SOUPS

Brown soup stock is made from beef and vegetables, or from beef, veal and fowl, and vegetables.

Veal with onion and celery and seasonings makes white stock; or veal and chicken together, with celery, onions, and seasonings, are used for white stock.

Cream soups are generally made without stock, milk or cream being the liquid used, the foundation made from fish or vegetables.

Chicken Stock is made from fowl, resembles white stock, but not quite so rich.

The meats used for soups are the poorer parts of the creature—the shin, the round, the neck of beef, the knuckle of veal, and the whole bird of fowls.

A bouquet of sweet herbs is used for seasoning soups; it is composed of parsley, bay leaf, cloves, peppercorns, thyme and marjoram.

Stock Soups

Skill, patience and good materials are necessary for the making of good soup. In order to draw out and dissolve the nutritive and flavoring qualities of meat, cut the meat into small pieces, cover with cold water, and let stand at least an hour, then heat very gradually.

For a rich stock allow one pint of water to each pound of meat and bone, having only one quarter pound bone and three quarters meat. One kind of meat may be used, or several kinds. If soup is made from remnants of cold meat, be sure to add a small amount of fresh meat to give added flavor. Remember that if the contents of the soup kettle are allowed to boil for any length of time, it will be almost impossible to secure a clear soup from the stock.

How to clear Soup Stock

Allow the white and shell of one egg for two quarts of strained stock. Beat the white, add crushed shell and the cold stock, pour into kettle, set over the fire, and stir constantly until the boiling point is reached; boil three minutes without stirring, then simmer for ten minutes, strain through sieve, then through a cheese cloth; reheat and serve. If these directions are followed, an absolutely clear soup will be the result.

To keep Soup Stock

When the stock is ready to strain, strain into several receptacles; a coating of fat will form on the top, which serves to keep out the air. This fat must be removed before clearing the stock. Stock with a coating of fat will keep a week in summer and several weeks in winter. If the weather is very warm, scald the stock, then cool quickly.

Asparagus Soup

Wash asparagus if fresh and break off tips; break remainder of stalks into small pieces. Cook tips and stalks in cold water separately. When tender, drain; reserve water. Keep tips for garnishing soup. Press stalks through a purée sieve. Scald milk with onion, remove onion, add asparagus water, and thicken with flour and butter cooked together. Bring mixture to boiling point; add cream and seasonings. Pour over tips and serve.

Note.—If canned asparagus is used, drain, add water and cook in milk in a double boiler twenty minutes. Then drain and proceed as with fresh asparagus.

Artichoke Soup

Cook artichokes and onion in water till tender. Drain, press through sieve, and return to water. Melt butter; add flour and scalded milk. Cook until mixture thickens. Combine mixtures, add seasonings, and just before serving pour on to beaten egg.

Bean Soup

Soak beans over night. Cook beans, onion, parsley, celery and carrot in cold water; when tender rub through a sieve. Melt butter; add flour, milk and seasonings; cook five minutes. Combine mixtures and serve.

One cup stewed tomatoes added to this soup makes a pleasant variation.

Kidney Bean Soup

Use receipt for [Bean Soup], substituting kidney beans for Lima beans and adding one tablespoon vinegar.

Baked Bean Soup

Cook beans in water ten minutes; press through a sieve. Cook onion in butter five minutes; add flour and seasonings. When well blended, add tomato, cook five minutes, strain, add bean mixture, reheat, and serve with chopped pickles.

If beans are very sweet, it may be necessary to add one to two tablespoons of lemon juice or vinegar.

Cabbage Soup

Chop cabbage, add water, and cook until tender; press through a sieve. Melt butter, add chopped onion, cook slowly five minutes, add flour, scalded milk, cabbage mixture; cook five minutes. Add seasonings, strain and serve.

Carrot Soup

Chop enough carrots to make two cups. Cook in water until tender. Press through sieve, reserving liquor. Cook rice in milk in double boiler. Cook onion in butter; add flour and seasonings. Mix carrot mixture with rice and milk and pour on to butter and flour; bring to the boiling point, strain and serve. Garnish with chopped parsley. If this soup seems too thick, thin with cream or milk.

