Keep this lettuce soup recipe in your back pocket for those summer days when you get carried away with the selection of the green at your local farmers market—or for when you realize you have a head of lettuce or a full bag of romaine hearts that have been sitting in the back corner of your veggie drawer for far too long. The recipe is extra forgiving: Any mix of salad greens, including arugula, spinach, watercress—even iceberg lettuce—works fine. Don’t throw away the outer leaves or ribs either; while rotten leaves should be discarded, if they’re merely slightly wilted, they’ll do just fine here. Similarly, you don’t need to be too specific about the type of potato you use. A starchy russet will give it the most body, but any spud goes. Resist the urge to substitute chicken broth or vegetable stock for the water. These ingredients would mask the subtle sweetness of the greens, making your lettuce soup taste more like vegetable soup.
Feel free to get creative with the finishes and garnishes. Want a zippier soup? Add a squeeze of fresh lemon juice just before serving, or top a bowl with a dollop of sour cream. Want a little richness? Stir in a drizzle of heavy cream. A bit of crunch? Make some crispy olive-oil-fried croutons. Or, top it with chopped bacon and diced tomatoes, and suddenly, it’s not just lettuce soup: It’s BLT soup.
Recipe information
Total Time
35 minutes
Yield
4 servings
Ingredients
Preparation
Step 1
Melt 2 Tbsp. unsalted butter in a 4–5-qt. heavy pot over medium heat. Add 1 cup chopped onions, scallions, leeks, or shallots and 1 garlic clove, chopped and cook, stirring, until softened, 3–5 minutes. Add ¾ tsp. ground coriander, ¾ tsp. Diamond Crystal or ½ tsp. Morton kosher salt, and ¼ tsp. freshly ground black pepper and cook, stirring, 1 minute, to bloom spices. Stir in ¾ cup chopped peeled russet potato, 8 cups coarsely chopped lettuce leaves including ribs (about ¾ lb.), and 3 cups water. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer, covered, until potato is very tender, about 10 minutes.
Step 2
Purée soup in batches in a blender (use caution when blending hot liquids) and return to pot (alternatively remove from heat and use an immersion blender). Bring soup to a simmer, whisk in remaining 1 Tbsp. unsalted butter, and more salt and pepper to taste. Divide soup among 4 bowls and top with a drizzle of olive oil and fresh tender herbs (if using).
Editor’s note: This lettuce soup recipe was first printed in the May 2005 issue of ‘Gourmet.’ Head this way for our favorite summery cold soup recipes →
Recipe notes
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