A flavorful, hearty and economical ground beef and vegetable soup that is easy to make and ready to eat in about an hour.

Easy Vegetable Soup

1 pound ground beef
1 cup chopped onion
1 garlic clove, crushed
1 (16-ounce) can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup sliced carrot
1 cup sliced celery
1/4 cup rice
2 (16-ounce) cans stewed tomatoes
3 1/2 cups water
5 teaspoons beef base or bouillon granules
3 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon dried basil
1/8 teaspoon ground pepper
1 cup frozen green beans

1. Brown ground beef with chopped onion and crushed garlic clove in a kettle over medium-high heat, about 5 minutes. Drain.
2. Add kidney beans, sliced carrots, sliced celery, uncooked rice, stewed tomatoes, water, beef base, chopped parsley, salt, basil, and pepper. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer, covered, for 40 minutes.
3. Stir in frozen green beans. Simmer for 10 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender.

Makes 8 servings.