Lentil Soup - cooking recipe

Ingredients

1 carrot
1 onion
1 stalk celery
1 ounce butter
8 ounces lentils
1 (400 g) can diced tomatoes or (400 g) can chopped tomatoes
4 cups water
2 chicken stock cubes (or granule equivalent)
pepper
2 -3 tablespoons parsley, chopped (optional)
ham bones (optional)

Preparation

Peel and chop carrot and onion, chop celery.
Heat butter in soup pot and add carrot, onion, celery.
Cook, stirring until onion is transparent.
Add bacon bones, lentils, undrained tomatoes.
Crush tomatoes with a fork and add water and stock.
Cover, bring to a boil, reduce heat.
Simmer 1 1/2 hours or until lentils are tender as desired.
Remove and discard ham bones.
Season with pepper and stir in parsley.