Vegetable Soup.
Onions, potatoes, carrots, turnips, beets, parsnips, cabbage, cauliflower, pumpkins, squash, etc., should be picked over, washed, pared, and cut into small pieces from a quarter to a half-inch thick, put into a pan of cold water, rinsed and drained. Tomatoes should be scalded, peeled and sliced. Prepare a meat soup as above, and when it has cooked four hours put in all your vegetables except potatoes, which should be put in only about thirty minutes before the soup is done. Stir the soup occasionally to prevent the vegetables from scorching or sticking to the bottom of the pot, and skim frequently. When done take out the vegetables, mash and return them to the soup, boil one minute, season and serve. Canned corn or tomatoes may be used in this soup the same as fresh vegetables.
Deer's Head Soup.
Skin the head and split it in pieces, remove the eyes and brains, and wash thoroughly in cold water. Then cook same as meat soup.
Small Game Soup.
Squirrels, rabbits, and small game generally can be cleaned and split and made into soup as above. When vegetables are added to soup made of small game, the latter should be removed and strained, and the good meat returned to the pot just before the vegetables are put in, leaving out all the bones, skin, gristle, etc.
Rice Soup.
Make a meat soup, with the addition of one sliced onion. Prepare the rice (one-half pound to a gallon of water) by picking it over, washing and draining, and stir it into the soup half an hour before it is done, stirring frequently to prevent burning.
Bean Soup.
Pick over two quarts of beans, wash, and soak them over night in cold water. Scrape clean one pound of salt pork, and cut into thin slices. Drain the beans, put them into six quarts of cold water, with one tablespoonful of soda, and let them boil gently for half an hour, skimming constantly. Then drain off all the water and put in the same amount of fresh boiling water. Boil slowly for an hour and a half, stirring frequently; then put in the pork. When the beans have become tender enough to crack, take out the pork and mash the beans into a paste with a wooden masher or the bottom of a large bottle. Then put all back and boil slowly an hour longer. If no soda is used, longer boiling will be necessary. Bean soup will burn if not constantly stirred. Not much salt, but plenty of pepper should be used for seasoning.