Or that beans are classified as a protein, unless they are still within their pods, in which case they are a vegetable. You would also be amazed at how few people know that you can make a delicious soup out of lentils or peas. Really tasty. Same base ingredients as a chicken noodle soup, sans chicken and noodles. Use lentils instead and cook them in the broth with the sauteed onion, garlic and celery until they begin to disintegrate. If you like your soup smooth, blend all of it, if you like texture, only blend half of it. Mix in about a half cup of mascarpone cheese and any additional salt or pepper. If you are using yellow or red lentils (which you should consider, they're really tasty) you should try it with some yellow and/or red curry powder. Same basic recipe, though you can also swap a small bit of the chicken broth out for some coconut milk. Finish with sour cream or more mascarpone, a drizzle of olive oil, and a spritz of lemon juice.