Whole30 Un-Stuffed Bell Pepper Soup – all the flavors of a stuffed bell pepper in a hearty, comforting, and easy soup!
Similar to a classic stuffed pepper recipe, this soup is packed with all of the familiar flavors like ground beef and tomatoes, but instead of rice, I have subbed in cauliflower rice to keep this dish Whole30 compatible. Since cauliflower rice cooks so quickly, simply ladle the hot soup over a little bit of cauliflower rice in a bowl then dinner is ready to serve.
I really enjoy the hearty Italian flavors in this dish, and the addition of the Italian sausage in the soup really elevates the flavor profile. The comforting flavors in this soup blend together so well. The peppers and tomatoes offer a subtle sweet flavor, while the beef and sausage pack in that big hearty flavor that is reminiscent of a traditional stuffed pepper.
This dish is perfect for meal prep as the flavors build day after day, making it even better for leftovers! Also if you have someone in your house that doesn’t find soup to be a filling meal, I can assure you this one will fill them up. My husband, who (wrongly) claims that soup is not a full meal, didn’t complain a bit when gobbling up a bowl of this soup. Not to mention, my kiddos loved it, also. I would personally love to add hot Italian sausage to my soup, but in order to keep the dish family-friendly I used mild Italian sausage. If you are doing a Whole30 and looking for a meal to feed the whole family, this one will definitely do the trick!
If you are looking for more hearty, healthy soups, here are a few of our favorites:
Whole30 Chicken Enchilada Soup
Whole30 Creamy Chicken and Potato Chowder
Whole30 Un-Stuffed Bell Pepper Soup

Ingredients
- 1 cup small-diced yellow onion
- 2 green bell peppers core removed and diced medium
- 1 red bell pepper core removed and diced medium
- 4 garlic cloves minced
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 pound bulk mild Italian sausage
- 3 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- One 15-ounce can fire roasted diced tomatoes
- One 15-ounce can tomato sauce
- 4 cups low-sodium beef broth
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- ¼ cup finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley plus more for garnish
- 2 cups riced cauliflower optional for serving (freshly riced, not frozen)
Instructions
- In a large pot or Dutch oven, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion, bell peppers, and garlic and cook, stirring, until tender, about 5 minutes.
- Add the beef and the Italian sausage and cook, breaking up the meat with the edge of a wooden spoon, until cooked through or no longer pink, about 5 minutes. Drain off excess fat.
- Add the tomato paste, salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes and stir until well combined. Pour in the diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, beef broth, oregano, basil, and parsley. Bring soup to a rapid simmer.
- Reduce the heat to a light simmer, cover and let cook to allow the flavors to mend, 15 to 20 minutes.
- To serve, add about ¼ cup of raw, riced cauliflower to the bottom of a serving bowl (if using). Ladle the hot soup over the riced cauliflower. Garnish with more parsley or basil, if desired.
38 Comments
Jean
February 7, 2023 at 1:41 amDelicious!! Definitely a keeper. So easy to make. We used frozen cauliflower rice because that is what I had. Even my husband who typically doesn’t care for cauliflower rice, said he thought it was great.
Alex
February 7, 2023 at 12:48 pmyay!!! So glad you both loved it!
Kate
February 20, 2023 at 10:07 pmHi can this be frozen???
Alex
February 20, 2023 at 10:59 pmabsolutely!
Emily Gw
March 8, 2023 at 5:34 pmCan I add black beans? I prefer to not use any rice is that ok as well?
Alex
March 9, 2023 at 3:12 pmThese flavors are more Italian-inspired, so I wouldn’t add black beans here. Garbanzo beans could be a nice legume addition! or white kidney beans!
Rosemary
January 31, 2023 at 7:56 pmAbsolutely in love with this soup!! I did use the cauliflower rice & my husband used a bit of prepared rice in his bowl so I love that you can tailor it to your liking. Hands down a new favorite & perfect for a winter weather filled day!!
Mary Kate Bollman
January 31, 2023 at 6:22 pmLove this! So flavorful! Another super healthy meal I will crave 🙂 thanks Alex!
Elizabeth
January 29, 2023 at 7:37 pmThis was DELICIOUS! I made this last week. My husband absolutely devoured this! I always feel like that is a win. It is so satisfying, and light enough where I didn’t feel ‘weighed down’ when I was done. I was hoping with this making 8 servings, that I would be able to freeze some for later, but nope… my husband kept wanting it night after night – LOL! Saving this to my recipe book and will be making again. I love all of your recipes!!
