Bran tea, made in the proportion of a pint of bran to three quarts of water, is used by many vegetarians as a foundation for soup. Butter should be used generously with it.
A broth made from white beans is also good where a white stock is required. Pick over the beans carefully, soak over night, drain and add fresh water in the morning—three pints of water to a pint of beans—cook gently until tender. If it is to be used as a stock, strain without mashing the beans. If the water they are boiled in is hard, a small pinch of soda will soften it.
CREAM OF JERUSALEM ARTICHOKES.
Wash and peel enough artichokes to make a pint when cut in slices. Put them in a saucepan with a tablespoonful of butter, let them simmer in this for a few minutes without taking color, then cover with water and boil until tender. Rub through a sieve, put back on the stove with a quart of milk, and a tablespoonful of butter rubbed into a tablespoonful—slightly heaping—of flour, season to taste with salt and pepper, let it come to a boil. Remove from the fire and add two egg yolks, beaten with half a cup of cream, stir rapidly, and serve at once.
CREAM OF ASPARAGUS.
Prepare a bunch of asparagus in the usual way for cooking, cut off the points about an inch in length and put aside. Cover the stalks and half an onion cut in slices, with boiling water, cook until tender and press through a purÉe sieve with the water they were boiled in. Melt a good tablespoonful of butter in a saucepan, and stir into it half a tablespoonful of flour, add the purÉe of asparagus and let it come to a boil, season with salt and pepper to taste. Have the asparagus points cooked tender in a little water. Have ready a pint of boiling milk, remove both from the fire and stir the milk into the soup, put the asparagus points into the tureen. Beat two egg yolks with four tablespoonfuls of cream, stir quickly into the soup and pour into the tureen.
CREAM OF LIMA BEANS.
Put over the fire a quart of lima beans in boiling water to cover them; when nearly tender add a bay leaf, half a white onion, and salt and white pepper to taste. Let them cook until very tender, remove from the fire, and mash through a colander with the water in which they were boiled. Put back in the saucepan on the range, let it come to a boil, then add a heaping tablespoonful of butter and a pint of boiling milk, stir well, remove and press through a purÉe sieve that it may be smooth. Beat four tablespoonfuls of cream, add when the soup is in the tureen and serve immediately. This soup is very nice when made from the best canned lima beans, using two cans and following the recipe as above.
CREAM OF CAULIFLOWER.
Cut one small cauliflower into flowerettes, reserve a tablespoonful, put the rest into a saucepan with three cups of boiling water, one small white onion, half a small celeriac cut in slices, and a bay leaf. Cook together ten minutes, drain and put the vegetables into a double boiler with two heaping tablespoonfuls of butter, a heaping tablespoonful of flour, salt and pepper to taste; steam for ten minutes. Put the flowerettes into the water the vegetables were boiled in and cook until tender, remove and put aside to keep warm, measure the water and add sufficient from the kettle to make two cupfuls, pour this over the vegetables, cook until tender and press through a fine sieve. Bring two cups of milk to the boiling point, turn the purÉe into this, let it boil up once, remove from the fire. Beat two egg yolks and four tablespoonfuls of rich cream together, add some of the soup to this, then mix all together, turn into the tureen, add the flowerettes and serve at once.
CREAM OF CELERY.
Take of the coarser parts of celery as much as will make two heads, wash and cut in pieces, put in a saucepan with half an onion cut in slices and cover with boiling water. Cook until tender and press through a sieve with the water in which it was boiled. Make a roux of butter and flour as in other cream soups, add the purÉe to it and as much boiling milk as will make it the proper consistency. Season with salt and pepper, and finish with a beaten egg yolk and two tablespoonfuls of cream, adding this after the soup has been removed from the fire.
CREAM OF CHESTNUTS.
Shell and blanch a pint of large French chestnuts. Put them in a saucepan and almost cover them with boiling water, cook until tender. Before they are quite done add a little salt. When done remove from the fire, rub through a purÉe sieve with the water they were boiled in. Melt a generous heaping tablespoonful of butter with an even tablespoonful of flour and add to it by degrees a pint of boiling milk, let it cook until thick, then stir in the chestnut purÉe and salt and pepper to taste. Let it come to a boil and serve.
