Description
Jamie Oliver’s lettuce soup brings fresh garden flavors to your table with minimal ingredients. Green elegance combines creamy texture and delicate herb notes for a simple yet sophisticated meal you’ll enjoy preparing.
Ingredients
Scale
- 8 oz (225g) romaine lettuce, core and root ends trimmed, leaves torn if large
- 2 cups (475ml) homemade or store-bought low-sodium chicken or vegetable stock, plus more if needed
- 1 medium onion (8 oz; 225g), diced
- 4 medium cloves garlic, sliced
- 2 tbsps (30g) unsalted butter
- ¼ cup (1 small handful) loosely packed parsley leaves
- Thinly sliced radish and pea shoots, tossed in extra-virgin olive oil, for garnish
- Kosher salt, to taste
- Fresh lemon juice, to taste
Instructions
- Ingredient Preparation: Finely dice onions, thinly slice garlic, and separate romaine lettuce leaves, ensuring uniform texture and even cooking.
- Sauté Base: Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat, introducing onions and garlic. Cook until translucent and aromatic, releasing their delicate flavors for approximately 3-4 minutes.
- Liquid Infusion: Pour stock into the saucepan, bringing to a gentle simmer. Allow vegetables to tenderize completely, developing a rich, nuanced flavor profile for 7-9 minutes.
- Herb Integration: Incorporate romaine lettuce and parsley into the simmering liquid, allowing herbs to wilt and release their essence for 1-2 minutes while maintaining delicate undertones.
- Blending Technique: Transfer hot mixture to blender, puréeing from low to high speed. Create a velvety-smooth consistency, ensuring no texture interruptions and maximizing flavor melding.
- Flavor Refinement: Adjust soup’s consistency with additional stock if needed. Season with kosher salt and a whisper of lemon juice, carefully balancing the vegetable’s natural subtleties.
- Presentation Finale: Garnish with radish slivers and pea shoots, drizzled with extra-virgin olive oil. Serve at preferred temperature – either steaming hot or refreshingly chilled.
Notes
- Knife Skills Matter: Precise, uniform chopping ensures even cooking and consistent texture throughout the soup, preventing uneven softening of ingredients.
- Butter Browning Technique: Melt butter slowly until it becomes golden and frothy, which develops a rich, nutty undertone that enhances the soup’s overall flavor complexity.
- Blending Safety Tip: Always blend hot liquids in small batches and start at low speed to prevent potential splatter and ensure a smooth, velvety consistency.
- Temperature Flexibility: This versatile soup can be served hot or chilled, making it an adaptable recipe for different seasons and personal preferences.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Lunch, Dinner, Snacks
- Method: Simmering
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 4
- Calories: 90
- Sugar: 2g
- Sodium: 450mg
- Fat: 6g
- Saturated Fat: 4g
- Unsaturated Fat: 2g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 10g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 3g
- Cholesterol: 15mg