Alex
January 29, 2023 at 8:52 pmSo happy you love it!
Katie
January 23, 2023 at 9:17 pmThis soup freaking slaps. So good.
Alex
January 23, 2023 at 9:31 pmSo glad you love it!!
Jane
January 23, 2023 at 8:51 pmThis soup is so delicious!! I wish I had made a double batch to freeze because my husband and I have eaten it for 3 nights and there’s not a drop left! I didn’t have the cauliflower so I just added some uncooked brown rice to the pot (with additional broth) and it was perfect! New favorite soup recipe!
Alex
January 23, 2023 at 9:32 pmI am so happy you loved it!!!
Amy
January 23, 2023 at 4:12 amIf I wanted to skip fire roasted tomatoes. Whole tomatoes just don’t sit right with some family members. Can I just double up in the tomato soup? Thoughts, thanks?!
Alex
January 23, 2023 at 4:33 pmthe fire roasted tomatoes are diced! but yes, you could add a can of tomato sauce instead!
Brittany
February 13, 2023 at 6:50 pmDo you have an estimate on macros or calories per portion? So yummy! Thanks!
Courtney
January 23, 2023 at 2:40 amIt’s missing the oil measurement in ingredients.
Debbie Duncan
January 23, 2023 at 12:41 amDo you have the nutritional info on this recipe
Kim
January 22, 2023 at 10:23 pmJust made for the Playoff games today. Touch Down here ♥️. Not a drop left!
Alex
January 23, 2023 at 4:33 pmwoohoo!! Thank you, Kim!
Erin F
January 22, 2023 at 2:15 amThis recipe was super easy and delicious! I opted for the cauliflower rice and it turned out so light and yummy.
Lana Riding
January 22, 2023 at 12:48 amWow, this is great!! Not currently doing Whole 30 so I sprinkled a little shredded parm on top. Easy, quick, and so delicious!
Maria
January 21, 2023 at 8:55 pmCould this be done in the crockpot?
Lindsay Cole
January 21, 2023 at 7:39 pmWe have been craving stuffed peppers and this version was a treat on a cold Northeastern day. Thanks Alex!
Alex
January 21, 2023 at 9:35 pmGlad you enjoyed it, Lindsay!
Madalin
January 21, 2023 at 6:28 pmThis was SO delicious! A surprisingly simple winter weeknight dinner, but was an absolute hit with our family. Thank you, Alex!
Linda Rose
January 21, 2023 at 2:06 amLoved this! Just made it tonight. Not doing Whole 30 and we are with French bread. So hearty and filling on these cold days.
Alex
January 21, 2023 at 9:35 pmSo glad you enjoyed, Linda!
Sun Mi
January 20, 2023 at 10:51 pmAny suggestion if you don’t want to use sausage?
Amy
January 20, 2023 at 12:50 amHey! Wondering what you may suggest as a protein if I am trying to stay away from meat? (Trying to eat plant based!)
Alex
January 20, 2023 at 8:15 pmI recommend finding a vegetarian stuffed pepper soup online for best results!! I just don’t want you to make my version and not get enough flavor– because I recommend using red lentils– but i’d really want to play up the spices. I saw this recipe online that sounds fantastic!
https://peasandcrayons.com/2018/10/vegetarian-stuffed-pepper-soup.html
Aly
January 19, 2023 at 11:54 pmI made this tonight and I swear ALEX can do no wrong. This is sooo good and doesn’t make me feel like crap after!!!
Alex
January 20, 2023 at 12:57 amSo happy you loved it!!!
Andrea
January 19, 2023 at 7:56 pmHi! If you don’t eat Italian sausage is there spices to substitute with ground beef? Thanks!
Alex
January 20, 2023 at 12:57 amHi Andrea– you could use Italian Chicken sausage if it’s pork you don’t eat. You can just sub in all ground beef- but keep in mind that ground sausage adds a pump of flavor into it that regular ground beef won’t
Alex Miller
January 17, 2023 at 11:48 pmHi there! If I wanted to use white or brown rice instead of the cauliflower could I just add the uncooked rice while the soup is simmering?
Alex
January 18, 2023 at 5:17 pmHi Alex!
Yes you can add 1/2 cup of uncooked rice, but I would also increase the broth a bit, since the rice will drink up some of it! maybe add 1 cup more broth to help that 🙂