CREAM OF CUCUMBERS.
Peel and cut into slices four cucumbers and one small white onion, put in a saucepan with enough boiling water to cover them, cook until tender, press through a fine sieve and pour into a saucepan, stand where it will keep hot without cooking. Have a cream sauce ready, made by melting two heaping tablespoonfuls of butter in a saucepan with two tablespoonfuls of flour, let them cook together until the mixture no longer adheres to the pan, then add gradually a quart of milk, an even teaspoonful of white pepper, a heaping teaspoonful of salt, let it boil for a few minutes until thick and pour into the cucumber purÉe, add two tablespoonfuls of rich cream, let it come to the boiling point, and serve at once. This is a very delicate soup, and cooking or standing on the stove after it is done will spoil it. Groult's potato flour is nicer for thickening cream soups than the common flour, but, if used, only half the quantity called for in the recipes is needed.
CREAM OF SUMMER SQUASH.
Peel the squash, slice thin, put in a saucepan and add boiling water to come nearly to the top of the squash. When nearly tender add an onion, a bay leaf and several sprigs of parsley. When tender mash through a fine sieve, return to the fire, let it come to a boil, stir in a heaping tablespoonful of butter, a heaping teaspoonful of flour, season with salt and pepper and a tiny pinch of mace. Have almost as much boiling milk as purÉe, remove from the fire and stir together, add two tablespoonfuls of cream, and serve at once.
CREAM OF LETTUCE.
Take two heads of nice, fresh lettuce, wash and drain and chop fine with half a small white onion, put in a saucepan with two heaping tablespoonfuls of butter, cook for about ten minutes, stirring all the time, then add two heaping tablespoonfuls of rice and a quart of milk. Let it boil for twenty minutes until the rice is perfectly tender, remove from the fire and press through a purÉe sieve, using a small potato masher, then strain and press again through a fine hair sieve; this will make it smooth. Season with salt to taste and a dash of cayenne pepper, and a small half teaspoonful of sugar. Put in a fresh saucepan, rub together two heaping teaspoonfuls of butter and an even teaspoonful of cornstarch and stir into the soup. Let it come to the boiling point and remove from the fire, adding at the last moment a quarter of a cupful of whipped cream. Serve with or without fried croutons.
CREAM OF MUSHROOMS.
Wash one pound of mushrooms, skin and stem them. Put the skins and stems in a saucepan with a cup of boiling water and boil ten minutes, strain and add to this water the mushroom flaps chopped very fine, and cook until tender, then press through a fine sieve. Melt two large heaping tablespoonfuls of butter in a saucepan, and stir into it two heaping tablespoonfuls of flour, and when smooth add a quart of rich milk, a whole clove of garlic, salt and pepper to taste. When it boils and thickens add the mushroom stock, let it boil up once, remove the clove of garlic, turn the soup into the tureen and serve.
CREAM OF GREEN PEAS.
Put a quart of green peas into a saucepan with a slice of white onion, cover with boiling water and cook until tender. Remove from the fire and press through a purÉe sieve with the water in which they were boiled. Return to the saucepan, set it back on the stove, let it come to a boil, add a pint of rich milk, salt and white pepper to taste, a dash of cayenne, and a large, generous tablespoonful of butter rubbed into an even tablespoonful of flour, adding a little of the liquid before stirring into the soup. Let it come to a boil, and add two tablespoonfuls of whipped cream just as it is poured into the tureen.
CREAM OF RICE.
Wash carefully a third of a cup of rice and put it on the fire in a pint of boiling water with a white onion and a stick of celery, let it cook slowly for an hour, then stir in a quart of milk and let it come to a boil, add a heaping tablespoonful of butter, and press through a purÉe sieve. Put the soup back on the fire while beating an egg yolk with two tablespoonfuls of cream and a teaspoonful of parsley minced very fine. Remove the soup from the fire, stir in the egg and cream, pour into the tureen and serve.
