Soop Meagre

Original Recipe

“Take half a pound of butter, put it into a deep stew-pan, shake it bout, and let is stand till it has done making a noise; then have ready fix middling onions peeled and cut small, throw them in, and shake them about. Take a bunch of celery clean washed and icked, cut it in pieces half as long as your finger, a large handful of spinach clean washed and picked, a good lettuce clean washed, if you have I, and cut small, a little bundle of parsley chopped fine; shake all this well together in the pan for a quarter of an hour, then shake in a little flour, stir all together, and our into the stew-pan two quarts of boiling water; take a handful of dry hard crust, throw in a tea-spoonful of beaten pepper, three blades of mace beaten fine, stir all together and let it boil softly half an hour ; then take it off the fire , and beat up the yolks of two eggs and stir in, and one spoonful of vinegar; pour it into the soop-dish, and send it to table. If you have any green peas, boil half a pint in the soop for change.”

Source: The Art of Cookery: Made Plain and Easy by Hannah Glasse (1769)

Ingredients

• 1 pound butter
• 12 medium onions (cut small)
• 2 bunches celery (cut into ½″ pieces)
• 2 large handfuls of spinach
• 2 large handfuls of lettuce
• 1 bundle parsley (chopped fine)
• 2 tablespoons flour
• 1 gallon boiling water (16 cups)
• 2 handfuls torn crusty bread (dry hard crust)
• 2 teaspoon pepper
• 2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 4 egg yolks
• 2 tablespoons vinegar
• Optional: 2 cups peas

Steps

1. Chop 12 medium onions and keep separate.
2. Chop all remaining veggies and combine with spices.
3. Add 1 pound butter to a deep stew pan and allow it to melt.
4. Add chopped onions to the pan and allow to soften.
5. When soft, add all remaining vegetables and spices.
6. Cook for 15 minutes.
7. Shake in 2 tablespoons flour, stir together, and add 1 gallon water.
8. Add 2 handfuls torn crusty bread.
9. Boil for 30 minutes.
10. Take off fire, then stir in 4 egg yolks and 2 tablespoons vinegar and send to the table.