Venison Italian Soup

Description
Ground venison is sautéed with onion and garlic and added to this tomato based soup with Italian seasonings, pinto beans, vegetables and ziti pasta.

To lower the carbs on this leave out the pasta or use a low carb alternative. This is also high in fiber although that nutrition information was not included with the recipe. This would also work with ground beef, turkey or chicken. Take care, Gloria
 * Contributed by Healthy Recipes for Diabetic Friends Y-Group
 * Submitted by Joelene Craver to eDiets.com
 * Prep time: 10 minutes | Cook time: 160 minutes | Total time: 170 minutes
 * Serves 8 servings

Ingredients

 * 1 lb ground venison
 * 1 onion, chopped
 * 1 (14.5 oz) can stewed tomatoes
 * 2 (8 oz) cans tomato sauce
 * 3 cups water
 * 1 tbsp minced garlic
 * 2 tsp dried basil
 * 2 tsp dried oregano
 * 1 tsp salt
 * ½ tsp ground black pepper
 * 1 (15 oz) can pinto beans
 * 1 (15 oz) can green beans
 * 1 carrot, chopped
 * 1 zucchini, chopped
 * ½ (16 oz) package ziti pasta

Directions

 * 1) Brown venison, onion, and garlic over medium heat until meat is no longer pink.
 * 2) Add tomatoes, tomato sauce, water, and spices.
 * 3) Bring to a boil, and then simmer for about 30 minutes.
 * 4) Stir in beans, carrots, and zucchini.
 * 5) Simmer soup for 90 minutes.
 * 6) Add pasta, and cook until tender.
 * 7) Top individual servings with grated cheese, and serve.

Nutritional information
Per serving:
 * 276.50 Calories | 2.74g Total Fat | 41.29g Total Carbs | 21.67g Protein