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This Healthy Stuffed Pepper Soup is everything you love about stuffed peppers in a savory, tomato-based broth. Enjoy a cozy bowl of this hearty soup with just a few simple ingredients and steps. Gluten-free, Oil-free option.
One Pot Vegan Stuffed Pepper Soup is a plant-based, healthy twist on the classic stuffed peppers you love. It’s made in under 1 hour with hearty vegan grounds, diced peppers, a rich tomato broth, white rice and finished with a sprinkle of vegan cheese and fresh parsley. Perfect for the cold winter months or busy weeknights when you need an easy meal.
Table of Contents
Stuffed Peppers without the Fuss
If you’re like me, you love the delicious flavors in stuffed peppers, but you don’t necessarily love the trouble of making them. Once I created my quick and easy stuffed pepper casserole recipe, I was sold on the deconstructed stuffed peppers idea.
This easy soup recipe is no different – it’s everything you love about hearty peppers, but without the unnecessary prep work! Skip the fuss and serve this Italian Stuffed Pepper Soup to the whole family tonight.
What You Need for a Healthier Stuffed Pepper Soup
This vegan-friendly stuffed pepper soup is made flavorful with affordable pantry staples. Here are a few key ingredients for optimal flavor:
- Vegan grounds: I’ve made several stuffed pepper recipes using whole food ingredients like lentils, tempeh and quinoa, but I wanted to add a classic-inspired recipe to the blog using vegan grounds. Their flavor and texture are reminiscent of ground beef or hot Italian sausage in traditional stuffed peppers. The perfect way to satisfy a meat eater!
- Aromatics: Onions, green and red bell peppers, and garlic are basic essentials that make this soup a true stuffed pepper soup. Sautéeing these veggies before simmering helps add a foundation of flavor. Don’t skip this step!
- Broth: A simple combination of tomato purée, petite diced tomatoes, vegetable broth and vegan Worcestershire sauce (optional) make a rich, deep soup base.
- Rice: Adds a budget-friendly heartiness to keep you full until the next meal.
How to Make Vegan Stuffed Pepper Soup
- Warm the olive oil in a large pot or dutch oven, then cook the vegan grounds until mostly browned.
- Push the grounds to one side of the pot and add the remaining oil. Sauté the onion and sweet bell peppers until the onion is translucent. Add the garlic and spices and mix everything with the grounds, cooking until the garlic is fragrant.
- Mix in the uncooked rice, tomato puree, diced tomatoes, vegetable broth, water and optional Worcestershire sauce. Bring to a boil, then simmer until the rice is tender.
- Serve warm in individual bowls with fresh herbs and vegan cheese, or as desired.
Caitlin’s Cooking Tips
- Use quality canned tomatoes. Just like when making my One-Pot Lasagna Soup, the base of this Stuffed Pepper Soup is a rich, tomato broth. For best results, use good quality canned tomatoes. It’s worth the splurge!
- Rinse your rice! This is going to help remove excess starches, dirt and debris and ensures the long grain rice will not clump together. This helps the rice cook through more evenly and will yield the best testing soup.
Serving Suggestions
This stuffed pepper soup can be served as a lunch or dinner main on its own or paired with simple sides, such as crusty bread, a side salad, Easy Garlic Green Beans, or Tomato Cucumber Basil Salad.
If you’re looking for more healthy soup recipes, you’ll also love this Classic Lentil Soup, Vegan Lasagna Soup and this Instant Pot Minestrone Soup! And if you love the flavors of stuffed peppers, you must try my dump-and-bake Vegan Stuffed Pepper Casserole!
How to Store Stuffed Pepper Soup
This stuffed pepper soup will keep in the refrigerator for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months (6 months if you have a deep freezer). When storing, always allow the dish to cool completely to room temperature then transfer to an airtight container or freezer-safe bag.
Reheat individual servings the next day in the microwave or larger servings on the stovetop until warmed through. If frozen, allow the stuffed pepper soup to thaw for 1-2 days in the refrigerator, then reheat as normal.
Substitutions and Variations
- Vegan grounds substitute: Lentils can be substituted for the vegan grounds. If using, swap the grounds with 3 cups of pre-cooked lentils and start the recipe at step 2. Add the lentils in at recipe step 3.
- Vegetable broth substitutions: I used a full sodium vegetable broth, but if you’d like, use a vegan beef broth or vegan chicken broth. Both would be great!
- Italian seasoning substitute: If you do not have a pre-made Italian seasoning blend, make your own Italian Seasoning Recipe at home with a blend of basil, oregano, parsley, thyme, rosemary and optional marjoram. This is a great way to skip an extra trip to the grocery store.
- Oil-free option: Sauté the vegan grounds and aromatics in a splash of vegetable broth or water instead. Also check to make sure the vegan grounds you purchase are oil-free or opt for lentils instead.
- Spicy variation: If you love a bit of spice, add a healthy pinch of red pepper flakes and fire roasted petite diced tomatoes. If you end up making it too spicy, cool it down with a dollop of vegan sour cream.
