Soups
From The Royal Road to Health, by C.A. Tyrrell
Reform Cookery Book (4th edition)
Up-To-Date Health Cookery for the Twentieth Century.
Produced by Project Gutenberg
The following directions will be found generally applicable, so that there
will be no need to repeat the several details each time. Seasonings are not
specified, as these are a matter of individual taste and circumstance. Some
from considerations of health or otherwise are forbidden the use of salt.
In such cases a little sugar will help to bring out the flavour of the
vegetables, but unless all the members of the household are alike, it had
best not be added before bringing to table. Where soup is to be strained,
whole pepper, mace, is much preferable to ground, both as being free
from adulteration, and giving all the flavour without the grit. The water
in which cauliflower, green peas, have been boiled, should be added to
the stock-pot, but as we are now recognising that all vegetables should be
cooked as conservatively as possible--that is, by steaming, or in just as
much water as they will absorb, so as not to waste the valuable salts and
juices, there will not be much of such liquid in a "Reform" menage. A stock
must therefore be made from fresh materials, but as those are comparatively
inexpensive, we need not grudge having them of the freshest and best.
Vegetable beef barley soup.
Photo by Peggy Greb.
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The exact quantities are not always specified either, in the following
recipes, as that too has to be determined by individual requirement, but as
a general rule they will serve four to six persons. The amount of
vegetables, given, will be in proportion to 3 pints, i.e. 12 gills
liquid. Serve all soups with croutons of toast or fried bread.
White Stock.
The best stock for white soups is made from small haricots. Take 1 lb. of
these, pick and wash well, throwing away any that are defective, and if
there is time soak ten or twelve hours in cold water; put on in clean
saucepan--preferably earthenware or enamelled--along with the water in which
soaked (if not soaked scald with boiling water, and put on with fresh
boiling water), some of the coarser stalks of celery, one or two chopped
Spanish onions, blade of mace, and a few white pepper-corns. If celery is
out of season, a little celery seed does very well. Bring to boil, skim,
and cook gently for at least two hours. Strain, and use as required.
Clear Stock.
For clear stock take all the ingredients mentioned above, also some carrot
and turnip in good-sized pieces, some parsley, and mixed herbs as preferred,
and about 1/2 lb. of hard peas, which should be soaked along with the
haricots. Simmer very gently two to three hours. Great care must be taken
in straining not to pulp through any of the vegetables or the stock will be
muddy, or as we Scotch folks would say "drumlie." If not perfectly clear
after straining, return to saucepan with some egg-shells or white of egg,
bring to boil and strain again through jelly-bag. A cupful of tomatoes or a
few German lentils are a great improvement to the flavour of this stock, but
will of course colour it more or less.
Brown Stock.
Take 1/2 lb. brown beans, 1/2 lb. German lentils, 1/2 lb. onions, 1 large
carrot, celery, &c. Pick over the beans and lentils, and scald for a minute
or two in boiling water. This ensures their being perfectly clean, and free
from any possible mustiness. Strain and put on with fresh boiling water
some black and Jamaica pepper, blade mace, &c., and boil gently for an hour
or longer. Shred the onion, carrot, and celery finely and fry a nice brown
in a very little butter taking great care not to burn, and add to the soup.
Allow all to boil for one hour longer, and strain. A few tomatoes sliced
and fried along with, or instead of the carrot, or a cupful of tinned
tomatoes would be a great improvement. This as it stands is a very fine
Clear Brown Soup,
but if a thicker, more substantial soup is wanted, rub through as much of
the pulp as will give the required consistency. Return to saucepan, and add
a little soaked tapioca, ground rice, cornflour, as a liaison.
Boil till that is clear, stirring well. Serve with croutons of toast or
fried bread. This soup may be varied in many ways, as by adding some finely
minced green onions, leeks, or chives either before or after straining and
some parsley a few minutes before serving.
White Windsor Soup.
