Lettuce Soup
Surprisingly delicious lettuce soup
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 medium onion chopped
- 2 medium cloves garlic chopped
- 3 cups water
- 8 cups lettuce leaves clean and coarsely chopped
- 1 small handful parsley or celery leaves coarsely chopped
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- Optional but recommended: 2 tablespoons fresh or sour cream
- Fresh lemon juice to taste
- Choose one or more optional garnishes to float on the soup: thin slices of fresh radish halved cherry tomatoes, a little finely chopped cilantro or dill, a drizzle of olive oil, toasted sliced almonds, croutons.
Instructions
- Melt the butter over medium heat. Don’t let it brown.
- Add onion and garlic and cook, stirring, until softened, about 3 minutes.
- Add water, bring to a simmer, and cook, covered, until vegetables are very tender, about 8 minutes.
- Add lettuce and parsley and cook until wilted and softened, 2-4 minutes.
- Blend the soup until very smooth. I used a stick blender right in the pot, having first removed it from the heat and allowed the soup to cool somewhat before blending.
- Add the fresh or sour cream; blend again.
- Taste for seasoning and adjust if needed. Here’s where you add lemon juice for bright flavor - from a quarter to half a medium lemon. Taste and judge, but don’t let the lemon overwhelm the soup.
- Eat it hot, tepid or cold. It’s good hot, but I like it best tepid, drizzled with olive oil and drunk out of a cup. It would also be pleasant served cold on a summer evening, with crusty bread or crackers. Enjoy!