CC's Famous Lentil Soup

Since some of you have asked, I guess I will put my secret lentil soup recipe online, although it somewhat pains me. I made a nice batch of it last night. It's great in this cold weather, very hardy. Serve it with some crusty Italian bread and red wine, and you've got a great meal.

olive oil
1 clove garlic
1 small onion
1 or 2 sticks of celery
potatoes (optional, small cubes)
carrots (optional, finely diced)
1 can chicken broth (or part of a bouillion cube)
1 bag of lentils (prepare per bag directions, some you need to soak)
2 bay leaves
salt and pepper to taste
red pepper flakes (if you like spicy)
pepperoni or turkey pepperoni (about 15-20 thin slices, cut into quarters)
7-8 cups of water

Saute the garlic, onion, celery, and carrots (if you include those) in olive oil for about 5 minutes until tender. Add the remaining ingredients and bring to a boil. Cook at a slow simmer for at least an hour until everything is tender. The key is to keep going back and tasting and add the salt/pepper/red pepper as you like it. The other key is to keep adding water if it starts looking dry. Soup should be thick but not lumpy.