Suppose you are going to cook 1 lb. of chick peas (half of which can be made into soup, the other half into a salad or vegetable dish). Put them to soak overnight in tepid water into which you have put a handful of coarse salt and 2 tablespoons of flour. Next day, boil the water in which they have soaked, adding a good pinch of bicarbonate of soda; the water having boiled, leave it to get cold; put in the rinsed chick peas, bring to the boil, then leave them to simmer gently for an hour. Strain, discard the original liquid and throw the peas into a large saucepan containing about 6 pints of boiling, lightly salted water, and cook until they are quite tender and the skins begin to loosen. Now remove about half the peas and while they are still warm season them, add olive oil, and set them aside for a salad or other dish.

Strain the remainder, reserving the liquid. Heat a couple of tablespoons of olive oil in a saucepan and in this melt a sliced onion and the chopped white parts of 2 leeks. Add a large skinned and chopped tomato; put in the chick peas and cover with the reserved liquid. Add salt if necessary and a little Pepper. Simmer until the peas are soft enough to sieve. Heat up the resulting purée, adding more water, or stock, if it is too thick. Serve with croutons of bread fried in olive oil.