Slimming Soup - cooking recipe

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

Preparation

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.
In same saucepot, cook onions, peppers, squash, mushrooms and garlic 5 minutes or until vegetables are crisp-tender, stirring occasionally.
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.).