BLACK BEAN SOUP NO. 2.—­Soak a pint of black beans in water over night.  Cook in boiling water until tender, then rub through a colander.  Add sufficient boiling water to make about two quarts in all.  Add salt, and one half a small onion cut in slices to flavor.  Turn into a double boiler and reheat.  When sufficiently flavored, remove the onion with a skimmer, thicken the soup with two teaspoonfuls of browned flour, turn through the soup strainer and serve.  If desired, a half cup of cream may be added, and the onion flavor omitted.

BRAN STOCK.—­For every quart of stock desired, boil a cup of good wheat bran in three pints of water for two or three hours or until reduced one third.  This stock may be made the base of a variety of palatable and nutritious soups by flavoring with different vegetables and seasoning with salt and cream.  An excellent soup may be prepared by flavoring the stock with celery, or by the addition of a quantity of strained stewed tomato sufficient to disguise the taste of the stock.  It is also valuable in giving consistence to soups, in the preparation of some of which it may be advantageously used in place of other liquid.

BROWN SOUP.—­Simmer together two pints of sliced potatoes and one third as much of the thin brown shavings (not thicker than a silver dime) from the top of a loaf of whole-wheat bread, in one quart of water.  The crust must not be burned or blackened, and must not include any of the soft portion of the loaf.  When the potatoes are tender, mash all through a colander.  Flavor with a cup of strained, stewed tomatoes, a little salt, and return to the fire; when hot, add a half cup of cream, and boiling water to make the soup of proper consistency, and serve at once.  If care has been taken to prepare the crust as directed, this soup will have a brown color and a fine, pungent flavor exceedingly pleasant to the taste.

CANNED GREEN PEA SOUP.—­Rub a can of green peas through a colander to remove the skins.  Add a pint of milk and heat to boiling.  If too thin, thicken with a little flour rubbed smooth in a very little cold milk.  Season with salt and a half cup of cream.  A small teaspoonful of white sugar may be added if desired.

Green peas, instead of canned, may be used when procurable.  When they have become a little too hard to serve alone, they can be used for soup, if thoroughly cooked.

CANNED CORN SOUP.—­Open a can of green corn, turn it into a granite-ware dish, and thoroughly mash with a potato-masher until each kernel is broken, then rub through a colander to remove the skins.  Add sufficient rich milk to make the soup of the desired consistency, about one half pint for each pint can of corn will be needed.  Season with salt, reheat, and serve.  If preferred, a larger quantity of milk and some cream may be used, and the soup, when reheated, thickened with a little corn starch or flour.  It may be turned through the colander a second time or not, as preferred.