Slimming Soup

Submitted by CandyTX

"A friend of mine made this recently and it was YUMMY. Apparently, you eat it twice a day and lose weight, but I just thought it was good. Really good. To make it vegetarian sub out the ground beef with another can of beans or black beans. Yummy and perfect for any time of the year. It's light, yet warm and comforting. It's a VERY forgiving recipe, so change it up as you wish. I've added kale or spinach too it with very good results as well."

 

• Ready In: 55mins
• Ingredients: 15
• Yields: 10-12 cups

ingredients

• 1 3⁄4 lbs lean ground beef
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 1 large onion, peeled and chopped
• 1 large bell pepper, seeded and chopped
• 1 large yellow squash, chopped
• 8 ounces mushrooms, chopped
• 2 teaspoons garlic, chopped
• 1 (46 ounce) bottle reduced-sodium tomato juice or (46 ounce) bottle vegetable cocktail juice
• 1 (15 ounce) can pinto beans, rinsed and drained (can use garbanzo or black)
• 1 (14 ounce) can crushed tomatoes
• 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
• 1 tablespoon ground cumin
• 1⁄8 teaspoon cayenne pepper (to taste)
• 1⁄4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
• 1⁄4 cup fresh parsley leaves, chopped

directions

1. In a saucepot over medium-high heat, cook beef, turkey or chicken in olive oil 5 minutes or until cooked through, stirring occasionally. Remove from pot; drain, if desired.
2. In same saucepot, cook onions, peppers, squash, mushrooms and garlic 5 minutes or until vegetables are crisp-tender, stirring occasionally.
3. Stir in cocktail juice, beans, tomatoes, lime juice, cumin, cayenne and cooked meat. Add 1 cup water to thin soup, if desired. Cover; bring soup just to a simmer. (Do not boil.) Reduce heat to medium-low; let simmer 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add cilantro and parsley. Cover; let simmer 5 minutes. Garnish with shaved Parmesan cheese, if desired. (Note: Soup can be stored in refrigerator for up to 5 days or frozen.).