Instructions: Prep/cook time: 1 hour

Soak beans in 6 cups water for at least 6 hours or overnight. Drain and discard soaking water.

In a 5- or 6-quart pot, bring 8 cups of water, along with pre-soaked pinto beans and bay leaf, to a boil. Simmer, covered, for about 20 minutes.

Add the onion, bell pepper, celery, chives, celery salt, garlic, tamari, cayenne pepper, cumin and olive oil. Return mixture to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer, covered, until beans are tender, about 30 minutes.

In a blender, combine 2 cups of the hot soup broth with cornmeal and imitation bacon bits until smooth. (Keep lid on tight.) Stirring constantly, gradually add cornmeal mixture to soup. Simmer and continue cooking for about 10 minutes, or until cornmeal is cooked (soup will thicken). Add sea salt, and adjust seasonings to taste. Serve hot.

Lime may be substituted for the tamari.

NOTES : We had the Tamale Soup (Follow your heart) tonight and were happy.

The soup was a bit bland but a few dashes of Hab-sauce cured that.

Omitted the bacos and used left over Pork and Ham Loaf with Orange Ginger Mustard Glaze [M] (see recipe). Very, very filling.

Sample recipe from the Follow Your Hearts Vegetarian Soup Cookbook (Woodridge Press, 1995). The restaurant opened in the late sixties in the Los Angeles area in the back of a natural foods store. The soups have always drawn crowds.

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