BEST SOUP FOR A CROWD RECIPES

Steps:

• Peel 5 pounds potatoes and cut into small dice. Cover with 3 quarts water, add 2 Tablespoons salt and 1 Tablespoon monosodium glutamate, and cook, covered, until the potatoes are mushy. Whisk or beat until the mixture forms a puree.
• Meanwhile, chop 3 pounds onions. Melt 1/2 pound butter or margarine in a heavy pan, add the chopped onions, and cook, stirring often, until golden. (Do not allow the onions to brown.) Sprinkle with 1/2 cup flour and cook, stirring, for a few minutes.
• Heat 4 quarts milk and add gradually to the onion mixture, stirring. Cook, stirring, until the sauce is smooth and thickened. Simmer 10 minutes, stirring often. Combine the sauce with the potato puree. Heat well.
• Add 2 cups cream and heat gently (or use all milk or undiluted evaporated milk). Taste and adjust the seasoning with more salt and a little white pepper. Finely chop fresh chives or scallion greens to make about 1 cup. Serve the soup with a ladle, about 3/4 cup to a portion, and sprinkle each serving with about 1/2 teaspoon chopped chives. Serves 50 or more.
• The Complete Potato Cookbook.

Steps:

• "In large, flat-bottomed stock pot, heat olive oil and saute onions and celery until fragrant and soft. Add water, bouillon cubes, split peas, oregano, garlic, bay leaf and ham. Simmer over low heat for 1 1/2 hours, stirring frequently and watching that soup doesnt start to scorch as it thickens. When soup has thickened quite a bit, remove bay leaf and add carrots, then simmer on very low heat for another 1/2 to 1 hour. Season with black pepper to taste. Yield: approx. 24 1-1/2 cup servings. Recipe By : Brenda Beach (Rooby) Posted to MC-Recipe Digest V1 #295 Date: Mon, 11 Nov 1996 14:11:59 -0800 From: Rooby NOTES : MC formatted 11/11/96 by [email protected]"