Lentil Soup

Please don't be scared by the use of Lentils in the title. My husband hates them. I'd never had them (until I tried this soup) and no one but my 2 year old would even come near them. Having said that, I didn't think they were half bad, in fact, I kind of liked them BUT if you're not a lentil fan, use barley. I promise, you won't be disappointed. So here it is. Use lentils. Use Barley. Use macaroni noodles for all I care, just try it. It's really that good!

2 quarts water
1 cup lentils, rinsed
6 oz tomato paste
1 small medium onion, finely diced
3-4 stalks celery, finely diced
4-5 medium carrots, finely grated
2 tsp salt (I would add more to taste when finished)
1 tsp bouillon
2 cloves garlic
2 layered shakes of pepper
1 tablespoon olive oil

Put everything in a large pot and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for at least one hour. Doubling the recipe requires a lot longer cooking time.