In a large stockpot or Dutch oven heat the olive oil, over medium high heat, and sauté onion, carrot, celery, and optional fennel with salt for three to four minutes. The vegetables of this "soffrito" should be soft. Add the garlic and stir quickly for 20 seconds.
Remove to a bowl or plate to add back in later. Brown the crumbled sausage in the stockpot. After it has browned, turn down the heat to medium low and add the white wine and simmer and "deglaze" the pan, stirring the bits of browned meat off the bottom.
Add the broth, the water, tomato paste, lentils, the crushed red pepper, dried basil, half of the amounts of parsley and basil, the onion mixture, and the spinach or kale. Simmer over medium low heat for 30 minutes.
Add the brown rice parmesan cheese chunk and stir, and continue cooking for 30 minutes.
Stir in the zucchini slices and cook for 20-25 minutes more, until zucchini and brown rice is cooked.
Ladle into bowls, drizzle with a little olive oil, sprinkle with cheese and fresh basil strips, and be sure to pass bowls of extra parmesan cheese, and crushed red pepper flakes.