Cassell's dictionary of cookery

Spring Soup. — Take a mixture of any or all kinds of early vegetables, such as young turnips and carrots, spring onions, mustard and cress, cauliflowers, lettuce, green peas, asparagus-tops, &c. A very small bunch of parsley and a little chervil, and three or four leaves of sorrel finely shred may be added if liked. Half a pound of mixed vegetables wiU be sufiicient for a quart of stock. With small vegetable-scoops cut the vegetables into fancy shapes of about the same size, or into thin shreds about an inch long. Throw these into boiling water, and let them remain for a minute or two. Drain them, and put them into another saucepan with as much boiling clear stock nicely flavoured {sec Stock) as is required. Let the soup boil gently till the vegetables are done enough. Taste in order to ascertain whether further seasoning is required, and serve very hot. In boiling the vegetables, it should be remembered that some wiU need to boil longer than others, and therefore they must not all be put in together. Time, altogether, about an hour and a half. Sufiicient, a quart of soup for five or six persons. Probable cost, varying with the ingredients. Spring Soup, Early. — Take a knuckle of veal chopped in pieces, a quarter of a pound of lean ham, a quart of whole white peas, two or three turnips, a leek, and a little celery. Cut these into small pieces, and put to them four quarts of soft water. Boil till the meat has parted with all its juices and the peas have become soft. Then take out the meat and vegetables, and pulp the peas through a sieve. Season -vdth. pepper and salt to taste. Take a bunch of asparagus cut small to resemble green-peas, the hearts of two or three cabbage-lettuces, and some green mint chopped fine. Stew these in the soup till the vegetables become tender, taking care to keep them of a good colour and not to permit them to remain too long upon the fire. Should the soup prove too thick, put to it some good broth, and if too thin, add a little flour and water. Should it not appear sufficiently green, pound a handful of spinach, and put the juice, when properly strained, into the soup, but it must not be boiled, for that would destroy the green colour of the spinach. Observe that when asparagus is meant to resemble green peas, care must be taken not to subject it to too much heat, it being a vegetable that soon becomes soft and loses its colour. A considerable degree of attention is required on the part of the cook, in regard to the management of the asparagus. Spring Soup (M. Ude's recipe).— Take carrots, turnips, heads of celery and small onions cut into the shape of olives; blanch them in winter, but in summer fry them with a little butter, and put them to boil in clear broth with a little sugar. Put the soup in the corner of the stove to skim away all the butter. Have ready the green tops of asparagus, and French beans cut into lozenges which have been boiled separately in -water very green ; put them into the soup when you send it up. with slices of crust of bread cut the size of a penny and soaked separately in a little broth ; if you have any peas, you may put in some likewise to boil with the soup. Spring Soup of Early Cabbages.—