Lentil And Brown Rice Soup - cooking recipe

Ingredients

5 cups chicken broth or 5 cups vegetable broth
1 1/2 cups lentils, picked over and rinsed
1 cup brown rice
1 (2 lb) can tomatoes, drained,reserving juice,and chopped
3 carrots, halved lengthwise and cut crosswise into 1/4 inch pieces
1 onion, chopped
1 stalk celery, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon crumbled dried basil
1/2 teaspoon crumbled oregano
1/4 teaspoon crumbled dried thyme
1 bay leaf
1/2 cup minced fresh parsley
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
1 lb smoked sausage (optional)

Preparation

Combine broth, 3 cups water, lentils, rice, tomatoes with reserved juice, carrots, onion, celery, herbs and sausage and bring to boil (do not add parsley and vinegar).
Simmer, covered, stirring occasionally, 45-55 minutes, or until lentils and rice are tender.
Stir in parsley and vinegar and season to taste.
Freezer Note: I often make up a double batch of this delicious soup, freezing half the batch, to provide me with a quick, nutritious dinner further on down the line when time is short and you don't want to resort to ordering in. Just defrost in microwave, reheat well and serve