Kate’s Bright Green Lettuce Soup

Do you have any friends with whom you like to swap recipes and talk food?  One who gets as excited as you over a new find at Costco, or a new spice she has tried?  One who sends you flavored vinegars in the mail because she knows you will love them as much as she does?

Well, I do...  and I am so thankful for her.  My friend is Kate, and she has been the source of many of the recipes and ideas I have shared here with all of you.  When she told me about her Bright Green Lettuce Soup I thought it best to just turn things over to her.  And she is much, much too modest.

Here’s Kate's story:

I am so excited to be asked by my dear friend Elle to guest post on her blog! She’s very adventurous to ask a newbie to give it a whirl, don’t you think?

I have shared recipes with Elle in the past and frequently look for her input. About a year ago I started sharing photos of my creations so she could see what my end result looked like and compare her results to mine (hers are usually better!). So when I sent her the photos of this bright green soup she was very intrigued.

Getting back to the beginning. This year I purchased a half share CSA (community share agriculture). In my first delivery I received a HUGE bag of spring mix – the farmer calls it Spicy Mesclun Salad Mix. After eating it just about every day for lunch the first week, I still had 3/4 of a bag left and received another bag in the second delivery. {Picked up week’s 6 delivery, and there has been a bag of this Spicy Mesclun Salad Mix, each week.}

I was making chit chat with a patient (I am a mammographer) and was talking about gardening, and juicing. So I mentioned my CSA and my spring mix dilemma. She suggested making soup out of it and said David Rocco had a recipe for one.

Well, I couldn't find the recipe she mentioned but I perused these ones:

• http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/emeril-lagasse/lettuce-soup-recipe2.html
• http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/giada-de-laurentiis/creamy-arugula-and-lettuce-soup-with-goat-cheese-recipe.html
• http://recipes.sparkpeople.com/recipe-detail.asp?recipe=1297403

And this is what I came up with:

Bright Green Lettuce Soup
Serves 5

Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup onion chopped (about 1 medium)
• 3-4 cloves of garlic chopped
• 1/2 Tbsp coconut oil (or oil of your choice)
• 10 oz cleaned and dried spring mix
• 900 ml Campbell's vegetable soup broth (or make you own)
• 1/4 cup coconut milk (I found little 160 ml cans; about the size of tomato paste cans)
• Salt & Pepper to taste
• Parsley for garnish if desired
• Chives for garnish if desired
• Greek Yogurt for garnish if desired (this will add an additional element of creaminess)

Directions:

1. Preheat the coconut oil in a heavy bottom soup pot.
2. Add the onion and garlic and sauté until onions are soft and translucent.
3. Add the stock to the pot, cover, and bring to a boil. Simmer, covered for 5-10 minutes to more fully cook the onions.
4. Turn the heat down and add the lettuce, cook until wilted. About 3-7 minutes more.
5. Remove from heat and carefully puree the mixture with an immersion blender, or cool completely and use a regular blender to puree.
6. Return to heat and stir in coconut milk. (** You could use cream, sour cream, or yogurt).
7. Ladle into bowls and garnish with parsley and chives.

Per serving without garnishes.
Weight Watchers P+ = 1.
Calories 47; Protein 1g; Carbohydrate 5g; Fat 3g; Fibre 2g.

It smells delicious as it is cooking!!

The verdict:

It’s kind of like a cream of spinach soup, but probably not quite as thick.

I brought some to work the next day to share with my co-workers and they all had positive things to say....tasty, refreshing, exotic were some descriptors they offered.

This is a tasty and healthy soup. You could add some red Thai chili if you would like some extra zing, or a touch of arrowroot powder/cornstarch to make it a bit thicker if you like (of course adding more spring mix would also thicken it.)

Oh, did I mention it freezes really well and keeps it bright green hue?

Onions sauteed till translucent in the coconut oil.

 

Mixed Spring Greens, washed and dried.

 

Mmmmm.  Coconut milk.

 

Puree the soup...

 

till quite smooth.

 

Freeze the leftovers if you like…

 

The beautiful bright green color won’t disappear!

 

Printable Recipe

 

Have you ever made soup with lettuce?


Now what to do with the rest of the greens? Pesto perhaps?

Thanks so much to Kate for her lovely, delicous recipe, and for taking over the blog today... if you like this recipe won't you consider Pinning it or Tweeting it via @WeCanBegin2Feed. Thanks so much!