I’ve been working with dried beans, because they’re cheap and plentiful. And with a little planning, they’re pretty easy to make. Lentils and split peas are the easiest, of course, as they require no soaking.

I complement the beans with a variety of ingredients, especially canned tomatoes and flash-frozen vegetables, both of which are cost-effective and of high quality. Frozen carrots, corn, green beans, and broccoli work especially well. Frozen diced potatoes, usually packaged as “hash browns,” can be used in soup recipes. I even use frozen diced onion and bell peppers, for convenience, even though fresh would probably yield better results.

Here’s a curried split-pea soup that I’ve made before, based on Alton Brown’s recipe. Except this past week, I actually measured all the ingredients and wrote down everything I did. (And then forgot to take a picture. Just imagine a yellow-gold mash with chunks of carrot and potato, and you’ll get the picture. The next time I make it, I’ll try to remember to take a photo. Oy.)

As usual, it was a big hit. Made a big pot, which disappeared within a day.

I don’t know where this recipe came from originally, but if you search on Google, you will find numerous variations on the same theme. I’ll note my own variations below.