(Un)Stuffed banana pepper soup

Creamy, cheesy, hot, and spicy (or mild, if you prefer) - this (un)stuffed banana pepper soup is a hearty and delicious way to enjoy the flavors of stuffed banana peppers.

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Here in the Buffalo area we have stuffed banana peppers on the menu at almost every pizza place, Italian restaurant, or bar/pub in the area. I'm not sure if they are a local thing or what, but a Google search has led me to believe that they aren't something that is very popular outside of the region.

Basically, they are hot banana peppers stuffed with cheeses, Italian seasonings, sometimes sausage/pork, and the topped with breadcrumbs and baked til bubbly. I like to make this cheese version. They are delicious. Some places even have pizza versions and macaroni and cheese versions.

This time around, I decided to take the flavors of these stuffed banana peppers and turn them into a thick and hearty soup. I used ground pork here, but I often use bulk Italian sausage. 

I frequently make it with bulk mild Italian sausage and it's delicious that way. I've used both pork and chicken sausage with success. I use mild sausage, especially if I'm adding any hot peppers. You can use a hot Italian sausage if you prefer.

Now that we are feeding kids, we frequently have this soup with mild sausage and sweet banana peppers and it's absolutely still delicious that way, too. It's customizable to your and your family's preferences. 

My husband and I like to add a few hot pickled banana peppers to the top of our soup before we doing the broiling. 

This lets us add a bit of heat, while still keeping the soup mild for the rest of the family. I always can hot pickled banana peppers each year, so we have them on hand. They add a nice punch of flavor. 

Some people have told me that they've used extra peppers and added diced potatoes for a meat-less version of this soup. I have not tried this yet myself though.

You can freeze this soup at the end of summer or early fall when banana peppers are in season. I know many people grow them in their gardens. 

I have had people report success by stopping the cooking process before adding the cream cheese and letting to soup cool and freeze. Then they heat it up and add the cream cheese and proceed from there when they are ready to eat it.

This soup is something we make a lot in the late summer and throughout the fall when we have fresh banana peppers from our garden. You can't beat a bowl of warm and creamy soup as the weather starts to cool down. 

You can also skip the breadcrumb and mozzarella cheese topping, especially if you are bringing this soup to a gathering or serving a crowd. I really enjoy those toppings and think they add something extra special. 

I've had many people report that they've taken this soup to some family and work soup cook-offs and competitions and won, even without the topping!

Serve this soup as a main dish with a side of warmed crusty bread and butter, or a loaf of garlic bread Plus, the bread will help cool down your mouth, if needed!

 

Yield: 4 servings

Print

(Un)Stuffed Banana Pepper Soup

Ingredients:

• 1 lb ground pork or bulk Italian sausage
  
• 1 large sweet onion, chopped
• 7 medium/large banana peppers (I used a mix of sweet and hot), seeded and chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning, plus more for serving
• 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 4 cups chicken stock or broth
• 1 cup milk
• 8 oz cream cheese, softened and cubed
• 1 cup shredded mozzarella, for topping
• 4 tablespoons breadcrumbs, for topping

Instructions:

1. In a soup pot or Dutch oven, cook the pork over medium heat, breaking apart with a wooden spoon. Cook until browned and cooked through. Drain the fat, leaving about two teaspoons. Add the onion, peppers, garlic, salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning. Cook, stirring often, until the vegetables become just tender. Stir in the flour and cook for about one minute.
2. Stir in the chicken stock/broth and milk. Let the mixture come to a boil and reduce to a simmer. Continue to cook and stir often until the mixture thickens.
3. Stir in the cream cheese until melted. Taste and season with salt and pepper, as needed. Preheat the broiler.
4. For each serving, fill a small crock or other broiler-proof serving bowl (such as these soup crocks). Top each with 1/4 cup mozzarella and a tablespoon of breadcrumbs. Broil until the cheese is melted and the breadcrumbs just turn golden (watch carefully so they don't burn). Top each bowl with an extra sprinkle of Italian seasoning. Serve hot with crusty bread.

Created using The Recipes Generator

I hope you give this soup a try! Let me know what you think in the comments below.

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This post was originally published in 2016 and has been updated as recently as 2023 to improve reader experience.

 

Check out these other banana pepper and spicy pepper recipes: 

Jalapeno Popper Chicken Chili 

(Un)Stuffed Banana Pepper Macaroni & Cheese 

Tomato, Bacon, & Jalapeno Skillet Pie 

Creamy Jalapeno Spaghetti Squash & Chicken Bake

 

Cheese Stuffed Banana Peppers