Cauliflower Soup

Cook cauliflower in cold water until tender; drain, press through a sieve, add scalded milk. Cook onion in butter, add flour; when well blended, add cauliflower mixture, seasonings; cook five minutes, strain, add yolk of egg slightly beaten, and cheese.

Celery Soup

Chop celery; cook in water until tender. Cook onion and mace in milk twenty minutes; strain. Melt butter; add flour and seasonings. Combine celery and milk mixtures, thicken with butter and flour cooked together, cook five minutes and serve.

Note.—Pieces of celery not suitable for the table may be utilized for this soup. The leaves and root of celery make a very good soup.

Chestnut Soup

Cook chestnuts in cold water until tender, press through a sieve, and add scalded milk. Cook onion in butter five minutes, add flour, seasonings and chestnut mixture. Cook five minutes, add cream, strain and serve.

Note.—To shell chestnuts, make a cross on either side of the nut with a sharp knife. Put one teaspoon melted butter in dripping pan; add chestnuts and cook in oven until shells come off easily.

Cucumber Soup

Chop cucumbers and celery; add onion and pepper; cook in milk in double boiler twenty minutes. Add flour and butter cooked together, and seasonings. Cook five minutes, strain, add cream, reheat and serve.

Corn Soup

Cook corn in cold water twenty minutes. Press through a sieve; add scalded milk. Cook onion in butter, add flour and seasonings, corn mixture, cook five minutes, strain, add beaten cream, and serve. Garnish with popped corn.

Onion Soup

Chop onions, cook in two tablespoons butter five minutes; add water, cook thirty minutes, press through a sieve. Melt remaining butter, add flour, scalded milk and seasonings, cook five minutes. Combine mixtures, add egg yolks slightly beaten, Parmesan cheese and pimento.

Pea Soup

Cook peas, bay leaf, onion, and cold water twenty minutes. Press through a sieve. Make a white sauce of butter, flour, and milk. Combine mixtures, add seasonings, and serve.

Note.—Cold cooked peas may be used instead of canned peas.

Rice Soup

Cook rice, onion and pepper in cold water until rice is tender. Press through a sieve. Melt butter, add flour, cream and seasonings; boil five minutes. Combine mixtures. Add parsley and serve.

Sorrel Soup

Cook onion and sorrel in butter five minutes, add water, cook thirty minutes. Cook milk and flour in double boiler twenty minutes, add cream, beaten eggs, catsup and strained sorrel mixture. Season and serve.

Spinach Soup

Cook spinach in water thirty minutes. Press through a sieve, scald milk with onion and bay leaf, add butter and flour cooked together, strain, add seasonings and spinach mixture; cook five minutes and serve. Garnish with beaten cream.

Squash Soup

Cook onion in butter five minutes, add flour, extract, seasonings, and milk in which bay leaf has been scalded, cook five minutes; add squash, strain, add two tablespoons of butter and serve. Garnish with beaten cream.

Potato Soup

Cook onion and carrot in butter five minutes, add flour, milk, seasonings; cook in double boiler twenty minutes; add mashed potato, and serve after straining. One cup stewed and strained tomatoes or one fourth cup tomato catsup may be used to vary this soup.

Tomato Soup

Melt butter, add flour. Cook remaining ingredients together twenty minutes. Press through a sieve and thicken with flour mixture. If tomato lacks flavor, season highly with Worcestershire sauce and Tabasco sauce.

Tomato Bisque Soup

Melt butter, add onion, cook five minutes; add flour, milk and seasonings, cook in double boiler twenty minutes. Cook tomatoes, press through a sieve, add soda. Combine mixtures and strain. Serve immediately. If tomato is very acid, it may be necessary to add more soda to neutralize.

Tomato Soup with Stock

Melt butter, add green pepper and onion, cook five minutes; add tomato, horse-radish, stock and seasonings. Thicken with butter and flour cooked together. Simmer ten minutes, strain, add macaroni and serve. This soup unstrained would be a purée.

Turnip Soup

Mix turnip, potato and scalded milk. Melt butter, add flour, salt and pepper; when well blended add turnip mixture and onion cut in small pieces. Cook in double boiler twenty minutes, stirring occasionally; strain and serve.

