Lettuce, Herb, and Pea Soup
Most lettuce soups look like swamp water because the delicate leaves oxidize and turn brown when simmered for too long. I blanch and shock the greens separately to lock in the chlorophyll, then blend them into a potato-thickened base for a vibrant, fresh flavor that doesn't taste like cooked lawn clippings.
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.
Notes
Optional garnish with goat cheese and nigella seeds.
Did you make this recipe?Let me know how you liked it below!