Soup Maigre is a traditional British recipe, based on Mrs Beeton's recipe of 1861, for a classic soup of vegetables, parsley and spinach in a water-based stock thickened with bread crust and which is finished with an egg liaison. The full recipe is presented here and I hope you enjoy this classic British version of: Soup Maigre.
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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
136. INGREDIENTS.—6 oz. butter, 6 onions sliced, 4 heads of celery, 2 lettuces, a small bunch of parsley, 2 handfuls of spinach, 3 pieces of bread-crust, 2 blades of mace, salt and pepper to taste, the yolks of 2 eggs, 3 teaspoonfuls of vinegar, 2 quarts of water.
Mode.—Melt the butter in a stewpan, and put in the onions to stew gently for 3 or 4 minutes; then add the celery, spinach, lettuces, and parsley, cut small. Stir the ingredients well for 10 minutes. Now put in the water, bread, seasoning, and mace. Boil gently for 1-1/2 hour, and, at the moment of serving, beat in the yolks of the eggs and the vinegar, but do not let it boil, or the eggs will curdle.
Time.—2 hours. Average cost, 6d. per quart.
Seasonable all the year.
Sufficient for 8 persons.
Modern Redaction
Ingredients:
180g butter
6 onions, sliced
4 heads of celery, finely chopped
2 lettuces, finely shredded
small bunch of parsley, finely chopped
80g spinach
3 pieces of bread crust
2 blades of mace
salt and freshly-ground black pepper, to taste
2 egg yolks
3 tsp vinegar
2l water
Method:
Melt the butter in a stockpot, add the onions and fry gently for about 4 minutes, or until tender. Add the celery, lettuces, spinach and parsley then cook gently, stirring constantly, for 10 minutes.
At this point add the water, bread, seasonings and mace. Bring to a boil cook gently for 90 minutes. Just before serving beat together the egg yolks and vinegar. Whisk two ladles of the stock into the mixture then take the pan off the heat, add the egg mixture and stir to combine. Allow to heat through, but do not boil (or the eggs will curdle).
