Instructions: Add the green beans and garlic clove to the pot of cooked flageolets. Bring to a gentle boil; reduce heat to a simmer. Cover.

Mix the seasonings in a small dish and set aside.

Saute the onion, celery and carrot in the oil, seasoned with salt and pepper, in a hot nonstick pan. When soft, add the potato and butter and saute for 1 to 2 minutes. Sprinkle the seasonings on top and stir. When aromatic, add about 1 cup bean broth to the pan and stir. Add this mixture to the bean pot. Taste; adjust seasonings (salt, pepper and curry). Reduce heat and cook about 20 minutes at most.

Puree about half of the soup to thicken it. Serve with a dollop of plain yogurt. Alternatives: splash of fig vinegar; a dab of pear chutney.

Advance prep: To cooked the dried beans: Make the beans with a seasoned broth, as directed on the package but add a pinch of orange zest and double the bay leaves. Alternatively: soak beans 1 hour. Rinse. Put beans in a pot; cover with cold water. Add Tones Perc (salt free vegetable flakes), 1/2 teaspoon olive oil, pinch dried orange peel, 6 bay leaves, pinch dried bouquet garni, and a few fennel seeds. Bring to a boil. Boil 5 minutes. Turn off heat. Let stand 1 hour. Remove bay leaves. Skim. The beans are now recipe ready. They will need about 15 minutes additional cooking.

Description: "Flageolets and haricot vert with potato and a hint of curry"

Yield: 6 cups

NOTES : Two of our favorite French beans go well together in this soup for a cold day. Curry is a tricky spice. It fills the air but alludes the palate when hot. Remember that the kick of curry increases as the dish cools.

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