Frugal Vegetarian Meals  by Leigh Good      Cooking a vegetarian
meal once in a while or following a vegetarian diet is an
effective way to reduce your family's food budget. Beef
typically costs three or four dollars per pound, while you can
buy a pound of dried beans and a fresh vegetable for less than a
dollar. Choose filling, flavorful vegetarian dishes to help keep
your family on a healthy and affordable diet.      Soups and
Stews      Create your own economical vegetarian soup by
combining vegetable stock with fresh, seasonal vegetables. Serve
the soup with homemade cornbread for a filling and frugal
vegetarian supper. Add spices and beans to the soup to make a
vegetarian chili. Create an elegant chilled soup by simmering
potatoes or butternut squash in vegetable broth. Puree the
mixture, add creamy peppercorn ranch dressing and chill. Blend
cooked white beans with salt and a generous amount of black
pepper. Add vegetable stock until the beans reach a soup
consistency and warm gently. Top the soup with c