Wash 1¹⁄₂ cup of black, white, red or mixed beans and soak in 1 quart of warm soft water over night. The next day add about 5 pints of cold or boiling water to the beans, let come to a boil; add two finely cut onions and a potato, parsley or other flavoring. Then wash ¹⁄₂ pound of bacon several times with hot and cold water and put on to boil in sufficient water to cover it. Let boil 5 or 10 minutes, pour off the water and put the bacon into the bean soup. Let all boil for about an hour; when the meat is tender, take it out and put on a plate to cool. Let the soup simmer slowly for 3 hours or longer; then strain. Let stand a little while, remove the fat and mix it with 2 or 3 tablespoonsful of flour in a clean saucepan over the fire, add the strained bean soup gradually, let all boil a few minutes and serve. If the soup is desired thin, use only a part of the fat and a little flour. A cupful of strained tomato juice and chopped parsley may be added before serving. This should make five soup plates full. Serve with fried bread or bread and butter and raw carrots. CREAM OF BEAN SOUP. Prepare like the foregoing. Leave out the meat, butter, flour, and tomatoes; mix with one-fifth part or less of hot cream before serving. Add plenty of chopped parsley. PEA SOUP AND CREAM OF PEA SOUP. Prepare like bean soup. Flavor with celery roots or stems. TOMATO SOUP. Strain a can of tomatoes and heat. Add an equal amount of boiling water or soup stock. Heat some oil, butter or fat; add flour, boil a few seconds; then add the tomato juice gradually and a little salt. Boil all 3 to 5 minutes, then serve. It must be of the consistency of gravy. Raw cucumbers and celery are a good addition. CREAM OF TOMATO SOUP. Prepare like the foregoing. Add ¹⁄₄ part or more of hot cream before serving. If milk is used, it must be more in proportion than cream. CREAM OF TOMATO SOUP. No. 2. Mix 1 quart of hot water or veal stock with 1 quart of strained hot tomato juice. Dissolve 2 to 3 tablespoons of cornstarch in cold water and stir into the boiling fruit juice. Boil 10 minutes, and season with salt and a little sugar, if desired. Remove from the fire, add hot cream, mix and serve. Good in the summer. HUCKLEBERRY SOUP. Wash one quart of huckleberries and boil with two quarts of water and a piece of cinnamon. When done strain or leave the berries in the soup. Shape some dumplings with a dessert spoon and boil in the fruit soup until they rise to the top. Use recipe for flour dumplings No. 1. Cherry soup from fresh cherries may be prepared with dumplings instead of thickening. BLACKBERRY SOUP. Prepare the same as the foregoing or see recipe for blackberry gruel. CHERRY SOUP.