Turkey Vegetable Soup

My mom tells me that this originated as a Weight Watchers recipe, so if you have a certain new year's resolution to keep, this soup will keep you in line.  She jazzed it up with the onion, celery, and Cajun seasoning, which departed from the original recipe, but those additions only made it better.  (Half a teaspoon of Cajun seasoning doesn't sound like much, but it adds a considerable kick to this big pot of soup.  Remember that you can always add more seasoning, but you can't take it out once it's in.  Start small.) 

My mom also told me for probably about a year how good this soup was, but I was wholeheartedly not interested.  For whatever reason, nothing about it sounded appealing. 

I was so wrong.

This really is very good and satisfying.  You can make it with ground turkey or lean ground beef; you won't be able to taste the difference.  It's a hearty soup, so feel free to add more broth if you don't want it to be so thick.  This warm, healthy soup is perfect for cold, rainy evenings.  A warm bowl of soup has the power to lift your spirits besides raising your body temperature.  Try it once, and you'll see how very good it is.

Turkey Vegetable Soup

1 lb ground turkey (or lean ground beef)
1 bunch green onions, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
2-3 stalks celery, chopped
1 (12oz) can V8 juice
1 can condensed tomato soup
1 can original Rotel tomatoes
1 can Veg-All (liquid drained)
1 (14oz) can chicken broth
1/4 to 1/2 tsp Tony Chachere's Seasoning (or other Cajun seasoning)

Brown turkey, celery, and green onions slowly in a pot sprayed with cooking spray.  Add the garlic, and cook for 1 minute.  Add the remaining ingredients, and bring to a boil.  Lower heat, cover, and simmer for 30-40 minutes.  Serve warm with cornbread.