This is a great recipe from the book, A Feast of Soups. It is an all around fantastic cookbook, by the way. I received it as a bridal shower gift and it is a keeper, though it’s copyrighted 1982. Some of the ingredients and language in the method are a tad outdated, so I edited a little. By the way, it’s called Thursday Night Soup because traditionally workers were paid on Friday and so by Thursday night, you’d be using up whatever you had.
Thursday Night Soup
3 medium onions, chopped
3 T oil
1 6-ounce can tomato paste
4 cups water
4 beef bouillon cubes
1 t salt
1/4 t pepper
1 small bay leaf
1/4 t dried thyme
1/2 t sugar
1 – 2 cups leftovers, cooked or raw (read recipe for an explanation of this)
1 – 2 cups liquids
Condiments to taste
Garnish
1. In a kettle over medium heat, saute the onion in the oil until lightly browned, about 10 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste. Reduce heat and cook 1 minute, stirring. Add water, bouillon, salt, pepper, bay, thyme, and sugar. Cook 5 minutes, uncovered.
2. Add up to 2 cups solid leftovers – carrots, celery, potatoes, peas, snap beans. These may be raw or cooked. If raw, mince or slice very thin, and cook 5 to 10 minutes or until tender, before adding. If cooked, simmer about 5 minutes before serving. Cooked meats (except ham) may be added: beef, hamburger, chicken, turkey, and veal are good. Cube before adding and cook 5 minutes before serving. Fish may be added. Frozen vegetables, meats or fish may also be added. Cooked dishes may be added — for instance, rice dishes, stews, pasta leftovers, creamed vegetables, and mashed potatoes. Raw spaghetti, noodles, and rice may be added, but these will require simmering 12 to 15 minutes, covered.
3. Add up to 2 cups liquid: milk, cream, buttermilk; any leftover soup that isn’t cabbagy or contains ham or pork; the cooking water of vegetables, tomato juice, gravies, wine, etc.
4. Taste and season: add more salt, pepper, sugar, or paprika, a bit of wine, Worcestershire sauce, or those herbs that go so well with tomato-flavored soups — oregano, basil, and rosemary — 1/4 t. each (dried) is enough of these. Cook 5 minutes after the final seasonings have gone in, then serve.
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