Main-dish soup
3 or 4 pounds meaty soupbones (beef or veal shank or shortribs)
Drippings or other fat
Bay leaf, if desired
3 cups diced vegetables
Salt and pepper
Have bones cracked and remove small slivers. Brown in fat in a large kettle. Cover with water, add bay leaf, and simmer until meat is tender enough to fall from bones—3 to 4 hours.
Add vegetables such as onion, carrots, and potatoes during the last half hour of cooking.
Remove bones from broth. Cut up meat and add to the soup. Season to taste.
Menu Suggestion
Serve with green salad and fruit pie. If there isn’t much meat, serve cottage cheese salad or serve cheese with pie.
For Variety
Onion Soup.—Omit other vegetables. Slice 4 medium-sized onions and brown in drippings before adding to the meat broth. Serve piping hot, topped with toasted bread sprinkled with grated cheese—the traditional French way of serving.
Beet Soup.—To 1 quart broth and meat add 2 large beets, grated or ground, 1 cup chopped cabbage, and 2 chopped onions. Simmer until vegetables are tender. Season with salt and pepper. Top each serving with sour cream.