This comforting Creamy Sweet Pepper Soup is made in one pot using a savory mix of sweet peppers, chicken broth, and white rice. It’s an easy meal that always comes in handy when you end up with too many peppers.
Easy sweet pepper soup
It’s inevitable… peppers just seem to accumulate in my house and I always have way too many! It’s a great problem to have when I’m craving Stuffed Peppers or a Cheesy Green Pepper Bake, but for the lazier days, this Creamy Sweet Pepper Soup is always the perfect solution.
Made with yummy sweet peppers, chicken broth, and white rice, every slurp of this easy soup is savory and comforting. Whip it up in just one pot for a healthy family dinner or when you’re prepping your lunches for the week. It’s ready to eat in just 30 minutes!
Not only is this sweet pepper soup recipe naturally creamy and healthy, but it’s even gluten free and easy to make vegetarian. As a bonus, the white rice added at the end gives each spoonful extra body and texture. The combination of peppers and rice (like this Cabbage & Pepper Casserole) is such a classic and I think you’ll really love it!
What kind of peppers should you use?
Any type of sweet pepper is best for this creamy soup. Most grocery stores carry bags of mini sweet peppers but bell peppers work just as well (or use a combination of both).
The finished soup should taste sweet and savory instead of smoky or spicy, which is what would happen if you were to use spicy chili peppers. There is, however, one jalapeno pepper in the soup for just a touch of spice (very mild!), but that’s it!
How to make sweet pepper soup
This bell pepper soup is extremely easy to make in just one pot. You can puree it with a blender when it’s done or leave the soup with lots of texture if that’s what you like! Here’s how it’s done:
Add the sweet peppers and jalapeno to a soup pot over medium heat. Stir until they soften, then add in the garlic and thyme.
Pour the chicken broth and red pepper flakes into the pot and let the mixture simmer for about 10 minutes.
Puree the soup using an immersion blender or in batches using a regular blender.
Pour the soup back into the pot and stir in the cooked rice. Portion the soup into bowls, serve with croutons on top, and enjoy!
What to serve with bell pepper soup
A hearty bowl of vegetable soup always needs fresh bread or rolls on the side. To transform it into the most comforting meal, serve each bowl with a green salad or roasted vegetable sandwiches.
Variations:
Think of sweet pepper soup as a blank canvas. There’s plenty of room for customizations, add-ins, and new fun flavors. Make the recipe your own with the help of these tasty variations:
- Add meat – Like ground beef, chicken, or turkey, or throw in pre-cooked shredded chicken or leftover ham.
- Add vegetables – Celery, carrots, sweet potatoes, kale, spinach, or butternut squash.
- Instead of white rice – Stir in cooked quinoa, barley, basmati rice, or cauliflower rice.
- Vegetarian soup – Simply replace the chicken broth with vegetable broth to make vegetarian bell pepper soup.
- Extra creamy – Stir in heavy cream or coconut milk after pureeing the soup to make it extra creamy and filling.
- Toppings – Top each bowl with croutons, chives, parsley, shredded cheese, parmesan cheese, red chili flakes, or roasted peppers.
Storing sweet pepper soup
If you plan on enjoying the leftovers the next day, don’t add the rice until it’s time to reheat the batch. Rice will soak up the moisture as it sits, leaving you with a soup filled with soggy rice.
To store: Keep the leftover soup in an airtight container in the fridge for 3 or 4 days.
To freeze: When the soup is cool, transfer it to a freezer-safe bag or container. It freezes well for up to 3 months.
More comforting vegetable soups to try
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Creamy Sweet Pepper Soup
PrintIngredients
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 1/2 pounds sweet peppers chopped
- 1 jalapeno pepper seeds removed, minced
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 3 tablespoons fresh thyme
- 6 cups chicken broth (or vegetable broth)
- 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 2 cups cooked white rice
Instructions
- Pour olive oil in pot over medium-high heat. Add sweet and jalapeño peppers and sauté for 10 minutes until they soften up, continue stirring during this time.
- Add garlic and thyme, stirring for 4 more minutes while the garlic browns.
- Pour chicken broth and red pepper flakes in. Stir to combine and continue heating for 10 minutes.
- Remove from heat and use an immersion blender to blend until creamy and smooth. You can also use a regular blender, but do this in batches, being careful as it's very hot.
- Add cooked rice and stir to combine. Serve and enjoy with toasted croutons on top (optional but delicious)!
Marc G says
Very, very good. The jalapeño gave it a little kick that we enjoy and the croutons brought brought the soup a happy, crunchy ending.
Tracy Amick says
Oh my gosh so easy to make and so good! I didn’t have jalapeños so I replaced them with Capers. I didn’t have time so I used onions I didn’t have a blender so I use my Nutra bullet :-). I try not to eat too much starch so instead of rice I used a couple tablespoons of cottage cheese in the bottom of the soup. I know like another recipe but not really because the sweet peppers were the hit!