Beef Garden Soup

Description
Makes 6 servings.

Ingredients

 * 1 pound lean ground beef or ground turkey breast meat
 * 1 medium onion, cut into 1-inch pieces
 * 3 medium carrots, sliced
 * 2 ribs celery, thinly sliced
 * 2 cloves garlic, minced
 * 3 cups low-sodium vegetable juice cocktail
 * 1 14-1/2-ounce can no salt stewed tomatoes
 * 1 6-ounce can no salt tomato paste
 * 3 beef bouillon cubes or 3 teaspoons bouillon granules
 * 3 cups water
 * 2 15-ounce cans kidney beans, drained and rinsed
 * 1 teaspoon chili powder
 * 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
 * 3 cups cooked rice, cooked without salt or fat

Directions
Cook beef, onion, carrots, celery and garlic over medium-high heat in 4-quart Dutch oven until beef is brown, about 5 to 7 minutes. Add vegetable juice cocktail, tomatoes, tomato paste, bouillon cubes, water, beans, chili powder and pepper. Bring soup to a boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer 10 minutes. Stir in rice; heat thoroughly.