This recipe makes enough lentil soup to throw a "Too Many Lentils" Party. All 2 guests (out of 50+ invited) ate this soup with reckless abandon. The Too Many Lentils Party is way ahead of its time. It may make you gassy. If so, soak the lentils for an hour and drain the soak water. Then prepare as directed.

Ingredients

1/2 pound of Lentils
4 cups water
1 smoked ham hock
1/2 pound smoked ham meat, chopped into tiny pieces
1 bay leaf
1/3 cup each of onion, carrots, and celery. Chopped.
1/2 tsp. salt
8 oz. tomato sauce
1 clove garlic, minced

Wash, sort, and drain the lentils. Combine all ingredients in a large pot with a tight fitting lid. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover, and simmer until done, approximately 45 minutes or until tender. Then pour in the tomato sauce. Cook an additional 2 minutes, remove bay leaf, and serve.