How to make slow cooker stuffed pepper soup

Start by browning your mince in a pan. Then, transfer the mince to the slow cooker. Finely chop the onion and garlic, and saute in the same pan until it's soft and translucent, about 4-5 minutes. Add the onions to the slow cooker, along with the beef stock, tomato passata, parsley, basil, oregano, paprika, salt and pepper. Place the lid and let the soup cook on high for 2-4 hours or on low for 4-6 hours.

Meanwhile, cook the rice in a pot following the cooking instructions on the pack. I use white rice, and cook the rice in plain water. 30 minutes before serving, we add the cooked rice to the soup and allow it to absorb the flavours of the soup.

Can you add the uncooked rice to the slow cooker?

Although some people use their slow cooker to cook rice, I generally don't recommend it. The slow cooker doesn't generate enough heat to cook the middle of the rice grains without overcooking the outside. This means you either end up with undercooked rice, or highly overcooked and mushy rice. I always cook the rice beforehand, and then add it to the slow cooker once it's done.

Ingredients for stuffed pepper soup laid out on a marble table.

Tips for a great soup

Here is everything you need to know to make an excellent stuffed pepper soup in your Crockpot:

Always precook the rice before adding it to the slow cooker. This means that you can use leftover rice for this recipe.

You can substitute quinoa, bulgur or any other grain for the rice if you prefer.

If you're pressed for time, you can skip the step of sauteing the onions and browning the meat, and simply dump it all in the slow cooker. I prefer to add these steps as I find it gives the soup a better flavour, but they are technically optional.

Use peppers of any colour. I love to mix colours as I think it looks nice, but you can use whatever you have at hand or whatever your family prefers.

If you don't have all the herbs, you can replace the parsley, basil and oregano with 3 teaspoon Italian seasoning.

Which slow cooker should you use

This recipe is perfect for a 3.5 litre slow cooker. I use this one, which is great as it doesn't take up much space on the kitchen counter. If you'll be busy during the day, you could use a programmable Crockpot, which will cook the soup for the required amount of time, then automatically keep it warm until you're ready to eat it. This way you'll have perfectly cooked soup when you need it without risking overcooking it.

Stuffed pepper soup in a white bowl on a marble table.

How to store leftovers

Leftover stuffed pepper soup can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. You can also freeze the leftovers for up to 3 months. Thaw frozen soup in the fridge overnight, then reheat it in the microwave until piping hot before serving.

The rice tends to absorb a lot of the liquid from the soup. Your leftovers might therefore look more like stew than soup. If you want to bring it back to a more liquid consistency, you can add some water or beef stock while reheating the soup.

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