Cookery for every household

49. Green Pea Soup, from Dried Peas (Soupe aux Pois Secs) i pt. dried green peas. 3 pts. meat boilings or water. 1 oz. dripping. A few parsley stalks. A handful of spinach. 1 lump of sugar. A sprig of mint or £ tea-sp. dried mint. 1 onion. £ pt. hot milk. Salt and pepper. Wash the peas, picking out any discoloured ones, and let them soak in the water or meat boilings overnight. Next day melt the dripping in a saucepan, add the spinach washed and picked, the onion chopped, mint and parsley. (If dried mint is used, it must be tied in a small piece of muslin.) Cook these for a few minutes and then add the peas along with the liquid in which they were soaked. Simmer slowly until the peas are quite tender from 2 to 3 hours, then rub as much as possible through a sieve or colander. Return the puree to a clean saucepan to reheat, adding the hot milk and seasoning. Serve with crofitons of fried bread or toast cut in dice. Notes. — The addition of a few cooked fresh peas or tinned peas is an improvement. The water in which a piece of ham or salt meat has been boiled (provided it is not too salt) is excellent for making the soup. If it becomes too thick whilst cooking, more liquid must be added. Time to cook, about 3 hours. Probable cost, 8 d. Quantity, 2\ pints. 50. Haricot Bean Soup (Soupe aux Haricots Secs) J lb. haricot beans. 3 pts. cold water or meat boilings. £ pt. milk. 1 or 2 onions. A few parsley stalks. 1 or 2 sticks of celery. 2 oz. beef dripping or bacon fat. White pepper and salt. Put the beans into a basin and wash them well with cold water. Then pour over them the 3 pints of cold water or meat boilings, cover the basin, and let them soak overnight. Next day strain off the liquid and reserve it for making the soup. Melt the dripping or bacon fat in a saucepan, put in the beans and vegetables cut in small pieces, and cook for a few minutes without allowing the contents to brown. Then add the liquid which was poured off the beans and stir well for a minute or two. Put the lid on the pan and allow the soup to simmer slowly until the beans are quite soft. It will require from 2 to 3 hours to do this. The soup must be stirred occasionally while it is cooking, and should it become too thick, more water or meat boilings must be added. When ready, rub the soup through a wire sieve or colander into a basin, have the saucepan rinsed out and return the soup to it. Add the milk, season to taste, and cook about 10 minutes longer. Serve with croutons of fried or toasted bread. Note. — The liquid in which a piece of ham or salt meat has been cooked will do very well for making this soup, provided it is not too salt. Or, a small ham bone may be added to the soup when cooking, to give flavour. Time to cook, 2| to 3 hours. Probable cost, 6d. to 8 d. Quantity, 21 pints. 51. Haricot Bean and Tomato Soup Make in the same way as haricot bean soup (Recipe 50), with the addition of half a tin of tomatoes. This must be added to the soup along with the water. 52. Italian Soup (Soupe Italienne) | lb. haricot beans. 3 pts. water. 1 table-sp. salad oil or dripping. Salt, pepper. 2 oz. rice, macaroni, or tapioca. 2 cupfuls fresh vegetables. Grated cheese. This is a “ maigre ” soup, and is very nourishing and good if nicely made.