Take 4 breakfast cupfuls white stock or water, add 6 tablespoonfuls mashed
potato and 1 oz fine sago. Stir till clear and add 1 breakfast cup milk and
some minced parsley. Let come just to boiling point but no more. If water
is used instead of stock some finely shred onion should be cooked without
browning in a little butter and added to the soup when boiling. Rub through
a sieve into hot tureen.
White Soubise Soup.
Melt in lined saucepan 2 oz. butter, and into that shred 1/2 lb. onions.
Allow to sweat with lid on very gently so as not to brown for about half an
hour. Add 1-1/2 pints white stock and about 6 ozs. scraps of bread any
hard pieces will do, but no brown crust. Simmer very gently for about an
hour, run through a sieve and return to saucepan with 1 pint milk. Bring
slowly to boiling point and serve.
For Brown Soubise Soup
toast the bread, brown the onions, and use brown stock.
Almond Milk Soup.
Wash well 1/4 lb. rice and put on to simmer slowly with 1-1/2 pints milk
and water, a Spanish onion and 2 sticks of white celery. Blanch, chop up
and pound well, or pass through a nut-mill 1/4 lb. almonds, and add to them
by degrees another 1/2 pint milk. Put in saucepan along with some more milk
and water to warm through, but do not boil. Remove the onion and celery
from the rice (or if liked they may be cut small and left in), and strain
the almonds through to that. See that it is quite hot before serving.
NOTE.--For this and other soups which are wanted specially light and
nourishing, Mapleton's Almond Meal will be found exceedingly useful. It is
ready for use, so that there is no trouble blanching, pounding, &c.
Brazil Soup.
Put 1 lb. Brazil nuts in moderate oven for about 10 minutes, remove shells
and brown skin--the latter will rub off easily if heated--and grate through
a nut-mill. Simmer gently in white stock or water with celery, onions, &c.,
for 5 or 6 hours. Add some boiling milk, pass through a sieve and serve. A
little chopped parsley may be added if liked.
Chestnut Soup.
Chop small a good-sized Spanish onion and sweat in 1 oz. butter for twenty
minutes. Add 2 to 3 pints stock and 1 lb. chestnuts previously lightly
roasted and peeled. Simmer gently for one hour or more, pass through a
sieve and return to saucepan. Bring to boil, remove all scum, add a cupful
boiling milk or half that quantity of cream, and serve without allowing to
boil again.
Plain White Soup.
Into enamelled saucepan put 2 ozs. butter, and as it melts stir in 2 ozs.
flour. Add very gradually a breakfast cup milk, and stir over a slow heat
till quite smooth. Add 3 or 4 breakfast cupfuls white stock, bring slowly
to boil and serve.
Velvet Soup.
Prepare exactly as for Plain White Soup, but just before serving beat up the
yokes of 2 or 3 eggs. Add to them a very little cold milk or cream, and
then a little of the soup. Pass through strainer into hot tureen, strain
through the rest of the soup, and mix thoroughly.
Parsnip Soup.
Take 1/2 lb. cooked parsnips or boil same quantity in salted water till
tender, pass through a sieve and add to a quantity of Plain White Soup or
Stock. Bring to boil, and if sweet taste is objected to add strained juice
of half a lemon.
Turnip Soup
is made in exactly the same way as Parsnip Soup, substituting young white
turnips or "Golden Balls" for the parsnips, and many people will prefer the
flavour. A little finely chopped spring onion or chives and parsley would
be an improvement to both soups. These--except the parsley--should be
boiled separately and added just before serving.
Palestine Soup.
A very fine soup is made thus:--Pare and boil 2 lbs. Jerusalem Artichokes
in milk and water with a little salt till quite soft, then pass through a
sieve or potato masher, and add to quantity required of Velvet Soup.
Westmoreland Soup.
