No. 2 Asparagus Soup
60 heads of asparagus.
1 cabbage lettuce.
2 quarts of water.
1 ounce of butter.
6 medium-sized onions.
A sprig of mint.
1 tablespoon of sago.
2 teaspoons of salt.
½ teaspoon of pepper.
2 or 3 drops of spinach extract.
Dissolve the butter in a large saucepan, place in the lettuce finely shredded, the salt, pepper, mint, onions sliced, water, and the green portion of the asparagus, but reserving thirty tops. Boil one hour. Stir in the sago and boil again, stirring frequently for half an hour without the lid. Boil the thirty tops separately in a little salted water until tender. Strain the soup through a hair sieve (rubbing the pulp through with a wooden spoon) into a hot tureen, add the tops and the colouring, and serve.
Note.—If the soup be made some time before required, do not cook the tops until it is being re-heated.