Ingredients:

• 4 cups water or broth
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 cup split peas
• 1 medium onion, diced (about 1 cup)
• 1 medium potato, cubed (about 1 cup)
• 1 medium carrot, sliced (about ¼ cup)
• ½ -1 teaspoon dried basil
• ¼ cup chopped celery tops (the leaves)
• 2½ cups water
• 1 cup brown rice

Directions:

1. Bring water to boil, add salt and split peas. Simmer about 1 hour. Add onion, potato, carrots, and simmer about 1 hour longer, until peas are cooked. 15 minutes prior to serving, add basil and celery tops.
2. For the brown rice, 1 hour prior to serving soup, boil 2½ cups water, add brown rice. Cover and turn heat down to low. Cook 40 minutes, turn heat off and let stand with cover on 10 minutes.
3. To serve, put ¼ of cooked rice in large soup bowl, and cover with ¼ of the split pea chowder.