Homemade Pressure Canned Unstuffed Bell Pepper Soup
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I feel like I say “this recipe is my very favorite” a whole lot.. and I’m sorry. But this one really is. And maybe all of mine are my favorite because I made them to my taste and hence I enjoy them?? As someone who cannot stand stuffed peppers, this unstuffed pepper soup is nothing like that but is so delicious and easy to throw together! The fresh and comforting flavors of garden fresh tomatoes and peppers is also so good in the winter months.
Anyway.
Home canned soups/meals-in-jars are lovely to can up and have on the shelf. Make a big batch of delicious soup, can the leftovers, and have meals for those busy days you just cannnottttt talk yourself into cooking. Skip take out that costs a gold bar and a couple kidneys and the drive thru which is literal trash, and dump a jar and enjoy an easy meal.
I serve this unstuffed pepper soup recipe heated as is for a good bowl of soup, or another way is with some wild rice cooked in to make it a nice, filling rice dish. My kids LOVE rice, so this is always a safe bet when soup just doesn’t sound good.
Let’s get to canning!
Equipment You Might Want:
- Pressure canner
- Slow cooker
- Quart canning jars
- Lids & bands
- Ladle
- Jar funnel
- Jar lifter
Ingredients:
- 1 lb ground sausage
- 1 lb ground beef
- 4 bell peppers, diced (green peppers are best)
- 3 onions, diced
- 8 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tsp dried basil
- 2 tsp dried oregano
- 2 Tbs paprika
- salt & pepper, to taste
- 1/2 quart beef stock
- 2 quarts tomato sauce
- 1 quart chili mix
Step 1: Brown Meat
Add ground beef and sausage to a preheated cast iron pan. Brown lightly and chop up into pieces; size of your choice. I enjoy some big honkin’ chonks.
Step 2: Mix Up Ingredients
While meat is cooking, add diced peppers, onions, garlic, broth, tomato sauce, and chili mix to a 7 quart slow cooker. Add seasonings and stir. This sucker will be filled to the BRIM.
Step 3: Cook
Set slow cooker to LOW and cook about 4 hours.
Step 4: Pressure Canning
After this time, ladle off 2-3 quarts of soup for canning.
Ladle soup into prepared jars to 1″ headspace.
Wipe rims thoroughly with vinegar. Add lids and bands.
Pressure can at your elevations recommended weight for low-acid foods, process quarts for 90 minutes and pints for 75 minutes.
Allow pressure canner to completely depressurize before removing jars and setting aside to cool for 18-24 hours.
Step 5: Store
After cooling time, remove bands, test seals, wash jars, label, and store in a cool, dark place away from direct sunlight and extreme temperatures. Room temperature is fine as long as it isn’t boiling hot or freezing.
Any jars that did not seal can be reprocessed, frozen, or placed in the fridge for use soon.
Step 6: Make Dinner
To the remaining soup, allow to cook on LOW for the remainder of the day until dinner.
If you would like to add rice like I do, about 1 hour before serving, add 1/2-1 cup of wild rice and stir. Add lid back on and let cook for 1 hour. The amount of rice you add depends on how thick you want the soup.
Step 7: Serve
Serve topped with cheese and sour cream if you choose and a nice side salad or a little bit of crusty bread. Enjoy!
Store any leftovers in the refrigerator in an airtight container.
Notes:
​You can use an Italian seasoning blend in place of the single herbs I used.
Fresh herbs, such as fresh oregano, fresh parsley, and fresh basil can be used! Add it to taste.
If you don’t want to use a slow cooker/crock pot, go ahead and add the ingredients to a stock pot or dutch oven and simmer covered over medium heat til the veggies are heated through, ladle off what you want to can, and simmer the remainder for dinner til the veggies are tender. Add in the rice and simmer another 30 minutes or til the rice is cooked.
Ingredients
- 1 lb ground sausage
- 1 lb ground beef
- 4 bell peppers diced
- 3 onions diced
- 8 cloves garlic minced
- 2 tsp dried basil
- 2 tsp dried oregano
- 2 Tbs paprika
- salt & pepper to taste
- 1/2 quart beef broth
- 2 quarts tomato sauce
- 1 quart chili mix
Instructions
- Add ground beef and sausage to a preheated cast iron pan. Brown lightly and chop up.
- While meat is cooking, add diced peppers, onions, garlic, broth, tomato sauce, and chili mix to a 7 quart crockpot. Add seasonings and stir.
- Set crock pot to LOW and cook about 4 hours. After this time, ladle off 2-3 quarts of soup for canning.
- Ladle soup into prepared jars to 1″ headspace. Wipe rims thoroughly with vinegar. Add lids and bands. Pressure can at your elevations recommended weight for meat for 90 minutes quarts or 75 minutes pints.
- Allow jars to sit undisturbed for 24 hours before removing bands and checking seals, washing, and storing.
- To the remaining soup in crockpot, allow to cook until 1 hour before serving. Add 1/2-1 cup wild rice and allow to cook through.
- Serve topped with cheese and sour cream or whatever toppings you enjoy.
