Dry bean or pea soup
1 cup dry beans or whole peas
6 cups water
Meaty ham bone
1 small onion, chopped
Salt and pepper
Boil beans or peas in water 2 minutes. Remove from heat, cover, and soak 1 hour or overnight.
Add ham bone. Boil gently 2 hours in a covered pan.
Add onion and continue cooking 30 minutes, or until beans are soft. Remove bone and cut off meat.
Add meat to soup. Season to taste, and reheat.
Menu Suggestion
Serve with tomato aspic, or fruit salad, with cottage cheese. Have custard pie for dessert.
For Variety
For Thick, Smooth Soup.—Put beans or peas through a sieve before adding meat; discard skins. Mix 2 teaspoons flour with a little water; stir into soup. Boil 1 minute, stirring constantly.
Split-Pea or Lentil Soup.—Use 1 cup of split peas or lentils instead of beans in the recipe above. No soaking is needed. Boil gently, stirring occasionally, about 3 hours. Proceed as for bean soup.
Hot Pot.—Add a garlic clove and 2 chili peppers or a teaspoon of chili powder to beans before cooking. After cooking, remove garlic and peppers.