CREAM OF SPINACH.
Take two large handfuls of spinach, after it is washed and picked over, a small head of lettuce, a few sprigs of parsley, and a small white onion peeled and sliced. Put in a saucepan over the fire with a tablespoonful of butter, a dozen peppercorns and two cloves, and a very little boiling water, cover and stand it where the vegetables will only simmer. When they are tender rub together a generous heaping tablespoonful of butter and a heaping tablespoonful of flour, and stir it into the vegetables. Add a little boiling water, mash the vegetables smooth and press them through a fine sieve. Have the purÉe as thick as possible, return to the saucepan. Have ready a pint of boiling milk, beat two egg yolks with four tablespoonfuls of cream, pour a little of the boiling milk into them, and the rest into the purÉe, remove from the fire at once, then add the eggs and cream, pour into the tureen and serve immediately.
CARROT SOUP.
Take half a dozen small French carrots, wash and scrape them, put in a saucepan with boiling water and cook until tender, remove from the fire, mix with milk and press through a sieve. Melt two ounces of butter in a saucepan and rub into it a slightly heaping tablespoonful of flour, add a few grains of cayenne pepper, and stir in a little at a time the carrot purÉe until smooth like cream, add a few slices of cooked celery root (celeriac), and salt to taste, and pour into the purÉe. A tablespoonful of sherry, if liked, may be added. Serve with fried croutons.
CELERIAC SOUP.
Wash, peel and slice three celery roots, put them in a saucepan, cover with boiling water, cook until tender, and mash them through a purÉe sieve with the water in which they were boiled. Melt a good heaping tablespoonful of butter, stir into it a small tablespoonful of flour, and add to it the celery purÉe, season with a little cayenne pepper and salt to taste. Add three-quarters of a cup of macaroni previously boiled in water. As soon as it comes to a boil remove from the fire and add as much boiling milk as will make it the proper consistency. Beat two egg yolks with half a cup of cream and stir in quickly just before pouring the soup into the tureen. Care must be taken to do this off the fire, as celery soup is liable to curdle.
MOCK CLAM SOUP.
Soak a pint of marrowfat beans over night in water enough to cover them. In the morning drain, and put them on the fire with a small onion and a gallon of cold water, boil until tender and strain. Add to the stock a little summer savory, two ounces of butter and a cup of cream or rich milk, season with salt and pepper. When the soup comes to a boil, cut two slices of toast into dice, and four hard-boiled eggs in slices, put in the tureen and pour the soup over them and serve.
CORN AND TOMATO SOUP.
Grate the corn from six ears of sweet corn. Put the cobs into a quart and a pint of water and cook until all the sweetness is extracted—about half an hour. Remove the cobs and add a pint of tomatoes after they are skinned and sliced, a small onion cut in slices, a French carrot cut in dice, a quarter of a green pepper chopped fine, and the grated corn. Let it cook slowly until all are tender. Stir in two good tablespoonfuls of butter, salt and pepper to taste, pour into the tureen and serve.
SOUP CRÉCY.
Take three large carrots, wash and scrape and cut them into slices, put them in a saucepan with half an onion, a stick of celery, and a bay leaf, more than cover with boiling water and cook until tender. Remove from the fire, take out the bay leaf and rub the vegetables through a sieve with the water they were boiled in. Put back in the saucepan. Rub a generous tablespoonful of butter with half a tablespoonful of flour, and stir into the purÉe, add to it a cup and a half of boiling milk, stir until thick, add pepper and salt to taste. Take from the fire, and stir into it one egg yolk beaten with two tablespoonfuls of cream. Serve at once.
CURRY SOUP.
Prepare for cooking two small white onions, two French carrots and half a turnip cut in slices, and cook slowly in a pint of boiling water until they fall to pieces, cook with them until tender a celeriac root, remove from the other vegetables and put one side. Melt two ounces of butter in a saucepan, and stir in a slightly heaping tablespoonful of flour, an even dessertspoonful of curry powder, mix well together and then add a pint of milk. Strain the vegetables through a fine sieve, but do not press them, and add the stock therefrom to the milk, etc., in the saucepan, and salt to taste. Beat half a cup of cream with two egg yolks until light, remove the soup from the fire, mix a little of it with the eggs and cream, turn it back into the saucepan, stir well together and pour at once into the tureen in which you have already placed the celeriac cut in slices. If liked, two tablespoonfuls of Madeira may be added just before the soup is turned into the tureen. Serve with croutons.
