Lentil Stew

This started as a recipe from Allrecipes.com, but I added a few ingredients and doubled a bunch of others, so here's my version:

1 onion, chopped
2 Tbsp olive oil
4 carrots, diced
2 stalks celery, chopped
2 small potatoes, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp dried oregano
2 bay leaves
2 tsp dried basil
1/2 tsp cumin
1 (28 ounce) can crushed tomatoes
2 cups dry lentils
5 cups water + chicken bouillon
1/2 cup spinach, rinsed and thinly sliced
2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
optional: 1 link smoked sausage or kielbasa (diced ham would be good, too)
salt to taste
ground black pepper to taste

1. Heat olive oil in heavy bottomed pot and sauté carrots, celery, onion and potatoes until onions are tender. Add garlic and spices, cooking for 2-3 more minutes. Add tomatoes, dry lentils and water (chicken broth).

2. Bring to a boil, then simmer for 1 hour. The soup will thicken and you may need to add just a bit more water. Just before serving, add the balsamic vinegar, spinach and (pre-cooked) sausage. Salt and pepper to taste.

We served it with cornbread and it was a perfect matching. This made 8 - 10 servings and we had enough leftovers to freezer. I wish I could say the same for the cornbread. Crumbs!