Bohemian-American Cook Book/Lenten Soups

Place in a deep kettle two carrots, three onions, several stalks of leek and a bunch of celery, all cut into small pieces, add a small piece of good butter and allow the vegetables to fry a golden brown. Then add half a cup of peas, a bit of fresh parsley and two or three kohlrabi. Cover with cold water and simmer gently two or three hours, skimming the scum as it rises. When done, take from the fire and allow the soup to stand half an hour with the vegetables in it and then strain carefully into a stone jar. Cover and stand in a cool place. This stock is suitable for all Lenten soups or gravies.

Take out carefully the insides of two fish, one containing eggs and the other milt, being careful to separate the gall and intestines, which of course are rejected. Place the fish in a kettle and pour over them vegetable stock, as described in recipe 38, add minced ​green parsey, a pinch of salt and boil slowly one hour. Then add flour and butter blended together until a golden brown color, a pinch of grated mace and the same of grated ginger. Allow the soup to simmer a short time and then pour into a tureen in which you have placed croutons.

Prepare stock as given in No. 38. Chop fine two slices of fish, taking out all the bones and skin, and then pound to a paste with three hard-boiled yolks. Cream two tablespoons of butter, add two whole eggs and one yolk, a pinch of mace, the same of grated ginger, a bit of grated lemon rind, salt, the fish paste, and mix all thoroughly. Then add bread crumbs sufficient to form small balls and allow them to boil in the soup. When they are done, thicken the soup with flour and butter blended to a light brown and serve.

The turtle should be killed the evening before and hung up, to bleed thoroughly. The best way to induce a turtle to stick its head out is to place a red hot iron on its back. When the head is projected, cut it off with a sharp knife, also the extremities, and hang the turtle up. The extremities are placed for a few moments in boiling water, so they may be skinned easily, and are then put away in a cool place. In the morning separate the shells carefuly, in order that the gall bag be not broken. The eggs, flesh and extremities are then placed in cold water and boiled two hours. There should be once as much water as we wish to have soup. Skim carefully. In two hours add a few slices of ham and a fourth of a pound of butter and boil two hours longer. Then add a wineglass of rice, the same amount of flour mixed to a paste with a tablespoon of ​butter, one onion minced fine, two stalks of celery, green parsley, a bay leaf, thyme and sage, half a teaspoon of cloves and allspice, a pinch of paprika and boil one hour longer.

Boil a small calf’s head. When it is done, pick off the meat, cut into small pieces and strain the stock. Blend two tablespoons of butter with two tablespoons of flour and when it is a golden brown, pour in two quarts of the stock. Boil five minutes, then add the meat, sliced fresh or canned mushrooms, a dash of cloves, allspice, and paprika, green parsley, and boil five minutes longer. Then add two hard boiled eggs cut into slices and half a lemon sliced, and serve.

Boil a cup and a half of peas until tender, mash thoroughly and pour over it a quart of stock (No. 38), add two cloves of garlic mashed to a paste and boil a little longer. Strain, add a pinch of marjoram, mace and ginger, butter and flour blended until brown, and boil a while longer, then pour over bread croutons.

Lentil soup is made as the foregoing, with the exception of adding a pinch of ground allspice. Instead of croutons, thin slices of bread fried in butter are used.

Boil small white beans until tender, then force through a strainer. Blend butter and flour to a light brown, add vegetable stock, the beans, salt, spices, a pinch of marjoram and a clove of garlic mashed to a paste with salt.

Chop fine the following vegetables: three carrots, four onions, four small potatoes, two cups of cabbage, one tomato and a handful of green peas. Place in a saucepan and cover with just enough water to stew. When the vegetables are tender, add enough boiling water to make the right amount of soup and siminer fifteen minutes. Then add two cups of milk, a tablespoon of butter and two beaten eggs. Finally add a little flour, a pinch of soda and boil a few minutes longer.

Cut rye bread in thin slices and fry in butter. Mash three cloves of garlic to a paste with butter and salt, place in boiling water and let it simmer a while, then pour over the bread. You may use onion instead of garlic. Garlic soup is considered a preventive of disease.

Place in a kettle a quart of water in which cabbage has been boiled, add a pint of sour-kraut, a quart of water, and allow it to simmer a while. Beat six yolks or three whole eggs with a cup of good cream and a piece of butter, pour this into the soup, beat it in thoroughly and serve. If you like a thick soup, you can add flour to the eggs and cream.

Allow a cup of sour-kraut to a quart and half of water and boil gently fifteen minutes. In the meantime mix a cup of sour cream with two tablespoons of flour, add to the soup, also salt. Then break into the soup five or six eggs, one at the time, beating them in, boil three minutes longer and serve.

Boil one quart of beer with one quart of water. When it begins to boil, add two tablespoons of sugar, a teaspoon of butter and a pinch of grated nutmeg. Beat three yolks with a cup of cream or milk, add to the boiling soup, beat it in thoroughly, so it will not curdle and serve when it begins to bubble.

Boil equal quantities of beer and milk, each separately. Add a tablespoon of sugar to the beer, and a pinch of salt to the milk. When both have begun to boil, pour the milk into the beer carefully, to prevent curdling. Then beat two or three eggs (according to the amount of soup) with a little water, and add to the boiling soup. Beat thoroughly, so the eggs will not curdle.