MOCK FISH SOUP.
It is better to prepare the balls for this soup first, as follows: Put in a saucepan a tablespoonful of white flour and two tablespoonfuls of Groult's potato flour, stir together and add a tablespoonful of butter and a cup of milk, mix all together and place on the stove where it is not very hot. Stir constantly until it is smooth and no longer sticks to the pan, remove from the fire, let it cool, and beat in two eggs, one at a time, season with a dash of cayenne, a few grains of powdered mace, a few drops of onion juice, a little salt and half a teaspoonful of sugar. These balls must be seasoned very delicately. Cook and drain as the spinach balls are done, using a teaspoon instead of a tablespoon. Put to one side while the soup is being made. For the soup take three French carrots, half a parsnip, half a white onion and a little green pepper chopped fine, cover with boiling water and cook until tender. Melt a generous tablespoonful of butter in a saucepan, and when it bubbles stir into it a small tablespoonful of flour, then add three cups of milk and let it come to a boil. When the vegetables are tender stir them into the thickened milk with the water they were boiled in, together with half a teaspoonful of sugar and salt and pepper to taste. Then put the balls in and let the soup come to a boil, add a teaspoonful of finely minced parsley and remove from the fire. Have one egg yolk beaten with two tablespoonfuls of cream and stir in carefully so as not to break the balls just before turning the soup into the tureen.
A NORWEGIAN SWEET SOUP.
Put a quarter of a cup of rice into three cups of boiling water with a small stick of cinnamon, and let it boil nearly an hour. About fifteen minutes before it is done add half a cup of raisins stoned. Beat two egg yolks with a heaping tablespoonful of sugar until white and creamy, then stir into them about half a cup of sweet cider, remove the soup from the fire, add a little of it to the eggs and cider, stir well, and mix all together rapidly and serve at once. Two tablespoonfuls of good sherry improves it.
ONION SOUP.
Melt two tablespoonfuls of butter in a spider, when it bubbles add four large onions, washed, skinned and cut in slices, let them simmer without browning about half an hour, then stir in a slightly heaping tablespoonful of flour. When it thickens pour in gradually a pint and a half of boiling milk, season with salt and pepper to taste, press through a purÉe sieve, and return to the fire. While it is getting hot, beat together two egg yolks and half a cup of cream, remove from the stove and stir the eggs and cream into it rapidly, pour at once into the tureen and serve.
SOUP OF GREEN PEAS.—No. 1.
Take from a pint of green peas two heaping tablespoonfuls and set aside. Put the rest in a saucepan with half a white onion, in boiling water. Cover tightly, letting them cook until quite tender, then mash through a purÉe sieve with the water in which they were boiled and using a little more to take out all that is good of the peas through the sieve. Put back on the stove, rub a good heaping tablespoonful of butter with a small tablespoonful of flour and add to the purÉe of peas. Have a heaping tablespoonful of turnips and two of carrots cut into dice and cooked in as little water as possible, and the two tablespoonfuls of peas cooked until tender, add to the soup with half a teaspoonful of sugar and pepper and salt to taste. Let all this cook together while enough milk to make the soup the proper consistency is coming to a boil. Mix together, add a teaspoonful of finely minced parsley, pour into the tureen and serve.
SOUP OF GREEN PEAS.—No. 2.
Put one quart of green peas over the fire in three quarts of boiling water with three French carrots, a small turnip cut into dice and a small white onion chopped. Cover tightly and let the vegetables cook until tender. Rub two ounces of butter with a small tablespoonful of flour, add a little of the soup to this to thin it and then stir all together, add an even tablespoonful of finely minced parsley, an even teaspoonful of sugar, and salt and pepper to taste; let it come to a boil and then serve.
