Julienne Soup

Source: Anonymous, 1920

History

Sopa Juliana as printed in this book is a plain vegetable soup: lard (manteca) is heated and chopped leeks and onion are fried, then potatoes, turnips and carrots cut into very fine strips are added with a little mint and chopped parsley; once softened, white cabbage in small pieces is added, it is seasoned with salt, covered with broth (caldo) and simmered. The dish takes its name directly from the way its vegetables are prepared: cut in julienne. The julienne (juliana) cut itself is older than this recipe and comes out of the French kitchen. The earliest written reference to the cut is in Le Cuisinier impérial (Paris, 1806); the origin of the name is uncertain, and some authors attribute it to a cook named Jean Julien. Beyond this etymology, the name attached to the finished soup rather than to any single inventor: a recipe titled "Sopa juliana" already appears in Spanish-language print well before this book, in the Mexican compilation El cocinero mexicano (Mexico, 1831). This recipe appears in La Mejor Cocinera, Recetas de Cocina, a Spanish home-cookery book published by Editorial "Saturnino Calleja" in Madrid; the earliest edition located here is 1923. The historical record consulted does not document a specific inventor of this soup, a single place or date of origin for the dish, or any association with a particular social class.

Ingredients

Instructions

  1. Heat manteca (lard) in a large pot and fry the chopped leeks and onion until softened. Add the potatoes, turnips, and carrots, cut into very fine strips, along with a small leaf of mint and the chopped parsley. Braise these vegetables together until they begin to soften.
  2. Add the white cabbage, cut into regular small pieces, and braise it as well until integrated with the other vegetables.
  3. Season with salt. Pour in the necessary amount of caldo (broth) and bring to a simmer. Let the soup cook for at least three hours.

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