well until the water runs clear. I would add about one quarter cup less for long grain white rice. It really soaks up liquid and can quickly turn a soup into a rice dish. The cook time for the white rice would be 6 minutes on high pressure followed by a 10 minute natural release before finishing with a manual release.

    What size Instant Pot for stuffed pepper soup?

    We use our 6 Quart Instant Pot here, but we have and you can use the 8 Quart as well. The cook times do not need to be adjusted if using the bigger IP. This soup will not fit in a 3 quart as written.

    To make it less to fit in the 3 quart, you can halve the ingredients. The sauce would be an 8 ounce can instead of the 15 ounce. Everything else should be easy to cut in half. Do not cut the amount of olive oil in half tho, you do need that amount still.

    As a family of 4 that often eats like a family of 6, we have never used the 3 quart so we do not write recipes specifically for that size. But many recipes can be adjusted by reducing the amount of each ingredient.

    Frequently asked questions

    These are some of the more frequent questions I have been asked about making the soup.

    Do I have to use brown rice in the stuffed peppers soup?

    No you do not have to use brown rice. You will need to adjust your cook time if using another rice as brown rice takes longer then most to cook. Jasmine will work well but I would shorten the cook time to 8 minutes with a natural release of 10 minutes before manually releasing.

    Do I have to soak the rice first?

    If using brown rice, yes you should soak the rice for at least 10-15 minutes in a bowl of cold water first. Then rinse before adding to the Instant Pot.

    If you are using basmati or Jasmine rice, then no you do not soak it. You should rinse it until the water runs clear before adding to the Instant Pot.

    How long do leftovers last?

    Store them in the refrigerator and they should last for 3-4 days. It will likely be a rice dish and no longer soup when reheated as rice soaks liquid up.

    Do I have to brown the meat first?

    We recommend browning the meat for better flavor for the soup and better texture of the meat, but really you could dump it all in and cook. Just be sure to break the meat apart first and use lean meat since you will not be able to remove excess fat if cooked together.

    What peppers are best for easy stuffed peppers soup?

    We recommend bell peppers - colors of your choice. Many times we do what is called stop light peppers which is red, green and yellow. Orange tastes great in it too! Red and orange are the sweeter of the bunch. Yellow is sweet as well but not as sweet as red. Green is not sweet but adds the classic flavor to the soup.

    We have even used cubanelle peppers before but that is in the summer. We use whatever peppers are ripe from the garden at the time.

    Other great Instant Pot recipes:

    If you love our Instant Pot stuffed pepper soup, here are some other great (and easy) recipes for you to try.

    • Mashed Potatoes
    • Taco Pasta
    • Taco Rice
    • Sweet Potatoes and Butternut Squash
    • Cheesesteak Pasta
    • Instant Pot kielbasa soup

    Recipe

    Stuffed pepper soup in a serving bowl topped with cheese.

    Instant Pot Stuffed Pepper Soup

    Dawn
    The perfect combination of everything you love in stuffed peppers, but in a hearty soup. Easy to make in the Instant Pot and sure to be a favorite!
    5 from 10 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe SaveSaved!
    Prep Time 15 mins
    Cook Time 21 mins
    Pressure Build and Release 25 mins
    Total Time 1 hr 1 min
    Course Dinner, Soup
    Cuisine American
    Servings 6
    Calories 544 kcal

    Equipment

    • Instant Pot
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Ingredients
      

    • 2 Tablespoons olive oil extra virgin
    • 1 pound ground beef lean
    • 3 brown baby bella mushrooms chopped, optional
    • 1 medium onion chopped - either white or yellow
    • 3 bell peppers chopped - we use red, green and yellow
    • 4 cups beef broth low sodium
    • 1½ cups rice Brown, basmati or Jasmine
    • 29 ounces diced tomatoes no salt added - see notes
    • 15 ounces tomato sauce no salt added - see notes
    • 1 cup shredded cheese for topping - optional

    The Spices

    • 1 Tablespoon chili powder
    • 1 Tablespoon Italian seasoning
    • ½ Tablespoon cumin
    • 2 teaspoons garlic powder
    • 1 teaspoon salt see notes
    • ½ teaspoon black pepper
    • ½ teaspoon turmeric powder
    • ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes or cayenne pepper if preferred

