Ingredients (~6 servings)
- 1 1/4 lbs mixed salad greens (romaine, butter lettuce, arugula)
- 1 cup packed fresh soft herbs (parsley, basil, dill, or chives)
- 3 medium yellow onions, chopped (~3 cups)
- 3 medium Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and diced small
- 3 cloves garlic, sliced thin
- 4 tablespoons olive oil
- 6 cups chicken or vegetable stock
- 2 cups frozen peas
- Juice of 1 lemon
- Salt and black pepper to taste
- Optional: Crumbled goat cheese and nigella seeds for serving
Blanch and Shock the Greens
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and set a large bowl of ice water next to the stove.
Drop the salad greens and herbs into the boiling water. Cook for exactly 20 seconds; you just want to wilt them, not kill them.
Immediately fish them out with tongs or a spider and plunge them into the ice water. This stops the cooking instantly and sets the bright green color. Drain the greens, squeeze out the excess water with your hands, and set the green ball aside.
Sweat the Base Vegetables
Dump the water from the pot and return it to medium heat with the olive oil. Add the chopped onions and a heavy pinch of salt.
Sweat the onions for ~8 minutes until translucent. Add the diced potatoes and garlic; cook for another 5 minutes. If the vegetables start to stick or brown, add a splash of water; you want them soft and pale, not caramelized.
Simmer the Starch
Pour in the stock and bring the mixture to a simmer. Cook for ~15 minutes. The potatoes act as the thickener here, so they need to be tender enough to fall apart when pressed against the side of the pot.
Stir in the frozen peas and cook for 2 minutes.
Add the ball of blanched greens back into the pot, pushing them under the liquid to warm through for 60 seconds.
Strain and Emulsify
Remove the pot from the heat. Place a colander over a large bowl and pour the soup through it to separate the solids from the liquid.
Transfer the solids (greens, potatoes, onions, peas) into a blender. Add about 1 cup of the reserved liquid. Blend on high until you have a smooth, vivid green puree.
With the motor running, stream in the remaining liquid slowly until you reach your desired consistency. You might not need all of it depending on how thick you like your soup.
Season with salt and the lemon juice. The acid is crucial to cut the earthiness of the greens. Serve immediately.
Lettuce, Herb, and Pea Soup
Ingredients
Ingredients (~6 servings)
- 1 1/4 lbs mixed salad greens romaine, butter lettuce, arugula
- 1 cup packed fresh soft herbs parsley, basil, dill, or chives
- 3 medium yellow onions ~3 cups, chopped
- 3 medium Yukon Gold potatoes peeled and diced small
- 3 cloves garlic sliced thin
- 4 tablespoons olive oil
- 6 cups chicken or vegetable stock
- 2 cups frozen peas
- Juice of 1 lemon
- Salt and black pepper to taste
- Optional: Crumbled goat cheese and nigella seeds for serving
Instructions
- Bring salted water to boil and prepare ice bath.
- Blanch greens and herbs for 20 seconds, immediately transfer to ice water.
- Heat olive oil, sweat onions for 8 minutes until translucent.
- Add potatoes and garlic, cook 5 minutes.
- Pour in stock, simmer 15 minutes until potatoes are tender.
- Add peas, cook 2 minutes.
- Stir in blanched greens, warm 60 seconds.
- Strain soup, reserving liquid.
- Blend solids with 1 cup reserved liquid until smooth.
- Stream remaining liquid to desired consistency.
- Season with salt and lemon juice.
- Serve immediately.
