Do not put everything through the colander, (celery and oyster plant,
never). Mastication in connection with soups is an aid to their
digestion as well as being more satisfying.
Use potatoes seldom in any but potato soups; potato water, not at all.
The addition of potatoes to an otherwise wholesome soup might convert
it into a fermentable combination: as well as to remove it from the
dietary of those who cannot use starchy foods.
Cook turnips and carrots by themselves and drain before adding to
soups. The flavor of turnip in soup is often disagreeable.
Utilize the food cutter in preparing vegetables for soups.
As a rule, use oyster plant in slices, ¼ in. thick in the largest part
and a little thicker toward the end; but if desired fine, grind it
before cooking. In this way it retains its characteristic flavor.
Often the best way to thicken a soup is to heat the flour in oil or
butter (without browning) and add some of the hot soup to it as for
gravy, so avoiding a scorched taste.
Dried mushrooms washed well, soaked 2 to 4 hours, simmered 5 m., cut
fine and added, with their juice, give a fine flavor to many soups.
Three or four small pieces are sufficient for 1½ to 2 qts. of soup.
Always keep a quantity of consommé or bouillon on hand, for soups or
sauces, or to pour over hash, or chopped potatoes, or to moisten roasts.
Serve bouillon or consommé in cups with or without the beaten white of
egg in teaspoonfuls on each.
Whipped cream may be added to bouillon just before serving or dropped
by teaspoonfuls on the cups, with a leaf of parsley laid on each.
When soups are lacking in character, the addition of water and salt
will develop a meaty flavor, relieving the “porridgy” taste.
Raw nut butter may be added to any of the combinations of vegetables in
the proportion of 1 or 1½ tablespns. to each quart of soup.
The water drained from boiled peanuts may be used in place of raw nut
butter, taking care not to use too much.
If you should have the thick nut stock, use not more than 2 tablespns.
to each quart of soup.
Use herbs sparingly, some, such as mint and thyme, in minute quantities.
In putting corn through a colander, first crush the kernels in a pan
or grind them through a food cutter, and put a very little into the
colander at a time.
Use poor or top parts of stalks of celery, crushed, for flavoring soups.
Okra is a valuable addition to some soups, tomato soups especially.
When using it, take about ¼ less water for the soup, and add from ¼-½
of a pint can to each pint of soup. Heat carefully and serve at once.
The water from spinach is an invaluable addition to vegetable soups,
and with the addition of a little cream it alone makes a delightful
broth. The water from nearly all greens is desirable in soups.
A little stewed asparagus adds very much to any vegetable soup or
chowder.
If soup has thickened by standing, add water or milk before serving.