Soup à la Julienne is a traditional British recipe, based on Mrs Beeton's recipe of 1861, for a classic soup of carrots, turnips, leeks, onions and celery cut into thin julienne strips that are cooked in meat stock with shredded lettuce and herbs. The full recipe is presented here and I hope you enjoy this classic British version of: Soup à la Julienne.
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This is a traditional French recipe redacted from the redoubtable Mrs Beeton's 1861 volume Mrs Beeton's Book of Household Management, the classic Victorian cookbook.
Original Recipe
131. INGREDIENTS.—1/2 pint of carrots, 1/2 pint of turnips, 1/4 pint of onions, 2 or 3 leeks, 1/2 head of celery, 1 lettuce, a little sorrel and chervil, if liked, 2 oz. of butter, 2 quarts of stock No. 105.
Mode.—Cut the vegetables into strips of about 1-1/4 inch long, and be particular they are all the same size, or some will be hard whilst the others will be done to a pulp. Cut the lettuce, sorrel, and chervil into larger pieces; fry the carrots in the butter, and pour the stock boiling to them. When this is done, add all the other vegetables, and herbs, and stew gently for at least an hour. Skim off all the fat, pour the soup over thin slices of bread, cut round about the size of a shilling, and serve.
Time.—1-1/2 hour. Average cost, 1s. 3d. per quart.
Seasonable all the year.
Sufficient for 8 persons.
Note.—In summer, green peas, asparagus-tops, French beans, &c. can be added. When the vegetables are very strong, instead of frying them in butter at first, they should be blanched, and afterwards simmered in the stock.
Modern Redaction
Ingredients:
60g butter
120g carrots, Julienned
120g turnips, peeled and Julienned
70g onions, Julienned
3 leeks, Julienned
1/2 head of celery, Julienned
1 lettuce, shredded (but cut into larger pieces than the Julienned)
2 tbsp sorrel, shredded
1 tbsp chervil, shredded
2l medium stock, boiling
thin slices of bread, cut into rounds about 3cm in diameter
Method:
The vegetables should be cut into uniform Julienne strips (about 3cm long). Make sure the strips are all the same size, or the vegetables will not cook evenly.
Melt the butter in a stockpot, add the carrots and fry for 5 minutes then pour over the stock. Now add the remaining vegetables, lettuce, sorrel and chervil. Bring to a simmer and cook gently for 30 minutes. Skim off any fat that raises to the surface then take off the heat.
Add four bread rounds into the base of warmed soup bowls, ladle the soup over the top and serve.