    Instructions
     

    • if using brown rice - add rice to a bowl of cold water and allow to soak for at least 15-20 minutes. Drain and rinse before cooking.
      If using Basmati or Jasmine rice - rinse well with cold water until water runs clear.
    • Turn the Instant Pot to sauté and wait until it reads hot. Add in the olive oil, ground beef, onions and mushrooms. Break the ground beef up while stirring and cook for about 3-4 minutes - until the beef is browned. Hit cancel.
    • If there is anything stuck to the bottom of the inner pot, use a small amount of broth to deglaze the pot. See notes for deglazing the pot.
    • Add in the spices, broth, diced tomatoes and rice. Stir well.
    • Place the peppers on top and pour the tomato sauce on top of the peppers - do not stir.
    • Place lid on and set the vent to sealing. Hit pressure cook/manual and set the time for:
      21 minutes for brown rice
      5 minutes for Jasmine rice
      6 minutes for basmati rice.
    • Allow it to naturally release for 10 minutes before manually releasing the rest of the pressure.
    • Once the pin drops, carefully remove the lid and stir. It is ready to serve.

    Notes

    The nutritional values and serving sizes are estimated.
    For the salt - This depends on the tomatoes and broth you use.  Regular broth has a lot of sodium and tomatoes that are not "no salt added" can add a bit as well.  You may need to adjust the amount you use.
    To deglaze - If pieces are stuck on the bottom of the inner pot and you do not deglaze, you are likely to get the burn notice.  To deglaze it slowly pour a little bit of broth (about a quarter cup) into the inner pot while it is still very hot.  Stir immediately gently scraping the spoon along the bottom to release any bits that are stuck on the bottom.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 544kcalCarbohydrates: 54gProtein: 26gFat: 25gSaturated Fat: 9gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 12gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 68mgSodium: 902mgPotassium: 1247mgFiber: 5gSugar: 9gVitamin A: 2699IUVitamin C: 97mgCalcium: 220mgIron: 5mg
    Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

    Step by step slide - Stuffed Pepper Soup in the Instant Pot.

    More Instant Pot Recipes

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Cindy Mom, the Lunch Lady

      October 11, 2021 at 7:26 pm

      5 stars
      What a wonderful low point and hearty soup perfect for the colder months!

      Reply
    2. Gabriela Herrera

      October 11, 2021 at 1:13 am

      5 stars
      I love the amount of vegetables in this Stuffed Pepper Soup.

      Reply
    3. Andrea White

      October 11, 2021 at 12:14 am

      5 stars
      Looks so good! Can't wait to try it out 🙂

      Reply
    4. Samantha @ FerraroKitchen

      October 10, 2021 at 3:32 am

      5 stars
      Great easy recipe with staples I have on hand. Thank you!!

      Reply
    5. Emily Flint

      October 10, 2021 at 2:59 am

      5 stars
      I've been looking for a good bell pepper soup recipe and I'm so glad I found this one. I love that I can make this in my Instant pot and all of the flavors sound awesome!

      Reply
    6. Addie

      October 10, 2021 at 2:45 am

      5 stars
      So hearty and flavorful!

      Reply
    7. abhi

      October 10, 2021 at 2:06 am

      5 stars
      The soup looks yummy and healthy too! I love the idea of using bell peppers like that. Thanks for sharing!!

      Reply
    8. Linsey

      January 08, 2020 at 11:31 pm

      This recipe is good but I believe there is too much rice. Mine was not soup. It looked just like the filling for stuffed peppers. And my rice burnt. But I will know for next time.

      Reply
      • Dawn

        January 09, 2020 at 3:16 pm

        Linsey, I am sorry to hear you had a problem with the rice! Did you soak your rice first? Also did you use brown rice? Long grain white rice tends to soak up all the liquid no matter how much liquid I put in. Basmati and Jasmine do go well in it, but long grain white rice does not hold up so well.

        Reply

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    Hey there! Welcome to our fun and delicious place on the Internet. I am Dawn - the kitchen mess maker, recipe developer and the one behind the scenes. I share recipes that you can make with mostly simple ingredients. Welcome to our kitchen where life is full of good food and lattes!

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