Taco soup

We all know I love soup. It's so versatile. You can add what you want, take out what you want, and generally not follow any recipes. I know I don't! Seems kind of hypocritical that I post so many soup recipes, huh?

Yet, I just cannot help but share how yummy this soup is!  I just sort of threw in a whole bunch of veggies (the ones I like), some black beans, some corn. Viola!  I hope you enjoy this soup as much as I do.

Ingredients:
1 lb ground beef
1 medium size zucchini, chunked
1 red pepper, sliced into strips, then halved
1 jalapeno, minced
5 cloves or garlic, minced
1 medium yellow onion, minced
2 cans diced tomatoes with green chilies
1 can black beans (I used 1 cup of slow cooker black beans)
1/3 bag of frozen corn (just eyeball it)
1/4 jar of green salsa (left over from Tex Mex vegetarian casserole)
1/3 cup of rice
2 T EVOO (this is what I had, you could easily use vegetable oil or butter)
1 avocado, chunked (for topping)
shredded cheese (for topping)
2 tsp cumin
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp paprika
Salt and Pepper to taste

Directions:
In a large heavy pot, preheat oil.
Add onions and stir until translucent and soft.
Add ground beef.
While beef is browning mince jalapenos and garlic and add to pot.
Chop zucchini and pepper and add to pot.
Stir for about 3 minutes.
Add spices (I usually salt and pepper my onions at the beginning)
Add tomatoes, rice, salsa, and enough water to cover veggies.
Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer.
Let simmer until the rice is cooked (maybe a bit under cooked depending on your preference).
Add beans and corn.
Cook until warmed through.
Serve in big bowls with garnish (per the ingredient list I had avocado and cheese; sour cream, chives, tortilla chips, etc. would also make excellent garnishes).

Note: I know a lot of us are trying to eat healthier. I used ground beef because I had ground beef, but ground turkey, shredded chicken, or no meat would still be great in this soup.  You'll also noticed that I didn't put any stock or boullion in this soup. I've found that if you season well and taste often during the cooking process, your spices will take care of that for you. There are still times when I use chicken stock (especially when making traditional chicken soup!) but this is an easy way to eliminate calories and sodium.