brown rice and lentil soup

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Crockpot Lentil and Brown Rice Soup

 

4 cups vegetable broth (I like Imagine)

4-6 cups water (or more broth, or broth and water)

1 cup brown lentils, washed, soaked for at least several hours, and

drained

1 cup brown rice (long or short grain)

1 35-oz can chopped stewed tomatoes, with juice

3 carrots, cut in coins or large cubes

1 large onion, chopped

3 large ribs of celery, sliced

3 large cloves garlic, minced

a little olive oil

½ tsp dried basil

½ tsp dried oregano

½ tsp dried thyme

1 bay leaf

1 pkg (small box) frozen chopped spinach, thawed (5oz?)

2 tablespoons cider vinegar, or to taste

salt to taste

black pepper to taste

 

Brown the onion until golden in the olive oil.

Place all ingredients except spinach, tomatoes, vinegar in the

crockpot.

If you know your broth isn't salty, add a little salt at this point.

Cook for 8-10 hours on low or until lentils and rice are tender.

Discard bay leaf.

Stir in tomatoes, spinach, an d vinegar. Heat for about ten minutes

or so or until spinach is cooked; taste for salt and pepper. Add a

little more vinegar if you like.

 

Note: soaking the lentils makes them less gassy.

 

Variations: substitute ½ cup red lentils for ½ cup of the brown

lentils

Change the proportion of broth to water according to how flavorful

your broth is.

Use ½ cup minced fresh parsley instead of spinach

Increase the lentils by ½ cup if you like a larger proportion of

lentils.

Double the vegetables if you prefer more vegetables.

You can skip browning the onions if you're in a rush; I just prefer

the flavor when they're browned.

 

Adapted from Jane Brody's Good Food cookbook.