Name: Instant Pot Stuffed Pepper Soup
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 15 min
Ingredients: 1 1/2 tablespoons ghee; 1 yellow onion (roughly diced); big pinch kosher salt; 6 garlic cloves (minced); 1 pound ground chicken (see notes); 3 bell peppers (red, orange, yellow) (roughly chopped); 2 cups strained tomatoes (I love Pomi brand); 5 cups low sodium chicken broth (see notes); 1 teaspoon chili powder; 1 teaspoon oregano; 1/2 teaspoon basil; 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme; 1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary; 1 teaspoon kosher salt; 1 cup white rice (see notes); 1/2 lemon (juiced); kosher salt (to taste)

Starting off the New Year with a bang and making this Instant Pot stuffed pepper soup on repeat. This soup has everything you love about stuffed peppers inside: ground meat, rice, tomatoes, and peppers. It is gluten free, dairy free, and can be made Whole30 compliant, low carb, and keto.

two bowls of stuffed pepper soup topped off with parsley and red onions

What's so wonderful about this Instant Pot soup?

It takes very little time to prepare and make. You will have your entire meal done in under 30 minutes.
It's family friendly and full of flavor without being spicy, acidic, etc.
Perfect for meal prep. It tastes wonderful reheated throughout the week. I've even enjoyed it cold.
The soup is gluten free, dairy free, and can easily be made low carb and Whole30 compliant, too.

What ingredients are inside?

Ground chicken
Rice
Strained tomatoes
Bone broth or chicken broth
Garlic
Onions
Bell peppers
Spices
Ghee

The ingredient list is quite short, but this soup is incredibly flavorful. It truly tastes like a stuffed pepper which I'm obsessed with.

You can make a good amount of substitutions without tampering the final product. I will include those below.

ingredients on a grey board to make stuffed pepper soup

Ever since making my Instant Pot chicken and rice soup, I am absolutely obsessed with adding rice into my soups and stews. It makes for a porridge like consistency, and I am all for that.

Also, it makes the soup feel like a comprehensive meal instead of an appetizer or side dish.

You can use cauliflower rice instead of the white rice in this dish. Feel free to cook it on the stove top and stir it in after the soup is ready.

What substitutions can be made in the soup?

If you'd like to use ground pork or beef instead of chicken, that's fine. I would use 85-93% lean.
You can use cauliflower rice in place of white rice. Simply cook it separately on the stove top and stir it in once the soup is done.
Tomato sauce can be used instead of strained tomatoes, but I prefer the bold flavor and texture of the strained tomatoes.
Feel free to use your favorite broth in this soup. Bone broth, chicken broth, beef broth, and veggie broth are all fine.

stuffed pepper soup in a ceramic bowl with a wooden spoon inside

How to freeze this soup for later consumption

You can absolutely batch cook this soup and freeze it for later use. However, you will need to make it without the rice inside.

You will need to cook the rice separately and add it in later. Do not freeze the soup with cooked rice inside of it.
You can freeze the soup in quart bags or in glass Mason jars, being sure to leave 2" of room at the top of the jar. Make sure you squeeze out excess air from the bags.
The soup will last in the freezer for up to 4 months.
To thaw and cook the soup, you will need to put it in the refrigerator overnight first. You can alternatively run it under warm water if you need to thaw it quickly. Add to a large saucepan and cook over medium-low heat until it reaches a hard simmer. Mix in cooked rice and serve.

I feel like having already prepped soup in the refrigerator all week long is now my love language. Is that possible?

When soup is a comprehensive meal, it's my favorite thing to eat all week long. I think that's because I can get creative with toppings if I like, and I never feel like I'm getting bored or eating the same meal twice.

I like to keep toppings for this soup simple by just adding chopped parsley and red onion, but some other ideas are:

Shredded cheese (if you aren't doing a Whole30)
A dollop of sour cream or Greek yogurt (again, not Whole30 compliant)
Chopped green onions
Matchstick apples slices
A spoonful of salsa verde
Other minced herbs

stuffed pepper soup being ladled out of a large soup pot

How to make Instant Pot stuffed pepper soup

Turn the Instant Pot to the "Sauté" function, and let it heat up for 2 minutes. Add ghee and tilt to coat the bottom of the insert and let it melt. Once melted, add diced onions and a big pinch of salt.

Cook for 4-5 minutes, stirring occasionally until soft. Add minced garlic and cook for an additional minute until fragrant, stirring often.

Put in ground chicken and cook for 3 minutes until it begins to cook throughout but is still pink in the middle, stirring occasionally.

Add tomatoes, broth, and spices. Give everything a nice stir and let cook for 1 minute. Stir in rice. Place the lid on the Instant Pot and move the valve to "Sealing." Cook on "Manual" for 4 minutes on high pressure.

Let the pressure release naturally for 10 minutes. Carefully moving the valve to "Venting" and letting the rest of the pressure release.

Give everything a nice stir and squeeze in the fresh lemon juice and add additional kosher salt, to taste. Ladle into bowls, and garnish with finely chopped parsley and red onions.