Sopa Juliana 1831 (Root Vegetable Soup) -

El cocinero mexicano, ó, Coleccion de las mejores recetas para guisar al estilo americano : y de las mas selectas segun el metodo de las cocinas española, italiana, francesa e inglesa. Mexico: Imprenta de Galvan, a cargo de Mariano Arevalo, Calle de Cadena num. 2, 1831.

This week, we bring you another recipe from El Cocinero Mexicano–a light soup of root vegetables and greens. This soup makes use of two herbs more commonly associated with French cooking than Mexican–sorrel and chervil. In fact, France had a significant influence on Mexican cuisine during certain periods. Even before Emperor Maximillian’s brief reign in the 1860s, French ingredients and methods were featured in cookbooks directed towards the middle and upper classes of Mexico, who often sought to emphasize their ties to Europe.

We haven’t had a chance to test this recipe in the kitchen yet, so we’ll leave the experimentation with proportions up to you, our readers. If you prepare this soup, please use the comments section to share your experience–we’d love to hear how it turns out!

Original Recipe/Receta Original:

Juliana, Pp. 36-37

57. Esta sopa se compone de chirivias, nabos, puerros, cebollas, ápio, acedera, lechuga y perifollo: las raices serán cortadas en hi_os de media línea de grueso, y de cosa de ocho ó diez líneas de largo; las cebollas serán divididas en dos mitades, y despues en rebanadas para que formen medios círculos; los puerros y el ápio en hielos, y las lechugas y la acedera picadas. Es necesario pasar las raices por la manteca hasta que estén un poco revenidas: despues echar allí las lechugas, yerbas y perifollos: asi que este todo bien revenido, es necesario humedecerlo con caldo, hacerlo hervir á pequeño fuego durante una hora ó mas, hasta que esté bien cocido: despues preparareis el pan, y echareis la Juliana encima.

Translated Recipe/Receta Traducida:

Juliana, Pp. 36-37

57. This soup consists of parsnips, turnips, leeks, onions, celery, sorrel, lettuce and chervil. Cut the roots in slices about half an inch thick. Divide the onions in half and then slice into rings. Place the leeks and celery on ice while you chop the lettuce and sorrel. Cook the roots in a little fat until slightly softened. Then add the lettuces, herbs, and dock leaves. When all of these are slightly softened, add broth and boil over a low fire until well done. Then prepare bread [in cubes or crumbs] and scatter it over the top of the soup to serve.

Image Citation: N8dawg. “Chervil.” 2008. Wikimedia Commons <https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Chervil.JPG> Accessed Sept. 10, 2010.