Makes: 2 liters. Cooking time: 1 hour.
Ingredients:
— 50 grams butter
— 50 grams carrots
— 50 grams turnips
— 50 grams leek
— 50 grams celery
— 50 grams onion
— 50 grams cabbage
— 2 liters White Stock
— 25 grams tomato puree
— 50 grams potatoes cut paysanne
— 1 bouquet garni
— 50 grams spaghetti broken into 2 cm lengths
— 50 grams peas
— 50 grams french beans cut into diamonds
— 50 grams tomato concasse [tomatoes peeled, seeded (seeds and skins removed), and chopped]
— 25 grams fat bacon
— 1 clove garlic
— chopped parsley
— seasoning of salt and pepper
— 50 grams grated Parmesan cheese
— 30 croûtes de flûte (A French loaf cut into thin slices and toasted on both sides.)
Method:
(1) Melt the butter in a deep saucepan and sweat the paysanne of vegetables.
(2) Add the stock, bring to the boil and skim.
(3) Add the tomato purée, potatoes, bouquet garni and seasoning.
(4) Simmer gently for approximately 20 minutes.
(5) Add the french beans, peas, tomato concassée and spaghetti; simmer for a further 15 minutes until they are cooked.
(6) Remove the bouquet garni and skim all traces of fat from the surface.
(7) Make the fat bacon and garlic into a fine paste, add to the simmering soup in small pieces and cook until they have completely disintegrated.
(8) Complete the soup with the chopped parsley.
(9) Season to taste and check the ratio of ingredients to liquid.
(10) Serve grated Parmesan cheese and croútes de fiúte separately as accompaniments.
Note:
The correct ratio of ingredients to liquid should be approximately two-thirds vegetables to one-third liquid.