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 Chop fine ¼ onion, one clove of garlic, one sprig of parsley and one piece of celery and put them to fry in ¼ cup of oil with salt and a generous amount of pepper. When the vegetables are a delicate brown add to them two cups of the broth from the beans and 1 cup of tomatoes (canned or fresh). Let all come to a boil and pour the mixture into the kettle of beans from which some of the water has been drained, if they are very liquid. This soup may be served as it is or rubbed through a sieve before serving. Croutons or triangles of dry toast make an excellent addition.

The bean soup is made without meat or chicken broth, and it belongs consequently to that class of soup called by the Italians “Minestra di Magro” or "lean soup, to be served preferably on Friday and other days in which the Roman Catholic Church prohibits the use of meats.

The lentil soup is prepared in the same way as the bean soup, only substituting lentils for beans. A good combination is that of lentils and rice. The nutritive qualities of the lentils are not sufficiently known in this country, but all books on dietetics speak very highly of them.