Soup is a light and suitable form of food for the sick. There are two classes - those made with meat and those without meat.

The soups with meat are an infusion of meat, flavored with salt and some condiment. They are treated in the chapter on broths.

The foundations of soups without meat are milk, vegetables and water. They are dainty and nutritious, and an excellent way of serving milk and the starch and mineral matter of the vegetable.

They may be served as a luncheon, with crisp crackers, or as the first course of a dinner. Serve daintily in heated bouillon cups, partly filled, on small plate and doily.

General Rule for blending:

(a) Prepare vegetables, cook and strain.

(6) Prepare cream sauce: Melt butter, add the flour and gradually pour on the scalded milk or water. Cook thoroughly.

(c) Blend (a) and (b). Season, strain and serve immediately.

In the preparation of these soups great care must be taken that the starch of the vegetable and of the flour used in the thickening is thoroughly cooked. Cooking temperature of starch is 212 degrees Fahrenheit.

Cream Of Asparagus Soup, 313 Calories

(Individual Rule).

¼ bundle asparagus.

1 cup milk.

½ tablespoon butter.

¾ tablespoon flour.

Salt.

Pepper.

(a) Wash the asparagus and cook in boiling salted water, boiling gently thirty minutes. Take from the water, cut off the tips and put them into the serving dish; press the remainder through a colander.

(b) Scald the milk. Melt the butter, add the flour and pour on gradually the scalding milk. Cook thoroughly, stirring often.

Blend (a) and (b); reheat, season to taste, strain over tips and serve at once with crisped wafer crackers.

Note

For individual quantity use one-half recipe.

Asparagus Soup (For The Diabetic), 30 Calories

One-half pint of veal stock or water, boiled with five or six stalks of asparagus. Reserve tips; mash and strain. Melt together one-half teaspoonful of butter with one-half teaspoonful of Gum Gluten Flour. Add stock and asparagus tips, and serve at once.

Cream of Corn Soup, 493 Calories

(Two Servings).

½ cup corn.

½ cup cold water.

¼ slice onion.

Salt.

Pepper.

1 cup milk. 1 tablespoon flour. 1 tablespoon butter. Yolk 1 egg.

(a) Chop corn, add water and simmer twenty minutes; rub through a sieve.

(b) Scald milk with onion; remove onion. Melt butter, add flour and gradually pour on milk.

Blend (a) and (b); cook thoroughly, season to taste with salt and pepper and pour onto the beaten yolk. When well blended, serve hot.

Note

The yolk of egg may be omitted.

Cream Of Celery Soup, 320 Calories

(Two Servings).

4 stalks celery.

½ cup boiling water.

Salt.

Pepper.

1 tablespoon butter. 1 tablespoon flour. 1 cup rich milk.

(a) Wash and scrape the celery and cut into small pieces, add the water and cook until very tender and soft. Renew the water if it boils away. Mash the celery in the water in which it was cooked.

(5) Scald milk. Melt the butter in a saucepan, add flour and pour on gradually the scalded milk. Cook thoroughly, stirring carefully.

Blend (a) and (6); season to taste; strain and serve immediately with croutons or crisped crackers.