This vegan stuffed pepper soup is the warming and cosy soup that you need in the fall and winter months! Packed with healthy vegetables and rice, it's perfect for a tasty gluten free lunch or light dinner.
Soups are always a hit in the colder months in my home. If you would love a cosy lunch, then perhaps you would also like to see my butternut squash and apple soup, my celery leek potato soup or my broccoli and cauliflower soup. Both easy to make and delicious!
This vegan stuffed pepper soup is healthy and filling, with a slight smokiness of flavour from delicious sweet paprika. It's a tomato free version of this classic soup, as well as being gluten free. Serve with bread or crackers for a tasty meal everyone will love!
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💭 What is a vegan stuffed pepper soup?
I've been seeing stuffed pepper soups on my Pinterest feed for a while and was intrigued. Initially I thought that there was actual stuffed peppers in the soup so was rather confused - how did that work?! I had weird visions of trying to stuff a pepper, roast it and then somehow dunk it in soup . . .
Well, of course it's actually a sort-of unstuffed pepper soup, and it's perfect for an easy fall or winter dinner. Traditional versions of this soup usually have ground beef, but I wanted to do a vegan version so as to mix it up and get a few more veggies in!
🌶 Ingredients
All the ingredients and their quantities are set out in the recipe card below.
For this bell pepper soup, or perhaps an unstuffed pepper soup if you prefer(!), you need mostly pantry staples and fresh vegetables:
- Olive oil, onion and garlic - the traditional way to start the flavours of soup.
- Bell pepper and sweet potato - the key vegetables, and we use sweet potato in this soup rather than tomatoes.
- Rice - this gives a nice hearty feeling to the soup and makes it suitable as a light dinner as well as a lunch recipe.
- Sweet paprika and mixed herbs - to flavour the soup and give such a good colour too!
- Vegetable stock - use homemade or store-bought.
- Distilled white vinegar - optional, but gives a nice tang to the soup.
📖 Swap and variations
Swap mixed herbs for favourite herbs. Herbs such as oregano and thyme would be lovely.
Use basmati or brown rice. If you are in pinch, then either of these types of rice will work well. I find that basmati rice gives it a thicker texture.
Add lentils. If it is suitable for you, then a handful of lentils would give the soup a plant-based protein source.
🔪 Step by step instructions
Making this vegan stuffed pepper soup is very simple! Don't be put off by the longer list of steps, they are all easy to do, and I've simply included photos to help guide you.
Step 1
Cook the rice according to packet instructions, then set aside (image 1).
Step 2
Dice the onion and vegetables, and mince or finely dice the garlic (image 2).
Step 3
In a large pan, gently fry the onion and garlic in the olive oil on a low heat until softened. Add in the vegetables, herbs and spices and cook for a further 5-6 minutes (image 3).
Step 4
Pour in the broth and bring it to a boil, then reduce the heat. Cook for around 20 minutes (image 4).
Step 5
Stir in the rice and heat through for a few minutes (image 5). Remove the bay leaf!
Step 6
Using a ladle, take out about a third of the mixture and blend in a food processor. Pour back into the soup, add the vinegar if using and stir well. Cook for a further 4-5 minutes, until sufficiently hot.
Ladle into your bowls and enjoy!
💭 Recipe tips and notes
- Dice the vegetables into fairly small pieces. The majority of them won't be blended so will stay the size you add to the pot.
- I suggest using plain rice rather than a flavoured rice, as the herbs and spices will flavour the soup.
- This soup has a fair amount of rice to make it quite hearty. If you prefer a lighter soup, reduce the quantity to preference.
- Adjust the amount of garlic and herbs to taste.
- Don't forget to remove the bay leaf!
📋 Frequently asked questions
You can of course add more vegetables, but if so then you may need to increase the amount of vegetable stock you use.
You can use regular long grain white rice, or I have used basmati rice to make the soup too.
You can choose not to blend, but then it would have a more 'brothy' texture. By blending some of the soup and adding it back to the pot we thicken the soup, and it feels more hearty.
🥣 More tasty soup recipes
Find lots of tasty and healthy soups, including my popular winter root vegetable soup and vegan celeriac soup. Some recent soups:
I’m always in the kitchen, so come join me on Instagram, Facebook and Pinterest to be the first to hear of new recipes. And please do leave a star rating ⭐ if you tried the recipe!
📖 Recipe
Vegan Stuffed Pepper Soup
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1-2 garlic cloves minced or finely diced
- ½ white onion finely chopped
- 2 red bell peppers diced, or various coloured peppers
- 1 medium sweet potato diced
- ½ cup rice (uncooked quantity)
- 1 teaspoon sweet paprika
- 1 teaspoon dried mixed herbs
- 2.5 cups vegetable stock
- 1 teaspoon white distilled vinegar optional
- pinch salt to taste
- pinch black pepper to taste, optional
- fresh herbs to garnish
Instructions
- Cook your rice according to packet instructions. Set aside once cooked through.
- In a large pot, gently fry the onion and garlic in the olive oil on a low heat for 4-5 minutes until softened.
- Add in the vegetables, herbs and spices and cook for a further 5-6 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Pour in the vegetable stock and bring it to a boil, then reduce the heat. Cook for 20 minutes or until the sweet potato is fork tender.
- Add the cooked rice back to the pot.
- Using a ladle, take out about a third of the mixture and blend in a food processor. Pour back into the soup, add the vinegar if using and stir well. Cook for a further 4-5 minutes.
- Ladle into your bowls, season to taste and sprinkle over some fresh herbs and serve immediately. Enjoy!
Notes
- Dice the vegetables into fairly small pieces. The majority won't be blended, so will stay the same size once cooked.
- I suggest using plain rice you cook yourself rather than a pre-cooked rice that is flavoured.
- Adjust the amount of broth according to the consistency of soup you prefer.
- This version has a fair amount of rice to make it hearty, reduce if you prefer a lighter style soup.
- Please note that nutritional information is offered as a courtesy. It is auto-generated and should be understood to be an estimate.
- garlic, which scores 1.
- black pepper, which is optional
- vegetable stock will vary depending on the brand and ingredients.
- white distilled vinegar scores 0, with a note, 'Low histamine, but not free from histamine. Use sparingly. Check for intolerated additives'.
- check the mixed herbs to make sure they are suitable.
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