Recipe: Lettuce Soup

Did you buy too much lettuce at the farmer's market, have a bunch coming up in your garden or, like me, received a huge bag of it from your sweet neighbour?  If you don't feel like salad for the next 2 weeks, this soup is a delicious option.  It can be served hot or cold and the taste is savoury, fresh and earthy.  After you put some in your bowl, try it with a couple small drops of apple cider or white vinegar and it will burst with flavour.

LETTUCE SOUP

from Serious Eats

1/4 cup olive oil
1 medium onion, diced
10 large outer leaves of Romaine lettuce, torn into pieces (I just used a mix of lettuce I had on hand)
1 pound Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and diced (I used red potatoes, skin left on)
3 cups chicken stock
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/4 cup heavy cream (I used fat-free half and half)
Pinch of ground nutmeg
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon parsley leaves
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a 4-quart saucepan. Add the onion and cook until beginning to soften. Add the lettuce, potatoes, chicken stock, and salt. Bring to a boil over high heat, then cover the pot and reduce the heat so that the liquid stays at a brisk simmer. Cook until the potatoes are tender, about 20 minutes depending on the size of your dice.

Off the heat, add the cream, nutmeg, lemon juice, parsley, and a bit of freshly ground black pepper. Carefully puree the soup with an immersion blender or in batches in a blender. Taste and adjust the seasoning. Serve hot or cold. The soup will keep in the fridge for up to a week, and the flavor improves as it rests. Reheat gently before serving if desired.

Printable Recipe
 
Enjoy!