Basic Cream Soup And Variations

Servings: 6
Ingredients:

4 c  Fresh vegetables, coarsley
-chopped
4 tb Flour
5 c  Chicken stock
3 c  Light cream
5 tb Butter
Salt and Pepper to taste
CREAM OF CAULIFLOWER SOUP:
4 c  Cauliflower flowerets
Paprika
Basic cream soup recipe
CREAM OF BROCCOLI SOUP:
5 c  Broccoli
A pinch or two of nutmeg
Basic Cream soup recipe
CREAM OF CUCUMBER SOUP:
4 c  Cucumbers, peeled, seeded
-and diced
1/2 c  Sour cream
Basic cream soup recipe
CREAM OF LIMA BEAN SOUP:
4 c  Lima beans
4 tb Crisply fried bacon crumbled
Basic cream soup recipe
CREAM OF SPINACH SOUP:
4 c  Spinach, coarsely chopped
2    Hard cooked egg yolks
Basic cream soup recipe
CREAM OF ASPARAGUS SOUP:
4 c  Tender asparagus tips

BASIC CREAM SOUP: Pumpernickel croutons Basic cream soup recipe

Peel the vegetable, if necessary, and chop coarsely. Place in a saucepan
with 3 cups of the stock. Cook over medium heat until the vegetable is
tender. Set aside 1/2 cup choice pieces of cooked vegetables to use as a
garnish. Puree the remaining cooked vegetable together with the vegetable
water in an electric blender, or press through a strainer. Melt the butter
in a soup kettle, blend in the flour, and stir in the cream. Simmer over a
low flame, stirring constantly for 3 minutes. Stir in the pureed vegetable
and the remaining 2 cups of chicken stock, and simmer for 3 minutes more.
Adjust the seasonings and serve in individual bowls garnished with the
reserved cooked vegetable. Serve hot or cold.

Cream of Cauliflower Soup: Prepare soup as directed in Basic cream soup.
Garnish with reserved cauliflower and a sprinkle of paprika. Serve hot or
cold.

Cream Of Broccoli Soup: Peel the stems and break broccoli into flowerets.
Slice the stems. Proceed as directed in Basic cream soup recipe. Serve with
nutmeg sprinkled on top.

Cream Of Cucumber Soup: Reserve 1/2 cup diced raw cucumber to use as a
garnish. Cook remaining cucumber for 8 minutes. Proceed as directed in
Basic cream soup recipe. Serve hot or cold with a dollop of sour cream in
the center of each bowl.

Cream Of Lima Bean Soup: Prepare soup as directed in Basic cream soup
recipe but do not reserve any lima beans. Serve hot, garnished with
crumbled bacon.

Cream Of Spinach Soup: Prepare soup as directed in basic cream soup recipe,
but do not reserve any spinach. Serve hot or cold, garnished with
hard-cooked egg yolks forced through a fine sieve.

Cream Of Asparagus Soup: Prepare soup as directed in basic cream soup
recipe. Garnish with reserved asparagus tips and Pumpernickel croutons.
Serve hot or cold.

Posted by Pat Stockett. Courtesy of Fred Peters.