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.
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.
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
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, &c., 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.
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.
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. To make
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.
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.
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.