Put in soup pot some very plain stock, or water will do quite well. Add 1
lb. lentils, 1/2 lb. onions, small carrot, piece of turnip, and a stick or
two of celery, all chopped small, also a teacupful tomatoes. Boil slowly
for two hours, pass through a sieve and return to soup pot. Melt a
dessert-spoonful butter and stir slowly into it twice as much flour, add
gradually a gill of milk. When quite smooth add to soup and stir till it
boils.
This is a very good soup and might be preferred by some without straining
the vegetables. The lentils might be boiled separately and put through a
sieve before adding.
The foregoing are all varieties of White Soup and these could be extended
indefinitely; but as such variations will suggest themselves to everyone, it
is not necessary to take up space here.
Cauliflower Soup can be made by adding a nice young cauliflower, all green removed, cut in
tiny sprigs, and boiled separately to the quantity required of Plain White
Soup. The water in which boiled should be added also.
White Haricot Soup
is made by substituting haricot or butter beans for the cauliflower. These
should be slowly cooked till tender and passed through a sieve or masher.
Celery Soup.
For this use a large well-blanched head of celery. Either chop small when
cooked, or pass through sieve before adding to White Soup.
Asparagus Soup.
Take a bunch tender asparagus. Set aside the tops. Blanch stalks in salted
boiling water for a minute or two, then drain and simmer till tender in a
little milk and water. Pulp through sieve and add to White Soup when
boiling. Cook the tops separately in salted boiling water. Drain and add
to soup in tureen. Tinned asparagus makes very good soup. It requires
little or no cooking, only to be made quite hot. Pulp stalks and put in
tops whole.
Clear Soups.
It is unnecessary to give every recipe in detail for these also, if a rich
clear stock has been prepared according the directions, page 11. These of
course may be varied according to taste or convenience, and all the
ingredients specified are by no means indispensable. Some may be left out
and others added as they are at hand or in season. When celery is not to be
had celery seed or celery salt gives a good flavour. A hasty stock may be
contrived at anytime with chopped onions, shred carrot, and some
lentils--green or yellow or both. The vegetables should be lightly fried in
a little butter, the lentils scalded or washed well, and all boiled together
for an hour or even less with the required quantity of water. Strain
without any pressure. Then a still more hasty stock can be had with any of
the excellent "Extracts" which are on the market. Their flavour will be
appreciated by all, and the fact that they are manufactured from pure,
wholesome cereals--barley, chiefly, I believe--should go a long way to
commend them to those who have no favour for the uric acid products of
"Animal" Extracts.
Well, then, if a good, clear stock is prepared, all that is necessary to
convert it into
Clear Soup a la Royale
is to prepare a savoury custard with two yolks and either a cup of stock,
diluted "Extract," or milk. Steam in shallow, buttered tin, cut in small
squares, diamonds, &c., and put in tureen along with the boiling stock.
Julienne Soup.
Cut different vegetables--carrot, turnip, celery, &c., in thin strips about
1 inch long, boil in salted water, and add to boiling clear stock.
Spring Vegetable Soup.
Have an assortment of different young vegetables comprising as many distinct
and bright colours as possible--green peas, French beans trimmed and cut
diamond-wise, cauliflower in tiny sprigs, carrots, turnips, cooked beetroot
stamped in fancy shapes or cut in small dice, and leeks, chives, or spring
onions shred finely. Cook the vegetables separately, drain, and add while
hot to boiling clear stock in tureen.
Thick Soups.
Most of the thick soups are so well-known that they need not be repeated
here. Suffice it to say that they will gain both in purity and flavour by
substituting vegetarian stock for that usually made by boiling meat, ham
bones, and the like. Great care should be taken with such soups as lentil,
split-pea, potato soup, &c., to avoid a coarse "mushy" consistency. This
can be done by rubbing the peas, &c., through a sieve when cooked, and
adding such vegetables as carrot, turnip, onions, &c., finely chopped, to
the strained soup.
"Reform" Pea Soup,
if nicely made it will be quite possible to allure some unsuspecting
victims who have always declared they never could or would touch pea soup,
into asking for another helping of "that delicious--ahem--what-do-you-
call-it-soup."
