All soups are better to be made with fresh uncooked meat, as that which has been cooked once has lost much of its flavor and nearly all its juices. It is therefore better economy to hash or spice your cold meat, and buy fresh for soup.

Soup should not boil very hard, as that has a tendency to toughen the meat.

Fat meat is not so proper nor healthy for soup as the leaner parts of the finest meat. The fat does not impart much flavor, and is not palatable.

Soup may be kept till the next day; before it is heated over again, skim off the cake of fat which congeals on the top. It is often preferred one day old to the day it is cooked.

BEEF SOUP.

1. Crack the bone of a shin of beef, and put it on to boil in one quart of water to every pound of meat, and a large tea spoonful of salt to each quart of water. Let it boil two hours, and skim it well. Then add four turnips pared and cut in quarters, four onions pared and sliced, two carrots scraped and cut in slices, one root of celery cut in small pieces, and one bunch of sweet herbs; which should be washed and tied with a thread, as they are to be taken out when the soup is served. When the vegetables are tender, take out the meat, strain off the soup and return it to the pot again, thicken it with a little flour mixed with water; then add some parsley finely chopped, with more salt and pepper to the taste, and some dumplings, made of a tea spoonful of butter to two of flour, moistened with a little water or milk. Drop these dumplings into the boiling soup; let them boil five minutes and serve them with the soup in the tureen. Noodles may be substituted for the dumplings. For directions for making them see No. 11.

VEAL SOUP.

2. Take a knuckle of veal, put it in a pot with four quarts of water, and add a tea spoonful of salt to each quart. Pare and slice three onions, four turnips, two carrots, a bunch of sweet herbs, and a small portion of celery. Let the veal boil one hour, then add the above vegetables. When they are tender, strain the soup. Put it in the pot it was boiled in, thicken the soup with some flour mixed smoothly with a little water, and add a little parsley finely chopped. Make some dumplings of a tea spoonful of butter to two of flour, and milk or water enough to make a very soft dough. Drop them into the boiling soup. They should be about as large as a hickory-nut, when they are put in. If noodles are preferred, they may be put in and boiled ten minutes. For directions for making them see No. 11. Dish the meat with the vegetables around it. Drawn butter may be served with it, or any other meat sauce.

PEPPER-POT.

3. Cut in small pieces four pounds of tripe, put it on to boil in as much water as will cover it, allowing a tea spoonful of salt to every quart of water. Let it boil three hours, then have ready four calves feet, which have been dressed with the skin on. Put them into the pot with the tripe and add as much water as will cover them; also four onions sliced, and a small bunch of sweet herbs chopped finely. Half an hour before the pepper-pot is done add four potatoes cut in pieces; when these are tender add two ounces of butter rolled in flour, and season the soup highly with cayenne pepper. Make some dumplings of flour and butter and a little water—drop them into the soup; when the vegetables are sufficiently soft, serve it.

The calves feet may be served with or without drawn butter.

Any kind of spice may be added. If allspice or cloves are used, the grains should be put in whole.

CHICKEN SOUP.

4. Wash a fine large chicken, put it in a pot and cover it with water with a little salt. Pick and wash two table spoonsful of rice, a bunch of sweet herbs, washed, and tied with a thread, two onions, and a little celery cut fine. Add these to the chicken as soon as it begins to boil. When the chicken is tender add a small bunch of parsley finely minced; let it boil a few minutes and then serve it. Season with pepper and salt to the taste. Serve the chicken with drawn butter. Some like allspice in this soup. If you should like it add a tea spoonful of the whole grains.

Noodles or dumplings may be substituted in place of the rice. To make noodles see No. 11. The dumplings are made with a tea spoonful of butter, two of flour, and water enough to form a soft dough. Take a tea spoonful of the dough and drop into the boiling soup. Let them boil a few minutes.

Pearl barley may be used instead of rice.

LAMB SOUP.

5. Take a neck and breast of lamb, wash it, and to each pound of meat add a quart of water, and a tea spoonful of salt. Pare and slice two onions, two carrots, four turnips, two or three potatoes and a bunch of sweet herbs. Add all these to the meat after it has boiled one hour. If in the proper season add three or four tomatoes or half a dozen ochras.

When the vegetables are done, take out the meat, and add some flour mixed to a smooth paste with a little water. Noodles or dumplings may be added, as for beef soup. Some thicken lamb soup with a little rice put in the pot with the lamb.

OYSTER SOUP.

6. Take one hundred oysters out of the liquor. To half of the liquor add an equal quantity of water. Boil it with one tea spoonful of crushed allspice, a little mace, some cayenne pepper and salt. Let it boil twenty minutes, then strain it, put it back in the stew pan and add the oysters. As soon as it begins to boil, add a tea cupful of cream, and a little grated cracker rubbed in one ounce of butter. As soon as the oysters are plump, serve them.

CLAM SOUP.

7. Wash the shells of the clams and put them in a pot without any water. Cover the pot closely to keep in the steam; as soon as the clams are opened which will be in a few minutes, take them out of the shells and proceed as directed for oyster soup.

GREEN CORN SOUP.

8. Put on a knuckle of veal to boil in three quarts of water, and three tea spoonsful of salt. Cut the corn off of one dozen ears, and put it on to boil with the veal. When the veal is tender the soup is done. Then roll an ounce of butter in flour and add to it before it is served. If the fire has been very hot and the water has boiled away too much, a little more may be added.

PEA SOUP.

9. This is made in the same manner as the green corn soup, only the peas must not be put in till about half an hour before the meat is done. A quart of peas will be requisite to make a dish of soup.

SUCCOTASH.

10. One quart of green corn cut off the cob, one quart of lima beans, and two pounds of pickled pork. If the pork should be very salt, soak it an hour before it is put on to boil. Put the pork on to boil and let it be about half cooked before the vegetables are put in. Then put in the corn (which must be cut off the cob) and the beans; let them boil till they are tender. Take all up, put the meat on a dish and the vegetables in a tureen. It should be a very thick soup when done.

TO MAKE NOODLES FOR SOUP.

11. Beat up an egg and to it add as much flour as will make a very stiff dough. Roll it out in a thin sheet, flour it, and roll it up closely, as you would do a sheet of paper. Then with a sharp knife cut it in shavings about like cabbage for slaw; flour these cuttings to prevent them from adhering to each other, and add them to your soup whilst it is boiling. Let them boil ten minutes.

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