1 1/2 med. carrots, peeled & sliced thin
1 1/2 med. onions, chopped fine
2 sm. potatoes, peeled & cut in sm. cubes
1/2 c. celery, chopped (including tops)
1/2 c. chopped fresh parsley (or 1 tbsp. dried)
1 lg. can stewed tomatoes (Italian style), cut up with liquid
1 lg. bay leaf, removed before serving soup
1 sm. can V-8 juice
1/8 c. corn oil or butter
1 c. lentils, picked over & rinsed (don't soak)
Bouillon to taste (3 tbsp. of no salt granule type) or 2 cubes regular
Pepper to taste

Saute onion in corn oil until translucent. Add all other ingredients in large pot. Stir with wooden spoon to mix. Cook until vegetables are tender (approximately 1 1/2 hours on low heat). If soup seems thick, add either tomato juice or 1 bouillon cube dissolved in 1 cup hot water. This soup freezes very well. (Soup is thick, like a stew.)