Tomato-Lentil Soup with Brown Rice

2 tablespoons of olive oil
1 small yellow onion, finely chopped
2 bunches of green onion, white parts thinly sliced, green tops thinly sliced and reserved
2 small carrots, scrubbed and chopped
1 stalk of celery, chopped
2 cloves of garlic (large or small, your taste), finely chopped
4 cups of vegetable broth (Use a good broth. A soup stands or falls on the quality of its broth.)
1 cup of water
1 cup of lentils, rinsed and picked over
1/4 cup of brown rice
1 (14-ounce) can of whole tomatoes, drained, seeded, and coarsely chopped, reserve the juices
1/2 teaspoon of dried thyme leaves
1 large bay leaf
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste




In a Dutch oven or soup pot, heat the oil over medium heat.

Add the chopped onion, the white parts of the green onions, the carrots, the celery, and the garlic; cook, stirring often, until softened, about 5 minutes.

Add the broth, the water, the lentils, the rice, the tomatoes, the reserved tomato juices, the thyme, the bay leaf, and the salt and pepper.

Bring everything to the boil, reduce the heat and simmer gently, partially covered, until the lentils and the rice are tender, stirring occasionally, 50 to 60 minutes.

Discard the bay leaf.

Serve hot garnished with the reserved green onion tops.