Water Cress Soup

Cook cress, butter and onion together five minutes; add flour and seasonings. When smooth add milk in which extract has been mixed, cook twenty minutes, strain, serve and garnish with whipped cream.

Vegetable Soup

Parboil potatoes ten minutes. Melt butter, add vegetables, cook ten minutes, stirring occasionally. Add milk and cook in doubler boiler until vegetables are tender. Season, strain, garnish with parsley and serve.

Black Bean Purée

Soak beans over night, drain, add water and cook until tender—four or five hours. Press through a sieve; cook pork in a frying pan, add onion, cook five minutes; add bean mixture, melt butter, add flour and seasonings; combine mixtures, strain. Garnish with egg cut in slices and lemon.

A ham bone cooked with the beans is considered by many to be an improvement.

Split Pea Purée

Soak peas over night, drain, cook until tender. Cook onion and salt pork together ten minutes; add to pea mixture. Press through a sieve, melt butter, add flour, milk, seasonings, and cook five minutes. Combine mixtures, and serve.

Lentil Purée

Prepare the same as [Split Pea Purée], substituting one and one half cups lentils for split peas.

Potato Chowder

Cook salt pork in frying pan ten minutes; add onion, cook ten minutes. Put a layer of parboiled potatoes in kettle, cover with onions and salt pork, and so continue until all potatoes and onions are used.

Cover with water and simmer until potatoes are tender. Melt butter; add flour, milk and seasonings. Cook five minutes. Combine mixtures.

If potatoes are very old, it is better to parboil them before putting them with the onion.

Corn Chowder

Cook salt pork in frying pan five minutes; add onion and cook until yellow. Parboil potatoes five minutes; add to onion with corn and water; cook twenty minutes. Thicken milk with butter and flour cooked together. Combine mixtures; add cracker crumbs and seasonings, and serve.

Succotash may be substituted for corn.

Clam Chowder

Remove heads from clams and chop. Parboil potatoes. Cook onion and salt pork together ten minutes. Arrange clams, potatoes, onion and salt pork in layers in the kettle; cover with boiling water, and simmer until tender. Thicken milk with flour and butter cooked together; add fish mixture and seasonings, and serve.

Fish Chowder

Remove head and skin and cut fish into fillets. Cover head, skin and bones with cold water; simmer twenty minutes; strain. Reserve liquor.

Parboil potatoes ten minutes. Cook onions in salt pork until yellow. Arrange in layers, fish, potatoes, onions and salt pork; cover with water in which bones were cooked, and simmer until potatoes are tender. Thicken milk with butter and flour cooked together, combine mixtures, add seasonings, and pour over buttered crackers which have been previously soaked in cold milk.

Caution.—Do not allow onion or salt pork to burn.

New England Chowder

Cook onion in salt pork fat until yellow; add clams or fish free from bone; simmer twenty minutes. Parboil potatoes, drain, and add to fish with boiling water. Cook until potatoes are tender.

Melt butter; add flour, tomatoes and seasonings. Combine mixtures, and pour over buttered crackers which have been previously soaked in cold milk.

Lobster Chowder

Cook onion in salt pork fat; melt butter; add flour, milk and seasonings, and cook in double boiler with lobster cut in cubes twenty minutes; add strained salt pork fat, hot cream, and serve.

Crab Chowder

Prepare the same as [Lobster Chowder], substituting crab meat for lobster meat.

Shrimp Chowder

Prepare the same as [Lobster Chowder], substituting shrimps for lobster meat.

Salt Codfish Chowder

Soak codfish in cold water one hour; drain. Parboil potatoes ten minutes. Cook onions in pork fat, add drained potatoes, fish, and one cup of boiling water; cook until potatoes are tender. Melt butter; add flour, milk, cream and seasonings. Combine mixtures, cook five minutes, and serve with crackers which have been previously soaked in milk.

Clam Bisque No. 1

Chop clams, and cook in stock twenty minutes. Melt butter, add onions, cook five minutes; add flour, strained clam liquor, cook five minutes; add seasonings, cream, and serve.