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Lettuce Soup

When you are tired of salads, but still have lettuce in the fridge, it’s time for lettuce soup.

  • Author: Mary Leir

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 cup chopped onions, scallions, and/or shallots
  • 1 garlic clove, or two garlic scapes, chopped
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground coriander
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
  • 3 tablespoons nutritional yeast
  • 1 cup white wine
  • 1 medium potato, diced
  • 3 cups filtered water or left over whey from making greek yogurt or farmer’s cheese
  • 8 cups coarsely chopped lettuce leaves including ribs (3/4 lb)
  • 1/4 cup parlsey (optional)
  • 3 tablespoons vegan butter
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice

Cashew Cream (optional)

  • 1 cup unsweetened soy milk
  • 1 cup roasted, unsalted cashews

Instructions

  1. In a 4- to 5-quart heavy bottom pot, cook onion and garlic in olive oil over moderately low heat. Stir often. Cook until softened, 3 to 5 minutes.
  2. Add coriander, salt, and pepper and cook, stirring, 1 minute. Stir in potato, nutritional yeast, and white wine. Cook for about 5 minutes, until wine is reduced by half.
  3. Add water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook, covered, until potato is very tender, about 10 minutes.
  4. Add lettuce, parsley (if using) and vegan butter. Cook for five more minutes, until lettuce is wilted but still bright green. Stir in lemon juice.
  5. Blend soy milk and cashews in high speed blender to make cashew cream (if using). Remove from blender jar and set aside.
  6. Purée soup in batches in a blender (use caution when blending hot liquids). Adjust salt and pepper to taste.
  7. Drizzle with cashew cream (if using). Serve with crusty toast.

Notes

This is a great recipe to use up any leftover parsley as well as lettuce. I use water or whey instead of broth in this recipe. It allows the lettuce flavor to come through bright and clean. Recipe works best with more flavorful lettuce like romaine and arugula.