Tapioca Cream Soup

This soup was made prior to 1870 and published in the White House Cook Book in 1874. It is unsusual but very good cream soup.


One quart of white stock (I used cream soup base or chicken broth for this)
One pint of cream or milk
1 onion
2 stalks celery
1/3 cup tapioca
2 cups cold water
1 tbsp butter
1/8 tsp mace
salt and pepper to taste

Wash tapioca and soak overnight in cold water. Cook it and the stock together gently for one hour. In a separate pan cut onion and celery into small pieces. Add milk and mace and cook for 20 minutes. Pour through strainer into pan with tapioca. Season with salt and pepper, add butter and serve.