Soups

The water in which spinach, asparagus, cauliflower, etc., are cooked should form the basis for soup. The mineral value of the vegetable is lost in the water and we must not throw this away. Asides from their mineral and nutritive value, the soups are delicious and appetizing.

A dish of any of these soups, especially the thicker ones, with bread and butter, is sufficient for luncheon for children or adults.

Cream of Spinach Soup

Take the water in which the spinach has been cooked. Boil down to about one-third the quantity of soup desired. Thicken with whole meal and season. A little tomato juice or fine parsley or both will add flavor.

When ready to serve, add about twice as much milk as you have liquid. Bring to heating point and serve immediately.

Do not allow milk to boil.

(Do not drown the spinach in water when cooking. Use only enough water. This makes a more concentrated liquid for the soup.)

Cream of Asparagus Soup

Same as Cream of Spinach Soup. Some of the stalk ends of the asparagus put through a sieve will give consistency and flavor. Do not allow the milk to boil. Cream of Onion Soup Same as Cream of Asparagus. Put some outer parts of onions through sieve.

Cream of Cauliflower Soup

Same as Cream of Asparagus Soup. Put about 1/3 of the flowerets through sieve.

In making any of the above soups, you may find it more convenient to proceed as follows:

Put the quantity of milk desired for the soup to scald in the double boiler. This may be seasoned and thickened while the vegetable is cooking. When the vegetable is done drain the liquid into the scalded milk, add some of the vegetable through the sieve—and serve.

If you have never eaten Cream of Onion or Cauliflower Soup—be sure to try them. You will be amazed at their deliciousness. I served the former at luncheon to a party of friends who said they did not like onions in any form. I put a generous quantity of the well boiled onion through the sieve, but was careful not to let a telltale leaf appear. They ate with relish and remarked its deliciousness. The joke was on them. There is wonderful mineral value in the liquid from boiled onions.

Cream of Celery Soup

This soup may be made same as cream of asparagus or as follows:

Take two or three potatoes and about a dozen stalks of celery (the outer stalks of two or three bunches), leaves, roots and all. Cut into small pieces. Boil about three-quarters of an hour (or until soft). Put through sieve.

Add butter, seasoning and milk and heat. Do not allow milk to boil. No thickening is needed with above. Mock Oyster Soup Take a bunch of oyster plant (salsify), scrape, cut into one-half-inch lengths, cover with water and cook slowly about one-half an hour. (A small chopped onion cooked with them if desired.) When done, thicken, add milk, butter, pepper and salt and serve.

If desired the oyster plant may be put through a colander or sieve and the thickening omitted.

Vegetable Stock

(Fine mineral tonic for the children or adults. ‘Make fresh once a week.)

Do not peel but scrub, cut and boil together all kinds of vegetables, carrots, parsnips, turnips, cabbage, leeks, celery, onions, beet leaves, etc., about equal quantities of each. Let simmer about two hours.

Drain and keep liquid in cool place. Add to this the liquid from spinach, onions or any vegetables as you happen to have it. Use stock for soup one day with unpearled barley, then rice, then diced vegetables and even as a cream soup made exactly like cream of spinach. Or serve it as plain vegetable consomme.

Before serving consomme, however, add a sufficient quantity of cooked tomatoes to kill the sweetish flavor of the vegetables. About one part tomatoes to three of stock.

This stock is excellent alkali for an acidosis patient. A cupful could be taken once a day whether served at the table or not.

Vegetable Cream Soup

First. Put one very slack level tablespoonful of brown rice to boil. Take one fair sized potato, one parsnip, one large onion, one carrot, three or four stalks of celery. Put through grinder or dice very small. Let the rice get a ten minute start; then add vegetables and boil to a pulp. Let all of the water boil into the vegetables. Add butter, seasoning. Stir to avoid burning.When ready to serve add one pint milk and bring to heating point. Do not allow milk to boil. This will serve four generously.

The above with whole wheat bread and butter makes an excellent and complete luncheon.

Plain Vegetable Soup

Take one of each of the tuber vegetables—(about the same size) potato, parsnip, carrot, onion, three or four stalks of celery, including the leaves. Some cabbage leaves.

Dice into small pieces. Boil about thirty minutes. Add generous piece of butter and seasoning. Add parsley if desired. Serve quite thick.

The above contains all of the precious mineral salts and makes an excellent luncheon for children with whole wheat bread.

Thick Bean Soup

Soak over night two cupfuls of dry white beans. Do not drain. This livid contains the soluble mineral salts. Boil at simmering point about six hours, adding butter and salt. Stir frequently and add water as needed. When ready to serve the beans should be broken open and soup should be rich and thick. Do not strain. The outer shell of the bean has its definite value. Serve with whole wheat bread or oatmeal crackers.

Thick Pea Soup

Get the dry green or yellow peas and make the same as bean soup. Do not strain.

Thick Lentil Soup

Dry lentils soaked and made same as bean or pea soup. (Whole wheat crackers—unleavened bread—are very easy to- make. Keep on hand, to serve with soups and salads.)

Swedish Health Bread can be bought in packages any-where. It is much like a large cracker and is made of entire oatmeal. It’s fine to serve with soups or salads.

The tendency to make puree soups of all vegetables or legumes which contain any roughage is one of the evils of present-day cooking methods.

None of us perhaps have realized that in straining the split pea or bean soups, etc., we are doing with these legumes precisely what the miller does to our grain.

It is not only that we lose part of the food value in this way but the roughage of this bran is necessary for the scavenger work of the body.

Some people think that this outer covering is “indigestible”—so it is—if by digestible you mean absorbable. Fine absorbable food is the curse of civilization. All such food packs in the intestines. The result is constipation.

Our tastes have been cultivated until they are perverted. We are not even willing to chew. These thick old-fashioned soups are really very delicious. Cultivate a taste for them in the children.

The thick bean or pea soups may be improved by allowing them to cook until very thick and. then adding a little milk when ready to serve.

The only puree which our system allows is Cream of Corn. Cook the can of corn for 5 or to minutes, put through sieve, add milk and seasoning and serve.