86. Southwestern Vegetable Soup

From 1997 Southern Living Annual Recipes

It's frigid here in Birmingham, so it was a great night to break out the soup pot. This is my favorite kind of soup...dump a bunch of cans, cook for a few hours (and make house smell good), and enjoy.

I left out the ground beef because I wanted it to be a true vegetable soup. I loved all of the different kinds of veggies in here. It made for a hearty, yet healthy, meal. I cut up the stewed tomatoes in the can so there wouldn't be big chunks in the soup. The chili seasoning gave it just the right amount of kick, and a sprinkling of cheddar cheese at the end lent a creamy component.

1 pound lean ground beef

5 cups water
2 (15 1/2-ounce) cans Mexican-style stewed tomatoes, undrained
1 (16-ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 (16-ounce) can dark red kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 (15 1/4-ounce) can whole kernel corn, drained
1 (15-ounce) can pinto beans, rinsed and drained
1 (15-ounce) can tomato sauce
1 (8-ounce) can cut green beans, drained
1 (1 3/4-ounce) envelope chili seasoning mix
1 large onion, diced
1 green bell pepper, diced

Brown ground beef in a large Dutch oven, stirring until it crumbles; drain. Stir in 5 cups water and next 10 ingredients; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer, stirring occasionally, 2 hours. Serve with cheese.