Cut two or three slices of rye bread into dice, place in a kettle, add a quart of water and a quart of beer, a pinch of salt and caraway seed, a clove of garlic mashed to a paste with butter, and boil half an hour. Beat four yolks with a cup of cream and add to the boiling soup, beating it thoroughly, to prevent curdling.

Boil equal amounts of water and white wine, add sugar to taste, a stick of whole cinnamon, a slice of lemon rind, skimming until clear. Beat four yolks with two tablespoons of cream, add a teaspoon of flour, cold wine, and salt, mix thoroughly and pour into the boiling wine and water, which has previously been strained. Beat all together thoroughly, but do not boil any more. Serve in cups.

Fry minced onion, parsley and marjoram in butter to a golden brown, then add sliced boiled potatoes, pour over all stock No. 38 and boil a while. Blend butter and flour together until a light brown, add to the soup with a dash of grated ginger. Boil a little longer, strain and serve.

Peel and quarter four large potatoes, place them in two quarts of cold water and boil. Add salt, celery and fresh or dried mushrooms. When the potatoes are tender, take out the celery. Blend butter and flour to a light brown (two tablespoons of butter and one of flour) and thicken the soup with this. Mash a clove of garlic with salt, add it and a pinch of marjoram to the soup, and serve.

Boil a small eup of pearl barley in salted water with a small piece of butter. In another saucepan boil three handfuls of dried mushrooms, then pour off the water and mince them fine with a little green parsley. Add stock No. 38 and the liquor from the mushrooms, the barley, a pinch each of salt, pepper and grated ginger, butter and flour blended light brown. Allow it to boil a minute or two and serve.

Boil four or six slices of white bread in salted water fifteen minutes. Beat three eggs with a cup of cream, add a small piece of butter and pour into the boiling bread soup. Add a pinch of mace and serve.

Allow a quart and a half of sweet milk to come to the boiling point, add a tablespoon of sugar and a pinch of salt. Beat three yolks with a little cold milk, add a lump of sugar which you have rubbed on a lemon, to get the flavor of the rind, and pour all into the hot milk, beating it in well. Cut white bread into dice, place on a pie plate and sprinkle with powdered sugar. Toast in a hot oven and serve with the soup, separately.

Wash half a cup of rice in several hot waters, place in a saucepan and pour over it a cup of hot water, add a tablespoon of butter, a pinch of mace, cover and boil. When the water has nearly evaporated add two quarts of milk, salt and when it comes to boil, beat in well one beaten yolk and serve.

Allow two quarts of milk to come to the boiling point. When it begins to bubble, add noodles (made with one egg), salt and a small piece of butter. Boil a moment or two and serve.

Take one dozen small ripe tomatoes, or a three pound can of same, add one quart of water and an onion. Boil half an hour, force through a strainer into another kettle, add a fourth of a teaspoon of baking soda, two cups of milk which has been thickened with a teaspoon of flour, and allow to come to the boiling point. When it begins to boil, add a tablespoon of butter, a teaspoon of sugar, salt and pepper to taste. If the soup should be too thick, thin with hot water or milk.

Allow a quart of milk to come to the boiling point. When it begins to boil, add a quart of oysters, a tablespoon of butter, salt and pepper, and take away from the fire the minute the oysters begin to curl around the edges. Serve with oyster crackers.

Chop fine one pint of oysters. Allow a quart of milk to come to the boiling point. When it begins to bubble, add a tablespoon of butter creamed with half a tablespoon of flour, the chopped oysters, salt and pepper. Serve the moment the soup comes to the boiling point, otherwise the oysters will be hard.

Boil about a tablespoon of caraway seed in salted water. Blend butter and flour until brown, add to it the water which has been strained and allow it to boil a little longer. Pour over rye bread croutons.

Place in the kettle a tablespoon of caraway seed, a bit of parsley, celery, and salt. Pour over this boiling water and allow it to boil a while, then strain, and when the strained liquor has again come to the boiling point, add half a cup of farina. Stir occasionally, so it will not become lumpy, boil fifteen minutes, then beat one or two eggs with two tablespoons of cream, add to it a tablespoon of butter, a pinch of mace and ginger, and beat this thoroughly into the soup. Serve immediately.

Clean and slice several fresh mushrooms, stew them in a little butter, adding salt, caraway seed and minced parsley. When they have become partially dry, add as much water as you wish to have soup. This water must be boiling and must have been thickened with flour and butter browned together. Boil a while longer, then pour over croutons.

Prepare the sponge the evening before, using four of five tablespoons of rye flour. It is best to place it in a small stone jar and cover with a cloth. Put it in a warm place, in order that the sponge may sour thoroughly. When you are ready to make the soup, have on hand as much boiling water as you wish soup, properly salted, and pour the sponge into it with one hand, mixing it well with the other. When it has boiled up a moment or two, take away from the fire. It should be as thick as a thin gravy. When you have put it on the back of the stove, place a tablespoon of butter in a saucepan and when it is hot, fry minced onion in it, then two or three eggs, stirring constantly, as for scrambled eggs. Add these to the soup, with three or four tablespoons of sour cream and serve.