Tex-Mex Veggie Soup w/ Rice

 ( This soup was a huge hit with my family! I made it on a Saturday and we had it for two meals which meant less cooking over the weekend but we also avoided eating out or grabbing whatever.  My family was eating something yummy AND good for them!  It was easy to make and didn't take much time to put together either. 

Here are the ingredients:
3-6 C Distilled or Filtered Water
2 cartons of Organic Vegetable (or Chicken) Broth)  My cartons are 32 oz each
Tomatoes, Canned, 2 large

Kale, 8 leaves chopped
Zucchini, 2 medium, diced
Cilantro, 1 bunch, chopped
Avocado, 3-5, sliced
Red Bell Pepper, 2,  diced
Yellow Bell Pepper, 2, diced
Yellow Onion, 2 medium, diced

Ground Beef, 3 lbs
OR
Chicken Breast, 3 lbs, shredded (Cook in the Instant Pot and shred once done!)

White Rice, 5 C, cooked
I cooked this ahead of time in my smaller Instant Pot and then set it aside in another pot, covered,  to keep warm.  

Spices:
Garlic, 2 TBSP
Chili Spice, 2 TBSP (or more to taste)
Salt, 2 TBSP, or more to taste, this may seem like a lot, but this makes a large batch of soup
Pepper, 4 tsp
Basil Leaves, 4-6 whole leaves

Cook the meat of your choice,  with the chopped onion. ahead of time and set aside.  I season with salt, pepper and a bit of chili spice.  You don't want the meat to be bland.  You could half the spices listed and use half with the meat and the other half for the broth.  I did adjust after cooking and doing some taste testing! 

Drain the ground beef if needed.  This is not necessary with chicken breast.  

Once the meat is cooked, add all the other ingredients and the rest of your spices to a large pot or to your Instant Pot. Add the Basil leaves LAST and leave on top while simmering, this makes it easier to remove them once done.   I will warn you that I used BOTH of my IP's to make this!  I have an 8 quart and a 6 quart IP and I had both full of this soup, so make sure you have a large pot!  You can always freeze the leftovers!   Simmer until hot.  Serve over the rice and top with Avocado and freshly chopped Cilantro!

Enjoy!  I'd love to know if you try it and if your family likes it!

​

---