[No. 6.]—Chestnut Soup.
- 1 pound chestnuts.
- 1½ pints water.
- Yolk of one egg, or 1 teaspoon cream.
- 1 onion.
- 1 small turnip.
- 1 ounce butter.
- ½ teaspoon salt.
- 6 peppercorns, and a very small pinch of mixed herbs.
Boil the chestnuts for half an hour. In the meantime dissolve the butter in a stewpan; then fry in it the onion and turnip sliced, add the water flavourings, and chestnuts after removing the shells and skins. Boil one hour. Place the cream or yolk in a basin, strain the soup on to it and stir, then strain it back into the saucepan; re-warm, but do not allow to boil. Pour into the tureen and serve.
[No. 7.]—French Bean Soup.
- 3 pints water.
- 1 pint soaked haricot beans.
- 2 potatoes.
- 1 ounce butter.
- 1 onion.
- 1 pound French beans.
- 1 teaspoon salt.
- 1 dozen peppercorns.
Dissolve the butter in a saucepan and fry in it the potatoes and onion sliced for five minutes, then add the haricot beans and water and boil for two hours. Add the salt, rub through a wire sieve, replace in the pan, add the French beans cut fine, and simmer until tender. Tinned beans do equally well, and only require to be made thoroughly hot.
[No. 8.]—Green Kale Soup.
- 2 pounds green kale.
- 1 onion.
- 1 Spanish ditto.
- 2 potatoes.
- 1 ounce butter.
- 2 teaspoons sago.
- 1 quart water.
- 1 teaspoon salt.
- 1 dozen peppercorns, and a suspicion each of mace and sweet herbs.
Dissolve the butter in a saucepan, and place in it the onions and potatoes sliced; then add water, salt and flavourings, and boil for one hour. In the meantime prepare the kale by picking off all but the tender middle shoots, trim the stalks and throw the kale into salt and water; rinse well and see that it is all quite free from insects, and boil separately in salted water for ten minutes. When the soup has boiled an hour, thicken with the sago and continue stirring ten minutes, strain, return to the saucepan. Strain also the kale, place it on a chopping board and cut small; add it to the soup, boil up and serve.