Soups and Stews

soups and stews

The best soups are made with a blending of many flavors. Don't be afraid of experimenting with them. Where you make one mistake you will be surprised to find the number of successful varieties you can produce. If you like a spicy flavor try two or three cloves, or allspice, or bay leaves. All soups are improved by a dash of onion, unless it is the white soups, or purées from chicken, veal, fish, etc. In these celery may be used. In nothing as well as soups can a housekeeper be economical of the odds and ends of food left from meals. One of the best cooks was in the habit of saving everything, and announced one day, when her soup was especially praised, that it contained the crumbs of gingerbread from her cake box! Creamed onions left from a dinner, or a little stewed corn, potatoes mashed, a few baked beans--even a small dish of apple sauce have often added to the flavor of soup. Of course, all good meat gravies, or bones from roast or boiled meats, can be added to your stock pot. A little butter is always needed in tomato soup. In making stock, use a quart of water for every pound of meat and bone. Cut the meat in pieces, crack the bones, place all in the kettle, pour over it the proper quantity of cold water; let it soak a while on the back of the range before cooking. Let soup boil slowly, never hard, (an hour for each pound of meat) strain through a sieve or coarse cloth. Never let the fat remain on your soup. Let get cold and lift it off, or skim it off hot.

BARLEY SOUP

8 oz. of pearl barley,
2 onions,
4 potatoes,
1/2 a teaspoonful of thyme,
1 dessertspoonful of finely chopped parsley,
3-1/2 pints of water,
1/2 pint of milk,
1 oz. of butter.

Pick and wash the barley, chop up the onions, slice the potatoes. Boil the whole gently for 4 hours with the water, adding the butter, thyme, pepper and salt to taste. When the barley is quite soft, add the milk and parsley, boil the soup up, and serve.

BREAD SOUP

1/2 lb. of stale crusts of bread,
4 onions,
2turnips,
1 stick of celery,
1 oz. of butter,
1/2 oz. of finely choppedparsley,
8 pints of water,
1/2 pint of milk.

Soak the crusts in the water for 2 hours before they are put over the fire. Cut up into small dice the vegetables; add them to the bread with the butter and pepper and salt to taste. Allow all to simmer gently for 1 hour, then rub the soup through a sieve, return it to the saucepan, add the milk and parsley, and, if the flavour is liked, a little grated nutmeg; boil the soup up and serve at once.

CARROT SOUP

4 good-sized carrots,
1 head of celery,
1 onion,
3 oz. of breadwithout crust,
1 oz. of butter,
pepper and salt,
and 1 blade of mace.

Wash, scrape, and cut the carrots into dice. Prepare and cut up the onions and celery. Set the vegetables over the fire with 3 pints of water, adding the mace and seasoning. Let all cook until quite soft, which will probably be in 1-1/2 hours. If the carrots are old, they will take longer cooking. When the vegetables are tender, rub all through a sieve, return the soup to the saucepan, add the butter, allow it to boil up, and serve with sippets of toast.

LEEK SOUP

2 bunches of leeks,
1-1/2 pints of milk,
1 oz. of butter,
1 lb. of potatoes,
pepper and salt to taste,
and the juice of a lemon.

Cut off the coarse part of the green ends of the leeks, and cut the leeks lengthways, so as to be able to brush out the grit. Wash the leeks well, and see no grit remains, then cut them in short pieces. Peel, wash, and cut up the potatoes, then cook both vegetables with 2 pints of water. When the vegetables are quite tender, rub them through a sieve. Return the mixture to the saucepan, add the butter, milk, and seasoning, and boil the soup up again. Before serving add the lemon juice; serve with sippets of toast.

ONION SOUP

1/2 lb. onions,
3 oz. grated cheese,
2 oz. butter,
some squares bread,
pepper and salt to taste.

Peel and chop the onions, and fry them a nice brown in the butter. When brown add to it the cheese and 3 pints of water. Boil all up together and season to taste. Place the bread in the tureen, pour the boiling soup over it, and serve.

Lentil Soup
Easy lentil soup recipe that will warm you up on a cold winters night.

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