Practical household cookery

Put into A stewpan half a pint each of fresh shelled peas, French beans, and haricot beans, the red part of a carrot, one head of celery, one turnip, and two leeks, all cut in the form of almonds ; also twelve shalots, the heart of a small cabbage cut in four, the hearts of two small lettuces cut in halves, a few leaves of sorrel, a little chervil, an ounce of sugar, and grated nutmeg ; salt and pepper to taste ; add two quarts of good broth ; boil for three-quarters of an hour; pour the contents into a soup tureen with a few slices of bread, and serve. Note, — It is advisable, whenever a soup is made of different kinds of vegetables, to add a piece of sugar the size of two walnuts in order to remove the sour taste from the broth which is invariably given by vegetables. 40. GREEN PEA SOUP. Boil in plenty of salt water two pounds of fresh shelled peas (the larger the better) ; meantime blanch apart the hearts of two lettuces cut in quarters and a few leaves of sorrel ; dry well and place these in a stewpan with half a pint of gravy ; simmer till the lettuces are nicely glazed and the gravy nearly reduced ; then add three pints of good broth, and set it to the boil. When the peas are properly done strain the water through a colander ; throw the peas into the stewpan with the broth ; add a small piece of sugar ; skim, set to the boil, and serve with croutons fried in butter. 41. NEW CARROT SOUP. Cut in dice twelve fresh carrots ; blanch them in the usual way, strain the water through a colander, and let them cool ; meantime pour one quart of good broth into a stewpan with a piece of sugar ; set it to the boil ; and when the carrots are quite cold add them to the broth, together with salt, pepper, and a little grated nutmeg to taste ; boil till the carrots are done, and serve with a few slices of bread fried in butter. This soup can also be made " maigre ; " in that case, boil the carrots with half milk, half water, and add two ounces of butter before serving. This broth is very refreshing, and strongly recommended to persons suffering with jaundice, having cured the writer when a boy. 42. LETTUCE SOUP. Blanch in the usual way six or eight lettuces ; dip them afterwards in cold water; press and get them quite dry; put each separately into a sauté-pan in which has already been placed a slice of ham, a bay-leaf, a little thyme, half an onion with a clove stuck in it, and half a carrot sliced ; moisten the contents with a good broth ; cover the sauté-pan and let simmer till the lettuces are nicely glazed ; then add one quart of broth ; boil till done ; take the lettuces out with a flat strainer, cut them in halves, place in a soup-tureen, strain the broth over, and serve with croutons. Half a pint of chicken broth, if handy, will greatly improve this soup. 43. STUFFED LETTUCE SOUP. Blanch the hearts of twelve lettuces cut in halves ; dip them in cold water and squeeze them well; place afterwards these lettuces separately on a board ; lay on each a spoonful of stuffing composed of quenelles of chicken with a little chervil minced fine. Fold the lettuces in oblong shape, so as to enclose the stuffing; transfer them one by one into a stewpan already containing half a pint of gravy, a slice of ham, and vegetables, as in No. 42. Simmer gently for a few minutes; then add one pint of chicken broth ; let it boil for fifteen or twenty minutes ; place the lettuces one by one into a soup-tureen ; pour the gravy over, after having strained it, together with one quart of boiling broth properly seasoned, and serve. 44. CLEAR SORREL SOUP.