Recipe FAQs
Using brown rice or another variety of rice will change the simmer time significantly. I have not tested this recipe using another rice, but if you’d like to try a similar dish with brown rice, make my Vegan Stuffed Pepper Casserole! Or, for a quinoa stuffed pepper recipe, try my Kale & Quinoa Vegan Stuffed Peppers.
Yes, this stuffed pepper can be made gluten-free. If you are gluten-intolerant or celiac, make sure to purchase a gluten-free vegan grounds brand. Some contain wheat gluten so read the ingredients!
I have never canned my recipes and am not an expert in this area. You may find the USDA’s Complete Guide to Home Canning useful!
I have not tested an Instant Pot or slow cooker version of this recipe and unfortunately cannot recommend one.
Enjoy! If you make this recipe and decide to share it on Facebook or Instagram, don’t forget to tag me @FromMyBowl + #FromMyBowl! I would also love it if you could leave a comment below with a recipe rating! Thank you for the support 😊
Healthy Stuffed Pepper Soup
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil divided
- 1 lb. Vegan grounds see notes for a sub with lentils
- 1 yellow onion small diced
- 1 red bell pepper 1” dice
- 1 green bell pepper 1” dice
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/2-1 teaspoon red pepper flakes optional, for a spicy soup
- black pepper to taste
- 1 cup white rice
- 1 14.5 ounce can tomato purée
- 1 14.5 ounce can petite diced tomatoes
- 4 cups vegetable broth
- 2 cups water
- 2 teaspoons vegan Worcestershire sauce optional
- Chopped fresh parsley for serving
- Vegan cheese optional, for serving
Instructions
- Cook the Grounds: Warm 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat. Add the vegan grounds and cook until mostly browned, about 5 minutes.
- Aromatics: Push the grounds to one side of the pan and add the remaining oil to the open space. Add the onion and bell peppers to the oil and sauté for 3 to 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onion is translucent. Add the garlic, Italian seasoning, cumin, red pepper flakes, and black pepper, to taste. Mix everything with the grounds and sauté for 1 to 2 minutes, until the garlic is fragrant.
- Simmer: Rinse the rice well, then add it to the pot with the tomato purée, diced tomatoes, vegetable broth, water, and optional Worcestershire sauce to the pot and mix well. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce the heat to medium and simmer for 20 minutes, or until the rice has fully cooked. Stir the soup occasionally to prevent anything from sticking to the bottom of the pot; reduce the heat to medium-low if the soup begins to splatter.
- Serve: Serve warm, topped with fresh parsley and cheese. Leftovers will keep in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Recipe Notes
- Lentils: If you’d like to use lentils instead of vegan grounds, use 3 cups of cooked lentils. Start the recipe at step 2 and add the lentils with the tomato puree in step 3.
What kind of white rice would you recommend using?
Long-grain white rice, such as jasmine or basmati rice, would work nicely in this soup because it tends to stay separate and not become overly mushy when cooked.
However, you can also use medium-grain or short-grain white rice if that’s what you have on hand. These varieties will absorb more liquid and become a bit creamier, which can add a nice texture to the soup.
In summary, your choice of white rice will influence the texture of the soup. If you prefer firmer rice grains, go with long-grain white rice. If you like a creamier texture, opt for medium-grain or short-grain white rice. It’s a matter of personal preference, so use the one you enjoy the most.
This was so good! I meal prepped for the week, the jarred and froze the rest for lunches.
Glad you liked it, Breyanna!
This recipe is so good. I love how quick it comes together and all the ingredients are affordable. Thank you for a delicious and healthy recipe.
I want to try the casserole one next. I just need a casserole dish.
Glad you liked it, Sarah! We definitely recommend getting that casserole dish! 😁
This is one definitely a recipe that could trick a meat eater! Subbed the vegan grounds for mushrooms and vegan chorizo. Used a food processor to make the chopping a breeze.
I’ve had a jug of tomato juice drained from cans to make deep dish pizza sauce… this was the perfect use for it. Added some paste to thicken it up, but it still could have used more juice. Also subbed one teaspoon of vegetable bouillon for not chicken bouillon. I think that’s what tricked ‘em 😉
Happy this recipe did the trick! Thank you for giving it a try! ♥
If I use brown lentils in place of vegan grounds do I cook them fully before adding them in ?
Yes, if you’re using brown lentils in place of the vegan grounds in this recipe, you should cook them fully before adding them in. You can start the recipe at step 2 and add 3 cups of cooked lentils with the tomato puree in step 3. Make sure to adjust the cooking time accordingly, as the lentils won’t need to cook as long as the uncooked vegan grounds would. Enjoy the soup!
This was really great! I didn’t have a small container of tomato sauce, so I subbed a 28oz can of diced tomatoes and a small can of tomato paste for all the tomatoes. It seemed to work well because the soup was delish. Thank you for sharing this recipe!
Thank you for making it, Kate! We’re happy to know you loved it.
Wow. I made this and it is so good. Could definitely trick a meat eater. I did the double recipe and it’s WAY more than enough. Thanks for the great recipe.
You’re so welcome, Carol!