Ingredients:

  Amount  Measure       Ingredient -- Preparation Method
--------  ------------  --------------------------------
   1 1/3  pounds        dry lentils
   1 3/4  ounces        lard
   1 3/4  ounces        butter
   1                    bay leaf
   1                    carrot
   1      tablespoon    tomato paste
   1      stick         celery
   1      clove         garlic
   1      piece         hot chili pepper -- (to taste)
                        sage leaves
                        rosemary
                        salt
                        bread cubes fried in butter -- to garnish

Preparation:

Wash the lentils and soak in cold water overnight. Drain and cook in lightly salt water with the bay leaf. Chop together lard, carrot, celery, sage and rosemary. In a pot fry the chopped mixture together with the butter and the piece of chili pepper. Add the tomato paste dissolved in one cup hot water, stir and simmer for some minutes, then add the lentils with their water. Stir again and simmer until the soup is quite thick. Discard the pepper and the bay leaf and serve with bread cubes fried in butter. TO FREEZE: Cool the soup, store in container with lid or in a ziploc bag. Freeze. TO SERVE AFTER FREEZING: Thaw the soup and re-heat at very low heat.