Cheap Rice Soup

Ingredients

• 1 gallon water
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 2–3 onions
• 1 faggot of sweet herbs
• 1 root of celery
• 3–4 carrots
• 3–4 ounces rice
• 1–2 ounces fresh butter
• 1 teaspoon flour
• 2–3 egg yolks
• pepper

Instructions

1. Place a gallon of water on the fire, adjusting the quantity according to how much soup you require.
2. When the water boils, add a moderate-sized tablespoonful of salt, two or three thickly sliced onions, a faggot of sweet herbs, a root of celery, and three or four large carrots split into many divisions and cut into short lengths.
3. Boil these vegetables gently for an hour and a half to two hours.
4. Strain the liquor from the vegetables.
5. When time permits, let the broth cool.
6. For each quart of strained broth, take three to four ounces of well-washed rice.
7. Pour the soup over the rice.
8. Heat it very slowly, stirring occasionally.
9. Stew the rice gently until it is perfectly tender and the soup is quite thick.
10. Season moderately with pepper.
11. Either blend an ounce or two of fresh butter with a teaspoonful of flour and stir it thoroughly into the soup, or carefully add the yolks of two or three new-laid eggs mixed with a little milk.
12. Serve the soup hot.