(c) Boil the day before it is wanted 1½ pint split peas in 3 qt. stock, from which every atom of fat has been removed; put in ¼ teaspoonful baking soda, and boil till the peas are thoroughly dissolved; strain the soup. Next day take 2 large tablespoonfuls corn-flour, ½ teaspoonful curry powder, well mixed in ½ pint cream, and 2 lumps sugar; boil 5 minutes, and serve with toasted bread cut into dice, handed round. Or rub as much butter into 2 tablespoonfuls of flour as you can, form into balls, and with 2 lumps of sugar and 1 pint milk, add to the soup; boil ¼ hour; have some chopped mint in the tureen; pour boiling soup over, and serve, either with or without toasted bread. The soup may be varied also by adding different spices, such as Jamaica pepper or cloves; and a little made mustard is a great improvement stirred into your plate of peasoup. Salt stock, such as that in which salt meat, or tongue, or a piece of ham, has been boiled (if not too salt) is best for peasoup.
(d) Soak a quantity of peas in water for 24 hours. Throw the water away, and put the peas in a saucepan with 2 onions stuck with cloves, a bunch of thyme and parsley, 2 bay leaves, whole pepper, and salt to taste. Fill up the saucepan with cold water, and set the contents to boil until the peas are thoroughly done. Drain off the water, pass the peas through a hair sieve, and work them in a saucepan on the fire with a piece of butter, until the purée is quite hot, moistening with a little stock if too stiff. A piece of bacon boiled with the peas is an improvement.
Pear Soup.—Peel and slice 6 pears, boil them soft in 3 pints water, with a few cloves and a sliced roll. Strain through a coarse sieve, and reboil with sugar, a glass or two of wine, and the juice of a lemon. Serve with sponge cake.
Plum Soup.—Brown some flour in butter; stir in water to thin it. Put in plums with some cinnamon or cloves. Let them boil to a mash, strain them, and add sugar, with equal parts wine and water—about 1 pint each to 1 qt. plums. Throw in a few whole plums, and simmer again till these are softened, but not broken. Add slices of toast a minute or two before serving.
Polish Soup (barszcz).—Fill a good-sized jar with slices of beetroot cut in pieces, and cover them with cold water, to which should be added a slice of bread. The jar should then be covered, and left until the juice, which becomes a deep vermilion colour, is fermented and has a sour taste. In warm weather 3 days will suffice for this, in winter it takes 5-6. The ferment which rises to the top must be removed, and the juice passed through a sieve. It is then boiled with an equal proportion of strong beef stock, to which is added small pieces of ham. The soup comes to table looking clear and red, and for variety may be made pink by adding a pint of sour cream. (H.) See also p. [506].
Pomeranian Soup.—1 qt. white beans must be boiled soft in water; mash half of them, thin with broth, and work through a sieve. Let boil with the broth to a smooth soup, in which has been boiled a head of celery cut small. Add the whole beans, a mild seasoning of sweet herbs, some parsley, salt and pepper. Let all boil ¼ hour, and serve.
Poor Man’s Soup.—See Potato Soup.
Potato Soup (Parmentier, pauvre homme).—(a) Put 1 oz. butter into a saucepan with 3 large onions, shred fine, and fry them a pale brown colour; add 1 teaspoonful flour, stir for a few minutes, but do not allow the mixture to darken; then add 1 qt. common stock previously flavoured with carrots, turnips, celery, leeks, and parsley boiled in it; stir until soup boils, and season to taste with pepper and salt. Peel 1 or 2 potatoes, cut them into small dice, and put to boil with the soup. Cut some crust of bread in long pieces the size, and half the length of, French beans, dry them in the oven, and at the time of serving throw them into the soup; then stir into it off the fire the yolks of 2 eggs, beaten up with a little milk, and strained.
(b) Peel 8-10 large potatoes, 3 onions, 2 heads of celery, 1 turnip, 1 carrot, a slice of ham or lean bacon, cut all in small squares; boil them with some broth; when done, rub all through the sieve, and season with pepper and salt.
(c) Boil some potatoes in water with an onion, a head of celery, and salt to taste; when done pass them through a hair sieve, and put them into a saucepan with a lump of butter, adding sufficient stock to bring them to the consistency of soup. Let it boil up, season with pepper and salt, and at the time of serving throw in either minced parsley or small sprigs of chervil. Small dice of bread, fried in butter, to be served in or with the soup.