6 c. water, divided
1 1/2 c. chopped onion
1 c. sliced carrots
1 c. chopped celery
1 c. dried lentils
1/2 c. chopped red bell pepper
1 tbsp. brown sugar
1/2 tsp. dried whole basil
1/2 tsp. dried whole marjoram
1/2 tsp. dried whole oregano
1/2 tsp. dried whole thyme
1/2 tsp. pepper
3 (10 1/2 oz.) cans low-sodium chicken broth
1 (28 oz.) can whole tomatoes, undrained & chopped
1 (9 oz.) pkg. frozen Italian green beans
1 (6 oz.) can tomato paste
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 bay leaf
1 c. orzo (rice shaped pasta), uncooked
1/4 c. white wine vinegar
1 c. plus 1 tbsp. seasoned croutons

Combine 4 cups water and next 17 ingredients in a large Dutch oven. Bring to a boil; cover, reduce heat and simmer 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add remaining 2 cups water, orzo and vinegar; cover and simmer an additional 30 minutes, or until lentils are tender, stirring occasionally. Discard bay leaf. Ladle into soup bowls; top with croutons.

Each cup of soup provides: 134 calories, 6.7 g. protein, 1.5 g. fat, 24.4 g. carbohydrate, 0 mg. cholesterol, 108 mg. sodium.