Soup stock is the liquid in which bones, cooked or uncooked meat and vegetables have been boiled.

Gravies and browned pieces of meat are often added to the soup kettle for color and flavoring.

The stock should be strained, quickly cooled and all fat removed.

A great variety of soups may be made by adding to any soup stock, previously cooked macaroni, spaghetti, vermicelli noodles or vegetables.

Cream soups are made with a cream sauce foundation to which is added the strained pulp of vegetables or fish.

Brown Soup Stock

6 lbs. shin of beef
3 to 6 quarts cold water
1 bay leaf
6 cloves
1 tablespoon mixed herbs
2 sprigs parsley
1/2 cup carrot
1/2 cup turnip
1/2 cup celery
1/2 cup onion

Wipe beef and cut lean meat into inch cubes; brown one-third in hot frying pan; put remaining two-thirds with bone and fat into soup kettle; add water and allow to stand 30 minutes. Place on back of range; add browned meat and heat gradually to boiling point. Cover and cook slowly six hours; add vegetables and seasoning one hour before it is finished. Strain and put away to cool. Remove all fat; reheat and serve.

Bean Soup

2 cups beans
2 tablespoons finely cut onion
2 tablespoons finely cut bacon
1 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
1 teaspoon thyme
3 tablespoons flour

Soak beans in water over night. Drain and put into saucepan with six cups boiling water and boil slowly two hours or until soft; add onion and bacon which have been fried light brown; boil five minutes; add salt, pepper, parsley and thyme. Mash beans with back of spoon and add flour which has been mixed with a little cold water; boil five minutes and serve.

Cream Soups

This is the foundation or sauce for many fish and vegetable cream soups.

1 quart milk
1 tablespoon butter
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon white pepper
2 tablespoons flour
1 cup boiling water

Scald milk and add butter and seasoning; thicken with flour, which has been mixed with little cold water. Thin with boiling water and boil two minutes.

For pea soup boil and mash 1 pint green peas and add to sauce.

For cream of celery boil 1 pint cut celery until tender; rub through sieve, add to milk, and proceed as above.

For potato soup boil and mash 6 large potatoes, stir into milk, proceed as above, and strain. Just before serving stir in a tablespoon chopped parsley.

For corn soup add to sauce a can of corn or corn cut from 6 ears boiled fresh corn, 1 tablespoon sugar, and boil 15 minutes. Strain and serve.

For cream of fish soup add to milk about one pound of boiled fish, which has been put through sieve and proceed as above.

Creole Soup

1/4 cup rice
1/2 cup cut onion
2 tablespoons bacon drippings
2 cups tomatoes
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon sugar
1/8 teaspoon paprika
1 tablespoon cut parsley

Wash rice, add 3 cups boiling water and boil 30 minutes. Cook onions in pan with drippings until tender, but not brown; add tomatoes and boil 10 minutes; rub through strainer into boiled rice and water; add seasoning and sprinkle with parsley. Add a little chopped green pepper if desired.

Cream of Tomato Soup

1 quart tomatoes
1/4 teaspoon soda
4 tablespoons butter
4 tablespoons flour
1 quart milk
1 tablespoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper

Stew tomatoes slowly one-half hour. In the meantime, melt butter, stir in flour and cook over low flame, adding milk slowly; add seasoning. Strain tomatoes; add soda; stir into sauce and serve immediately.

Onion Soup

2 cups finely chopped onion
2 tablespoons butter or bacon drippings
4 cups rice water or vegetable stock
1 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon white pepper
1/8 teaspoon paprika
2 tablespoons chopped parsley

Cook onions and butter or drippings in covered saucepan, shaking pan often. When onions are tender add rice water or stock; boil 5 minutes; add seasoning and chopped parsley.