or Leek Soup (_maigre_) is an excellent winter soup. Take a dozen or
more crisp fat leeks--flabby, tough ones are no use--trim away all coarse
pieces, chop up the tender green quite small and simmer in covered pan with
a little butter. Add to quantity required of either white stock or plain
white soup, which should be boiling. Shred down the white of the leeks, fry
in a little more butter, and add twenty minutes later. Cook till quite
tender. If stock is used, some well-washed rice should be added about 30
minutes before serving. If white soup is prepared, it is best to cook the
leeks thoroughly before adding, then merely bring to boil and serve.
Green Pea Soup.
This is a delicious summer soup. Have a clear stock made with fresh green
vegetables, such as lettuce, green onions, spinach, bunch parsley, sprig
mint, &c., the shells wiped clean and about half of the peas--about 2 lbs.
will be needed--reserving the finest. Rub through a sieve, return to
saucepan and bring to boil. Add remainder of peas, boil 15 minutes, and
pour into tureen over an ounce or so of butter. Some may prefer cream in
place of butter, in which case add just before serving, and do not allow to
boil up.
Mock Hare Soup.
Prepare a rich well-flavoured brown stock, rubbing through the greater part
of the German lentils, &c., to make it of a thick creamy consistency. The
flavour will be best if such vegetables as carrot and onion are sliced and
fried brown before boiling. Toast two tablespoonfuls oatmeal and one of
flour to a light brown, mix with it a teaspoonful ground Jamaica pepper and
smooth with a little cold water. Add to the boiling soup and stir till it
boils up again. Mushroom ketchup, a few fried mushrooms, some piquant
sauce, "Extract," &c., &c., may be added or not at discretion.
German Lentil Soup.
Scald 1/2 lb. German lentils for a minute in boiling water, drain and put
on with quantity of boiling water required. Fry some onions, celery, and
tomatoes--if to be had--in a little butter till brown, and add. Simmer
about 2 hours, and rub through a sieve. Add a little ground rice,
cornflour, &c., to keep the pulp from settling to the bottom. A little milk
or cream or ketchup may be added if liked.
Butter Peas Soup.
Cook butter peas as for stew, [Footnote: See page 35. [Butter Peas or
"Midget" Butter Bean, below]] pulp through a sieve and add to quantity of
liquid required, which may be white stock or milk and water, and should be
boiling. Add a small white cauliflower, cut in tiny sprigs (or any tender
fresh vegetables cut small and parboiled separately). Simmer till
cauliflower is just cooked, add some chopped parsley, and serve.
Mock Turtle Soup.
Prepare a quantity of strong, clear, highly-flavoured stock of a
greenish-brown colour. The colour can be obtained by boiling some winter
greens or spinach along with the other things. A few chopped gherkins,
capers, or chillies will give the required piquancy. Have 4 ozs. tapioca
soaked overnight, add to the boiling stock and cook gently till perfectly
clear. Some small quenelles may be poached separately and put in tureen.
Tomato Soup.
When this soup is well made it is a general favourite, but it must be well
made, for it is impossible to appreciate the greasy, yellow,
dish-water-looking liquid which is sometimes served in that name.
Put in a saucepan 2 ozs. butter, and into that shred finely 1/2 or 1 lb.
onions. Add half or more of a tin of tomatoes or about 1 lb. fresh ones
sliced, and a cup of water or stock. Simmer very gently for an hour and rub
through a wire sieve, pressing with the back of a wooden spoon to get all
the pulp through. _Everything_ should go through except the skin and
seeds. Return to clean saucepan with stock or water, and two tablespoonfuls
of tapioca, previously soaked for at least an hour. Stir till it boils and
is quite clear. This soup may be varied in many ways, as by substituting
for the tapioca, crushed vermicelli, ground rice, cornflour, &c. Some
chopped spring onions, chives or leeks, added after straining are a great
improvement, also chopped parsley, while many people like the addition of
milk or cream.