It is rather nicer if the flour is omitted, the necessary thickness being obtained by rubbing the soup through a sieve before adding the parsley.  Those who do not object to milk may use 1 pint milk and 1 pint water in place of the 1-1/2 pints water.

5.  FRUIT SOUP.

Fruit soups are used extensively abroad, although not much heard of in England.  But they might be taken at breakfast with advantage by those vegetarians who have given up the use of tea, coffee and cocoa, and object to, or dislike, milk.  The recipe given here is for apple soup, but pears, plums, etc., may be cooked in exactly the same way.

1 lb. apples, 1 qt. water, sugar and flavouring, 1 tablespoon sago.

Wash the apples and cut into quarters, but do not peel or core.  Put into a saucepan with the water and sugar and flavouring to taste.  When sweet, ripe apples can be obtained, people with natural tastes will prefer no addition of any kind.  Otherwise, a little cinnamon, cloves, or the yellow part of lemon rind may be added.  Stew until the apples are soft.  Strain through a sieve, rubbing the apple pulp through, but leaving cores, etc., behind.  Wash the sago, add to the strained soup, and boil gently for 1 hour.  Stir now and then, as the sago is apt to stick to the pan.

6.  HARICOT BEAN SOUP.

2 heaped breakfast-cups beans, 2 qts. water, 3 tablespoons chopped parsley or 1/2 lb. tomatoes, nut or dairy butter size of walnut, 1 tablespoon lemon juice.

For this soup use the small white or brown haricots.  Soak overnight in 1 qt. of the water.  In the morning add the rest of the water, and boil until soft.  It may then be rubbed through a sieve, but this is not imperative.  Add the chopped parsley, the lemon juice, and the butter.  Boil up and serve.  If tomato pulp is preferred for flavouring instead of parsley, skin the tomatoes and cook slowly to pulp (without water) before adding.

7.  LENTIL SOUP.

4 breakfast-cups lentils, 1 carrot, 1 turnip, 2 onions, 4 qts. water, 4 sticks celery, 2 teaspoons herb powder, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, 1 oz. butter.

Either the red, Egyptian lentils, or the green German lentils may be used for this soup.  If the latter, soak overnight.  Stew the lentils very gently in the water for 2 hours, taking off any scum that rises.  Well wash the vegetables, slice them, and add to the soup.  Stew for 2 hours more.  Then rub through a sieve, or not, as preferred.  Add the lemon juice, herb powder, and butter (nut or dairy), and serve.

8.  MACARONI SOUP.

1/2 lb. small macaroni, 2 qts. water or vegetable stock, 3/4 lb. onions or 1 lb. tomatoes.

Break the macaroni into small pieces and add to the stock when nearly boiling.  Cook with the lid off the saucepan until the macaroni is swollen and very tender. (This will take about an hour.) If onions are used for flavouring, steam separately until tender, and add to soup just before serving.  If tomatoes are used, skin and cook slowly to pulp (without water) before adding.  If the vegetable stock is already strong and well-flavoured, no addition of any kind will be needed.