Cream-Of-Celery Soup

1 Head of celery.

1 Pint of water.

1 Pint of milk.

1 Tablespoon of butter.

1 Tablespoon of flour.

1/2 Teaspoon of salt.

1/2 Saltspoon of white pepper.

Wash and scrape the celery, cut it into half-inch pieces, put it into the pint of boiling water, and cook until it is very soft. When done mash it in the water in which it was boiled, and add the salt and pepper.

Cook the onion in the milk, and with it make a white sauce with the butter and flour; add this to the celery, and strain it through a soup-strainer, pressing and mashing with the back of a spoon until all but a few tough fibers of the celery are squeezed through. Return the soup, in a double boiler, to the fire, and heat it until it is steaming, when it is ready to serve.

By substituting chicken broth for water, and using celery-salt instead of fresh celery when it is not in season, a very acceptable variation of this soup may be made.

Cream-Of-Rice Soup

1/4 Cup of rice.

1 Pint of chicken broth or stock.

1 Pint of sweet cream.

1 Teaspoon of chopped onion.

1 Stalk of celery.

3 Saltspoons of salt.

A little white pepper.

1/2 Saltspoon of curry-powder.

Pick over and wash the rice, and put it into the chicken broth in a saucepan to cook. Simmer it slowly until the rice is very soft. It will require two hours' cooking to accomplish this. Half an hour before the rice is done put the cream into a saucepan with the onion, celery, pepper, and curry, and let them simmer slowly for twenty minutes; then pour the mixture into the rice; press all through a soup-strainer; add the salt, and set it back on the stove to heat to the boiling-point It should be a rather thin soup, not a puree. Should the broth boil away while the rice is cooking, or should the soup be too thick, add more broth, or some water.

Beef-Tapioca Soup

1/4 Cup of granulated tapioca. 1 1/2 Cups of water. 1 Pint of strong beef broth. 1/2 Teaspoon of salt. 1/2 Teaspoon of mixed sweet herbs. 1 Teaspoon of minced onion. A little black pepper.

Soak the tapioca for twenty minutes in a half cup of cold water, then set it to cook in a double boiler with the rest of the water (one cupful). When the grains become soft and begin to look transparent, put in all the other ingredients and cook until the tapioca is completely dissolved. This will require two or three hours. Strain it, and return it to the fire to boil for five minutes, when it is ready to serve. This soup may be made with the ordinary stock from a stock-kettle. A little chicken broth is an improving addition, and really makes a most savory soup.

Bouillon

Make a plain beef broth according to the rule on page 78. To a quart of this add a pinch each of thyme, sage, sweet marjoram, and mint (or enough to make in all what will fill a teaspoon), and a teaspoon each of chopped onion and carrot. Boil all together until the broth is reduced to one pint. Strain, season with salt and pepper, and serve very hot in covered cups.

Apple Soup

2 Cups of apple.

2 Cups of water.

2 Teaspoons of corn-starch.

1 1/2 Tablespoons of sugar.

1 Saltspoon of cinnamon.

A bit of salt.

Stew the apple in the water until it is very soft. Then mix together into a smooth paste the cornstarch, sugar, salt, and cinnamon with a little cold water. Pour this into the apple, and boil for five minutes. Strain it into a soup-tureen, and keep hot until ready to serve. This is very good eaten with hot buttered sippets.