Good Tidings Soup

Ingredients

• 1 pound lean ground beef
• 1 (46-ounce) can tomato juice
• 4 cups water
• 1 cup dried lentils, rinsed
• 2 cups cabbage, chopped
• 1 cup carrots, sliced
• 1 cup celery, sliced
• 1 cup onion, chopped
• 1/2 cup green pepper, diced
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 (10-ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed

Directions

1. In a large stockpot, cook the beef over medium heat until no longer pink, about 5-7 minutes.
2. Crumble the meat and drain the excess fat from it.
3. Add the tomato juice, the water, the lentils, the cabbage, the carrots, the celery, the onion, the green pepper, the pepper, the thyme, and the bay leaf to the meat mixture.
4. Bring the mixture to a boil.
5. Reduce the heat and simmer, uncovered, until the lentils and the vegetables are tender, about 1 hour-1 hour 30 minutes.
6. Add the spinach to the soup and cook until heated through, about 3-4 minutes.
7. Discard the bay leaf.
8. Serve.