POTATO SOUP.
Take four large potatoes, peel and boil them tender in water, mash very fine with a small tablespoonful of butter, add as much boiling milk as will make it the right consistency. Boil in as little water as possible one tablespoonful of turnips and two of carrots cut into dice; when tender turn all into the soup, add a little cayenne and salt to taste. Just before serving beat a quarter of a cup of cream with one egg yolk, remove the soup from the fire and stir the two together as in other cream soups, and serve at once with fried croutons.
PURÉE OF VEGETABLES.
Cut fine three onions, one turnip, two French carrots and four potatoes, put in a saucepan with four tablespoonfuls of butter and a little parsley; let them cook about ten minutes, then add a tablespoonful of flour. Stir well and add two quarts of boiling milk, season with salt and pepper and a tiny bit of sugar, and when it boils take out the parsley, press the soup through a sieve and serve with croutons of fried bread.
PURÉE OF TURNIPS.
Peel and slice some young turnips, add an onion and carrot sliced, cover with boiling water and cook until tender. Mash them in the water and press through a fine sieve. To a pint of the purÉe have a pint of boiling milk. Return the purÉe to the fire, and stir into it a large heaping tablespoonful of butter and a small pinch of mace. Take the milk from the stove and stir briskly into it two egg yolks beaten with two tablespoonfuls of cream, then remove the purÉe from the stove and stir the eggs and milk into it, season to taste with salt and pepper and serve.
VEGETABLE SOUP.
One cup and a half of green peas, three small French carrots, and a small cauliflower cut into flowerettes, one pint of milk, half a cup of cream, a good half tablespoonful of flour, one tablespoonful of butter, and the yolks of two eggs. Wash and scrape the carrots, cut in thin slices and boil each vegetable by itself in as little water as possible. When the carrots and peas are done put them together in a saucepan with the water in which they were cooked, add the milk, put the saucepan on the fire and let it come to a boil, rub the butter and flour together, mix with a little milk and stir into the vegetables. Drain the water well from the flowerettes, and just before serving put them in the tureen. Beat the yolks of eggs and the cream together in a bowl, remove the soup from the fire, add a little of it to the eggs and cream, then turn them into the soup, stir well and pour it into the tureen.
TOMATO SOUP.
Put a generous tablespoonful of butter in a saucepan, when it is hot add half an onion chopped fine, let it stew gently for a few minutes, then add a pint of canned tomatoes, cook half an hour. Rub a heaping tablespoonful of flour and one of butter smoothly together and stir into the tomatoes. Have ready a pint of boiling milk, pour the tomatoes into a purÉe sieve with the boiling milk and rub through the sieve. Season with salt and pepper and a very little sugar. Return to the fire, make it hot, but be careful not to let it boil, as it will curdle. Serve at once with croutons.
BARLEY SOUP.
Put a quarter of a cup of well washed barley with a bay leaf and a small blade of mace into a pint and a half of cold water, boil slowly for three hours. Take out the bay leaf and mace and add a small onion cut fine, two French carrots cut in dice, and cook until tender, then add a pint of milk, a good heaping tablespoonful of butter, salt and pepper to taste, let it come to a boil, remove from the fire and stir into it one egg yolk beaten with two tablespoonfuls of cream.
BLACK BEAN SOUP WITH MOCK MEAT BALLS.
Soak over night a pint of black beans in a quart of water. In the morning drain, and cover with fresh water, set the saucepan on the stove; when the water comes to a boil drain it off and add a quart of fresh water. Cut fine an onion, and with a few slices of carrot and turnip and green pepper fry in a heaping tablespoonful of butter, add to the beans with a bay leaf half a dozen peppercorns, two cloves, cook until tender, press through a sieve, return to the fire, and if it is too thick add more water. Have a hard boiled egg and half a lemon cut into dice, and meat balls made from recipe given for mock meat the size of hickory nuts and boiled in water as other balls are cooked. Drop the balls into the soup, and when hot pour the soup over the lemon and egg in the tureen and serve.
