Celery and Green Pea Soup

Recipe No. 533 from the U.S. Army’s WWII cookbook — Soups. Quantities are exactly as printed, for 100 servings; a scaled-down 8-serving version is in the notes.

Ingredients

Milk, evaporated — 24—14½ ounce cans

• Water or liquid drained from peas (for milk) — 2½ gallons (10 No. 56 dippers)
• Peas, drained — 2½ No. 10 cans
• Onions, chopped — 8 ounces (½ No. 56 dipper)
• Salt — 1 ounce (2 mess kit spoons)
• Nutmeg — as needed
• Fat, melted — 12 ounces (½ mess kit cup)
• Flour, sifted — 12 ounces (¾ No. 56 dipper)
• Salt — 2 ounces (4 mess kit spoons)

Pepper — (⅓ mess kit spoon)

• Celery, finely diced — 3¾ pounds (3¾ No. 56 dippers)

Directions

Key ingredients

Evaporated Milk

1. Combine 6—14½ ounce cans milk, 1 quart (1 No. 56 dipper) water, peas, onions, salt and nutmeg; mix well.
2. Cover and heat to boiling point; reduce heat and simmer about 45 minutes.
3. Rub through sieve.
4. Mix remaining milk and remaining water; heat.
5. Mix melted fat, flour, salt and pepper together; stir until smooth. Add slowly to hot milk; mix thoroughly. Add celery. Heat to boiling point; reduce heat and simmer until mixture is slightly thick, stirring constantly.
6. Add peas and onions; continue simmering until celery is tender.

Notes

SCALED TO 8 SERVINGS (the original is ÷12.5): Milk, evaporated — 2 can(s) (14½ oz) Water or liquid drained from peas (for milk) — 3¼ cups Peas, drained — 2⅔ cups Onions, chopped — ⅔ oz Salt — about ½ tsp Nutmeg — to taste Fat, melted — 1 oz Flour, sifted — 1 oz Salt — about 1 tsp Pepper — scale to taste ((⅓ mess kit spoon)) Celery, finely diced — 4¾ oz

— TM 10-412, Army Recipes (War Department, 15 August 1944), recipe No. 533, Soups. Army measures: 1 No. 56 dipper = 1 qt; 1 No. 55 dipper = 1¾ qt; 1 mess kit cup = 1½ pints.