Required: One pint of haricot beans.

Two quarts of water or "pot liquor."

One Spanish onion.

One ounce of butter or dripping.

One pint of milk.

Salt and pepper.

Soak the beans in cold water overnight. Peel and slice the onion. Melt the butter in a saucepan, add the onion and beans after straining off the water. Stir these over the fire for five minutes, add the water, and boil the soup gently for about four hours, or until the beans are soft. Next rub all through a fine wire sieve. Rinse out the saucepan, pour back the sieved soup, add the milk. Season carefully, and bring the soup to the boil. Serve it in a hot tureen. It should be as thick as good cream.