Have ready a good-sized-soup pot with amount of water required boiling
fast, and into this throw 1/2 lb. split-peas for every 2 pints water. The
"Giant" variety is best as they are BO easily examined and cleaned. Rub in
a coarse cloth to remove any possible dust or impurity. This is much better
than washing or scalding, as the peas "go down" so much more quickly when
put dry into the fast boiling water. Such a method will seem rather
revolutionary to those who have been accustomed to soak peas over night, but
a single trial is all that is needed to convince the most sceptical. Add
1/2 lb. onions, cut up-these may first be sweated for 10 minutes with a
little butter in covered pan. Simmer gently but steadily 1 1/2 to 2 hours.
Rub through a sieve and return to saucepan. When boiling add some turnip in
tiny dice and some carrot in slices as thin as sixpence, also finely chopped
spring onion, leeks or chives, according to season, and a little finely
minced parsley five minutes before serving. Stock may of course be used for
this soup, but is not at all necessary. With stock or even a little
extract, a very good lentil or pea soup may be made at a few minutes' notice
by thickening with "Digestive" Pea Flour
or lentil flour, as the case may be. Such soups can be taken by those of
weak digestion. No vegetables should be added in that case, or if so they
should be strained out.
Mulligatawny Soup.
Chop up 2 apples and 1 Spanish onion and stir over the fire with 2 ozs.
butter till quite brown, but not burnt. Add 1 oz. flour (and if wanted
somewhat thickened, one or two spoonfuls "Digestive" lentil or pea flour), 1
teaspoonful curry powder, and a cupful of milk, previously mixed together.
Stir till smooth and boil up, then add some good stock--brown would be
best--and simmer for half an hour longer, removing the scum as it rises.
Serve with boiled rice, handed round on a separate dish.
Hotch-Potch.
This soup is to be had in perfection in the summer months when young, tender
vegetables are to be had in great variety and abundance. The more different
kinds there are the better, but care must be taken to give each just the
proper amount of cooking and no more, or the result will be that by the time
certain things are done, others will be mushy and insipid. Bring to boil
the necessary quantity of clear stock--water will do. Have ready a cupful
each of carrots and turnips in tiny dice--the smaller ends of the carrots
being in thin slices--a cauliflower in very small sprigs, one or two crisp,
tender lettuces finely shred, cupful green peas, some French beans trimmed
and cut small, a dozen or so of spring onions, 2 tablespoonfuls each of
lentils and rice, and any other seasonable vegetable that is to be had. Add
each in their turn to the boiling stock, the time required being determined
by age and condition. If very young and fresh, the carrots will require
only 30 to 40 minutes, the turnips and spring onions rather less, and the
cauliflower less still. French beans require about 20 minutes, peas and
lettuce 15 minutes, while the rice and lentils should have about half an
hour. Much must be left to the discretion of the cook, but one point I
would emphasise is, don't over-boil the vegetables. There seems to be an
idea that a safe rule for vegetables is the more you cook them the better,
but the fact is they lose in flavour and wholesomeness every five minutes
after they are done. This is why "second day's" soup so often disagrees
when the first has been all right. A few slices of tomato may be added.
They should be fried in a little butter, cut small, and added shortly before
serving, also some chopped parsley.
Winter Hotch-Potch.
This also may be very good. All the vegetables will require much longer
cooking. Some will not be available, but in their place will be celery,
parsnips, Brussels sprouts, leeks, &c. Dried green peas, soaked for 12
hours, can be used, or a good canned variety, and I may say that many
delicious vegetables are now to be had in tins, or, better still, in glass
jars.
Scotch Broth.
For this wash well a cupful good fresh _pot_ barley, bring to boil in
plenty of water, pour that off and put on with clean cold water. Simmer for
2 hours and then add a selection of vegetables given for Hotch-Potch.
Mock Cock-a-Leekie
or Leek Soup 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, 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.
From The Royal Road to Health, by C.A. Tyrrell
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