Tasty Taco Soup

It got really cold where I live which is unusual for this area. I decided to experiment with ground beef to make taco soup because I'm not crazy about chicken. This was the best soup ever!

• Ready In: 4 hrs
• Serves: 4-6
• Yields: 8 ounce

Ingredients

• 1⁄2 lb ground beef
• 1  small onion, chopped
• 1⁄2 bell pepper, chopped
• 1  stalk celery, chopped
• 3  garlic cloves, minced
• 2  tablespoons tomato paste
• 1 (10 ounce) can Rotel Tomatoes
• 3 (6 ounce) cans  v-8  vegetable juice
• 1 (16 ounce) can  refried beans
•  chili powder, to taste
•  cumin, to taste
•  crushed  hot pepper, to taste
•  salt, to taste

Directions

1. Wash and chop vegetables. Set aside. In a large pot, brown ground beef adding onion, bell pepper and celery after the meat is browned and broken into small pieces. Sauté vegetables along with the meat until limp. Add the garlic and tomato paste and cook about 5 minutes. Add the can of Rotel tomatoes, V-8 juice, refried beans, chili powder, cumin, hot pepper and salt. Cover and cook on lowest fire until thickened. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed.
2. Serve hot. Serve with Doritos, diced raw onions and grated cheddar cheese.