Barley Soup. Time—4 hours.
2 quarts water or pot-liquor, ¼ lb. pearl barley, 2 onions, 2 carrots, a
little chopped parsley; salt and pepper to taste.
Prepare the vegetables, put them with the other ingredients into a
saucepan, and simmer gently for 3 or 4 hours.
Brown Onion Soup. Time—1½ hour.
3 onions, 1 oz. dripping, 1 teaspoonful flour, 1½ pint water or
pot-liquor; pepper, salt and soy to taste.
Skin the onions, cut them into small dice, heat the dripping, and throw
in the onions, shaking them about over the fire till they are golden
brown (they must be coloured very slowly or some pieces will get too
dark). When they are brown stir in the flour carefully, and add the
water or pot-liquor. Simmer for an hour, then rub through a sieve,
return to the saucepan, add a little soy, pepper and salt to taste, and
boil for 3 minutes before serving.
If these directions are carefully followed this soup is equal to one
made from good stock.
Carrot Soup. Time—1½ hour.
1 quart water or pot-liquor, 1½ lb. carrots, 4 onions, 2 oz. dripping;
salt and pepper to taste.
Prepare the vegetables, slice them, then fry them in the dripping. Add
the water or pot-liquor, salt and pepper. Boil till the vegetables are
tender, then pulp through a sieve into a basin. Heat again and serve
with fried bread.
Lentil Soup. Time—3 or 4 hours.
5 pints water, 1 pint red lentils, 1 onion, 3 sticks of celery or some
celery seed, 1 oz. dripping; pepper and salt to taste.
The lentils must be soaked all night in cold water. Melt the dripping in
a saucepan, fry the lentils, sliced onion, and celery cut in small
pieces. Stir over the fire for 5 minutes. Then add the water and boil
gently, stirring occasionally, till the lentils are quite soft. Pass all
through a sieve, return to the saucepan, add the pepper and salt, and
heat again.
Pea Soup. Time—2½ hours.
1 pint split peas, 2 onions, 1 carrot, 1 turnip, 3 sticks celery, 2
quarts water or pot-liquor; salt and pepper to taste. Bones or trimmings
from meat are a great improvement.
Soak the peas over-night; next morning put them on in the cold water or
pot-liquor. Bring to the boil, and then add the prepared vegetables,
bones, and seasoning. Skim well, and boil for 1½ hour, stirring
occasionally. Remove the bones, and pulp the soup through a sieve. Heat
it again, and serve with dried mint and fried bread.
Spinach Soup. Time—2 hours.
3 lbs. spinach, 1 quart water or stock, salt and pepper to taste, 1
tablespoonful flour.
Wash the spinach in several waters, strip off the leaves and place them
in a saucepan of cold water with a little salt, and boil till tender
(about ½ hour). Pulp through a hair sieve with the water in which it was
boiled; boil it up again in a clean stew-pan, thicken carefully with the
flour, cook for 10 minutes, and serve with poached eggs.
Vegetable Soup. Time—1½ hour.
1 quart water or pot-liquor, 2 carrots, 2 turnips, 2 potatoes, 2 onions,
3 sticks celery, a few sifted herbs, 1 oz. dripping, 1 tablespoonful
flour, 1 teaspoonful mustard; salt and pepper to taste.
Prepare the vegetables, cut them into slices, fry them in the dripping,
add the water or pot-liquor, the salt, pepper, and herbs. Boil till
quite tender, mix the flour and mustard to a cream with the cold water,
and add to the soup. Simmer for half an hour longer and then serve.
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