Carrots, peas, tomatoes, turnips, corn, beans, celery, lettuce, potatoes, beets, cucumbers, asparagus, all these afford a splendid variety.

Allow one level tablespoon of flour for thickening and dissolve the flour in cold water before adding.  Bring quickly to a boil and then season.  Add two tablespoons of butter for flavoring and then serve.

French, Swiss and Italians serve grated cheese and paprika with all cream soups.

CREAM OF ONION

Place two cups of thinly sliced onions in a saucepan and add one cup of cold water.  Cook until soft and then rub through a fine sieve.  Measure and return to the saucepan, and add one cup of milk for every cup of onion puree and two level tablespoons of flour to every cup of milk.  Stir to dissolve the flour, then bring to a boil and cook slowly for five minutes.  Season, using salt and white pepper.  Serve, then add one tablespoon of butter to every quart of cream soup.  Croutons or toasted strips of bread make a delicious accompaniment to cream soups.

How to prepare croutons:  Cut slices of bread into one-inch blocks and place in a baking sheet and bake until golden brown.  Place in a tin box or jar and seal.  When ready to use just reheat to crisp and then serve.  Stale bread may be used for this purpose.

CREAM OF TOMATO

Place two cups of stewed tomatoes in a saucepan and add

  One onion, chopped fine,
  One faggot of soup herbs,
  Pinch of cloves.

Cook gently for ten minutes and then run through a fine sieve.  Now place in a saucepan

  Two cups of milk,
  Five tablespoons of cornstarch.

Stir until dissolved and then bring to a boil and cook for five minutes.  Add to prepared tomato, beating well to thoroughly mix.  Now add

  One teaspoon of salt,
  One-half teaspoon of pepper,
  One tablespoon of butter.

The making of the cream sauce and then adding the prepared tomato prevents curdling.

TOMATO PUREE

  One pint of stewed tomatoes,
  Two onions chopped fine,
  One carrot cut in dice,
  One faggot of soup herbs,
  One pint of water.

Cook slowly until the vegetables are soft, rub through a sieve and then dissolve

  Four tablespoons of cornstarch in
  Five tablespoons of cold water.

Add to the tomato sauce mixture with

  Two tablespoons of butter,
  One and one-half teaspoons of salt,
  One-half teaspoon of pepper.

Cook slowly for ten minutes.

VEGETABLE PUREE

Pare and cut in dice

  Six medium-sized turnips,
  Four medium-sized carrots,
  Six medium-sized onions.

Chop fine

  One small head of cabbage,
  Four branches of celery,
  One bunch of potherbs,
  One teaspoon of thyme.