Sarah's Vegetarian Lentil Stew

(Thanks to Ya Looblue for this vegetarian recipe!)

1 cup diced onion
2 cups diced carrots
2 cups diced celery
1-3 cloves of chopped garlic
4 cups of water
2 cups lentils
1 veggie stock bullion cube
1 tbsp salt
½ tsp pepper
1/8 tsp thyme
2 bay leaves
1 large can (28oz) whole tomatoes + 1 cup of water

Spray bottom of a large stock pot with pam/cooking spray. Cook carrots, onion, garlic and celery until celery is tender. Stir in 4 cups water, lentils, bullion, and seasonings. Heat to boil, then reduce to simmer. Cover and let simmer for 40-60 minutes (it will thicken). Stir in tomatos and extra cup of water (you may need more water depending on how thick you want the stew). Simmer uncovered for 15 minutes. This serves a ton of people and keeps well in the fridge-and actually gets better over time-for a long time.

*Stir in some chopped grilled chicken breast or even lean ground turkey to make this a complete BFL-friendly meal!*