Cream of Corn Soup

Recipe No. 536 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

• Celery, diced — 12 ounces (¾ No. 56 dipper)
• Onions, chopped — 12 ounces (¾ No. 56 dipper)
• Water, boiling — 1½ gallons (6 No. 56 dippers)
• Milk, evaporated — 19 — 14½-ounce cans
• Corn, cream-style — 3 No. 10 cans
• Salt — 4 ounces (8 mess kit spoons)
• Sugar, granulated — ½ ounce (1 mess kit spoon)
• Pepper — as needed
• Paprika — ¼ ounce (1 mess kit spoon)
• Fat, melted — 1 pound (½ No. 56 dipper)
• Flour, sifted — 1 pound (1 No. 56 dipper)
• Worcestershire sauce — ½ ounce (1 mess kit spoon)

Directions

Key ingredients

Evaporated Milk · Worcestershire Sauce

1. Combine celery, onions and water.
2. Cover and heat to boiling point; reduce heat and simmer until tender.
3. Combine milk, corn, salt, sugar, pepper and paprika; mix well.
4. Cover and heat to boiling; reduce heat and simmer about 30 minutes. Add to celery and onions.*
5. Mix melted fat and flour; stir until smooth. Add to hot soup; mix thoroughly. Heat to boiling point; reduce heat and simmer about 20 minutes or until slightly thick, stirring constantly.

Notes

SCALED TO 8 SERVINGS (the original is ÷12.5): Celery, diced — 1 oz Onions, chopped — 1 oz Water, boiling — 2 cups Milk, evaporated — 1½ can(s) (14½ oz) Corn, cream-style — 3 cups Salt — about 2 tsp Sugar, granulated — a pinch Pepper — to taste Paprika — a pinch Fat, melted — 1¼ oz Flour, sifted — 1¼ oz Worcestershire sauce — a pinch

Mixture may be rubbed through a sieve if desired.

— TM 10-412, Army Recipes (War Department, 15 August 1944), recipe No. 536, Soups. Army measures: 1 No. 56 dipper = 1 qt; 1 No. 55 dipper = 1¾ qt; 1 mess kit cup = 1½ pints.