Rice and Lentil Soup

I love to cook...but I love to create things in fleece more. Cooking usually gets shoved way to the back burner (no pun intended), especially when I've got deadlines.
Fortunately for me, it's winter, and there are only two humans in the house. In other words: SOUP. Which we can then live off for DAYS.
Here's one of my new favorites. It's adapted from a rather good cookbook about fast cooking with whole grains that I can't recall the name of. This recipe is great for many reasons, one of which is the 10-15 minute gaps of time in the cooking. I like to list things on Etsy while those are going on. Or watch videos on Youtube. Whatever. Now, about the spices. If at all possible, don't buy those overpriced jars in the shop. If you've got an Indian grocery nearish by, swing by and they'll hook you up.
This soup is kind of spicy. You might want to add some plain yogurt as a garnish to tone things down. Also, there are no photos of this soup. It is not a looker. Tastes great, though. Okay, enough disclaimers:

Curry-ish Lentil/Rice Soup

2 tab. peanut or coconut oil
2 tab. minced dried onion
1 1/2 tsp. whole cumin seeds
2 tab. garam masala
2 tab cumin powder
1 tsp. granulated garlic
6 cups vegetable broth
1 cup lentils
1 cup brown rice
1 15 oz. can diced tomatoes
1 12 oz. pkg frozen spinach
salt

In a 6 qt. soup pot, heat the oil over med. heat. Stir in the onion & cumin seeds. Toast until the onion is lightly browned, 1 - 2 mins. Turn off the heat. Stir in the garam masala - garlic, and let sit in the hot oil for a few seconds.
Stir in the broth, 2 cups of water, lentils & rice. Bring to a boil. Cover & cook for 15 minutes.
Add the tomatoes & the spinach. Taste & adjust seasonings if needed. Cover and boil for 10 minutes. Break up the spinach block, if it hasn't done that already. Add salt to taste. Continue cooking for another 5 minutes.
That's it!
Serve with toast or nan or triscuits or whatever. Or nothing.
Serves two quasi grown ups 3 dinners.