Ingredients

• 5 cups vegetable broth + 3 cups water (OR 8 cups of water)
• 1 1/2 cups lentils, picked over and rinsed (I used brown lentils)
• 1 cup brown rice
• 1 (2 lb) can chopped tomatoes, drained,reserving juice – I used a large can of tomato sauce (all I had on hand) but I bet you could use fresh tomatoes, if you prefer
• 3 carrots, halved lengthwise and cut crosswise into ¼ inch pieces
• 1 onions, chopped
• 1 stalk celery, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 cups chopped frozen kale (Trader Joe’s sells it now) OR 1 bunch fresh chopped kale
• 1/2 heaping tsp crumbled dried basil (pinch it between your fingers)
• 1/2 heaping tsp crumbled oregano
• 1/4 tsp crumbled dried thyme
• 1 bay leaves
• 1/2 cup minced fresh parsley
• 2 tablespoons cider vinegar

Directions

1. Combine broth, 3 cups water (or just 8 cups of water if you’re not using broth), lentils, rice, canned tomatoes with reserved juice (or tomato sauce OR fresh tomatoes), carrots, onion, celery, and herbs and bring to boil (do not add parsley and vinegar).
2. Simmer, covered, stirring occasionally, 45-55 minutes, or until lentils and rice are tender.
3. Stir in kale and cook for another 5 minutes or until kale is wilted.
4. Stir in parsley and vinegar and season to taste.
5. Serve as is or blend up soup using your immersion blender. (I blended mine so that our 1-year old could eat it)

Combine everything BUT parsley, vinegar and kale in a soup pot

Simmer, covered, stirring occasionally, 45-55 minutes, or until lentils and rice are tender. Add kale, cook for 5 more minutes or until wilted. Then add parsley and vinegar.

I blended my soup with an immersion blender but you can eat it just like this if you wish.