To Make A Soup
From the treasured pages of Receipts for cookery and pastry work
Written by Mrs. Johnston
To Make A Soup
"Make strong broth of a thigh of Beef, and a knuckle of veal cut in pieces, put it in the pot full of water, and some whole spiced with a blade of mace, three great whole Onions, stuck with Cloves, and a baunch of sweet herbs, Boil all together on a slow fire till the meat be all in pieces, then strain the Broth through a Callender, and take some Collops of Beef, Dust them with flower, and fry them Very Brown, take the fat off the strong Broth, then put in ye Collops among the Broth and let them soke over a slow fire, and have ready some pieces of tossed Bread for your soup dish, put in a Marrow bone in the Midle, and pour in the broth on the Bread, But keep out the Collops & serve it up."
Note on the Original Text
Spelling in the original (e.g., 'broth', 'ye Collops', 'Boil', 'Callender', 'flower' for 'flour') reflects fluid early-modern English orthography, well before standardized spelling. Recipes were written as process descriptions, assuming the reader had practical kitchen knowledge – there are no precise timings or quantities, and methods rely on subjective instructions ('till the meat be all in pieces'). The expectation was that cooks would adapt details according to their own experience and the resources at hand.
Title
Receipts for cookery and pastry work (1700)
You can also click the book image above to peruse the original tome
Writer
Mrs. Johnston
Era
1700
Publisher
Unknown
Background
A delightful compilation of 18th-century recipes gathered by Mrs. Johnston herself, promising a charming journey through the flavors and culinary traditions of the early 1700s.
Kindly made available by
Folger Shakespeare Library
This recipe hails from early 18th-century England, compiled around 1700 by Mrs. Johnston. At this time, soups were transforming from a medicinal or aristocratic offering into a comfort for the genteel household. The use of both beef and veal underscores a preference for deep, layered flavors and the aspiration to upper-class tastes. In an era with little in the way of refrigeration, boiling meat for broth also served a practical purpose, extracting nourishment from tougher cuts. The addition of marrow bone was especially prized for its richness and was considered luxurious and sustaining.
The original cook would have used a large iron or earthenware pot suspended over an open hearth or settled on a grate, allowing the broth to simmer gently for hours. A colander or 'callender' made of metal or woven reeds would strain the broth. Meats would be browned in a heavy, flat-bottomed pan over direct fire, and bread either toasted at the hearth or fried on a griddle. Knives and wooden spoons aided preparation, while serving required a large, deep soup dish or a tureen to receive the marrow bone and broth-soaked bread.
Prep Time
25 mins
Cook Time
4 hrs
Servings
6
Ingredients
- 2.2 lb beef thigh (bone-in preferable)
- 1.5 lb veal knuckle or shank, cut in pieces (can substitute all beef if veal unavailable)
- 12–16 cups water
- 3 large onions, peeled
- 9–12 whole cloves
- 1 bunch fresh mixed herbs (parsley, thyme, bay leaf)
- 1 blade (about 1 tsp) mace (or substitute a pinch ground mace, optional)
- 1 tbsp whole black peppercorns
- 9 oz beef (lean, sliced thin for frying)
- 2 tbsp plain wheat flour
- 2–3 tbsp oil or clarified butter for frying
- 3–4 thick slices rustic bread
- 1 beef marrow bone (optional; substitute extra bread if unavailable)
Instructions
- Begin by making a robust broth: Place about 2.2 lb beef thigh (bone-in if possible) and 1.5 lb veal shank or knuckle, cut into large chunks, into a large stockpot.
- Cover with 12–16 cups cold water.
- Add 3 peeled whole onions, each studded with 3–4 whole cloves, a bunch of fresh herbs (such as parsley, thyme, and bay leaf), 1 blade (about 1 tsp) of whole mace, and 1 tablespoon mixed whole peppercorns.
- Bring slowly to a simmer on low heat, skimming off any scum, and cook gently for 3–4 hours until the meats fall apart.
- Strain the broth through a fine sieve or colander, discarding the solids.
- Remove excess fat from the top of the broth.
- Slice about 9 oz beef (from a lean cut, such as rump) into thin strips (collops).
- Dust with plain flour (about 2 tbsp), and fry in a little oil or clarified butter over high heat until well browned on all sides.
- Add the fried beef slices to the broth and gently heat for about 20 minutes – do not let it boil.
- Meanwhile, toast or fry thick slices of bread (about 3–4), and arrange them in a warm soup tureen.
- If available, place a marrow bone (split if possible) in the center.
- Pour over the hot broth, but remove and reserve the collops (the fried beef strips), which are not served in the final dish.
- Serve the soup hot, with the marrow bone and rich broth-soaked bread.
Estimated Calories
375 per serving
Cooking Estimates
It takes about 25 minutes to prepare the ingredients, and the cooking takes about 4 hours. The recipe serves about 6 people. Each serving has around 375 calories.
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