3 pints of chestnuts peeled and skinned, 2 Spanish onions, 6 potatoes, 2 turnips cut up in dice, 1 teaspoonful of thyme, 1 dessertspoonful of vinegar, 2 oz. of grated cheese, 1 oz. of butter,
2 quarts of water, pepper and salt to taste. Boil the chestnuts and vegetables gently until quite tender, which will take 1-1/2 hours. Rub them through a sieve and return the soup to the saucepan; add the butter; vinegar, and pepper and salt to taste. Let it boil 10 minutes, and sift in the cheese before serving.
SPINACH SOUP.
2 lbs. of spinach, 1 chopped up onion, 1 oz. of butter, 1 pint of milk, the juice of 1 lemon, 1-1/2 oz. of Allinson fine wheatmeal, and pepper and salt to taste. This will make about 3 pints of soup. Wash the spinach well, and cook it in 1 pint of water with the onion and seasoning. When the spinach is quite soft, rub all through a sieve. Mix the wheatmeal with the melted butter as in the previous recipe, stir into it the spinach, add the milk; boil all up, and add the lemon juice last of all. If the soup is too thick, add a little water.
SPRING SOUP.
2 carrots, 1 turnip, 1/2 head celery, 10 small spring onions, 1 tea-cup of cauliflower cut into little branches, heart of small white cabbage lettuce, small handful of sorrel, 1 leaf each of chervil and of tarragon, 1/4 pint of peas, 1/4 pint asparagus points, 1/4 pint croutons, 1 quart of water. Cut the carrots and turnip into small rounds, or to shape; add them with the chopped-up celery, whole onions, and cauliflower, to a quart of water, and bring to the boil; simmer for 1/2 an hour. Stamp the sorrel and lettuce into small round pieces, and add them with the leaf of chervil and tarragon to the soup, together with 1 teaspoonful of sugar. When all is quite tender add the peas and asparagus points, freshly cooked; serve with croutons.
SUMMER SOUP.
1 cucumber, 2 cabbage lettuces, 1 onion, small handful of spinach, a piece of mint, 1 pint shelled peas, 2 oz. butter. Wash and cut up the lettuces, also cut up the cucumber and onion, put them into a stewpan, together with 1/2 pint of peas, the mint, and butter. Cover with about 1 quart of cold water, bring to the boil, and simmer gently for 3 hours. Then strain off the liquid and pass the vegetables through a sieve. Add them to the liquid again, and set on the fire. Season and add 1/2 pint green peas previously boiled.
TAPIOCA AND TOMATO SOUP.
2 oz. of tapioca, 1 lb. of tomatoes, 1 carrot, 1 turnip, 1 teaspoonful of herbs, 1 blade of mace, 1 oz. of butter, pepper and salt to taste, and 3 pints of water. Peel, wash, and cut up finely the vegetables and stew them in the butter for 10 minutes. Add the water, the tomatoes skinned and cut in slices, the herbs and seasoning to taste; when the soup is boiling, sprinkle in the tapioca, let all cook until quite tender, pass the soup through a sieve, return it to the saucepan, and boil it up before serving.