Cream of Lettuce Soup

comments (0) August 8th, 2008

KitchenGardener Magazine, archive

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A cool, creamy soup proves lettuce isn't just for salad anymore, especially when you want to use leaves that have gone beyond the baby stage.

Photo: Scott Phillips

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Ingredients:
2 Tbs. butter
1 medium white onion, grated
2 celery stalks, finely diced
2 Tbs. flour
4 cups half-and-half, at room temperature
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. white pepper
1 lb. lettuce leaves, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese (for hot soup)
4 scallions, chopped (for cold soup)

6 to 8 servings

I prefer the taste and texture of butterheads for this soup. If you use romaine, cut out the crisp stems or they will get in the way of the smooth texture.

Melt the butter in a large saucepan, at least 5-quart size. Sauté the onion and celery until soft. Add the flour and cook, stirring, until the vegetables are coated. Very slowly add the half-and-half, stirring with a wire whisk to blend.

Add the salt and white pepper, then the lettuce.

Reduce the heat to low, cover, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the lettuce wilts down into the liquid. This will happen quite quickly. Don't let it boil.

Allow the mixture to cool. Pass it through a food mill or puree it, in batches if necessary, in a food processor. A food mill gives a lighter and, perhaps, more elegant soup, while using a food processor results in a heartier version.

To serve as a hot soup, reheat gently, without boiling, and top with the Parmesan cheese just before serving. As a cold soup, refrigerate for at least 2 hours, stir vigorously with a wire whisk, and top each portion with chopped scallions.

Recipe by Peter Garnham
February 1999
from issue #19