One ladleful of soup is sufficient for each plate. It is quite an art to
take up a ladleful and pour it into the soup-plate without dropping any
on the edge of the tureen or plate, and it requires a steady hand to
pass the plate without slopping the soup up on the rim. Dip the ladle
into the soup, take it up, and when the drop has fallen from the bottom
of it, lift it over quickly but empty it slowly.
Croûtons and crackers lose their crispness if put into the tureen with
the soup, and should therefore be passed separately.