Have you ever made Lettuce Soup? Lettuce is a much-overlooked ingredient. As well as serving as a salad, you can braise it and serve as a vegetable, and you can make a delicious soup.
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Reduce, Recycle, Reuse Lettuce
Soup is also a brilliant way to use lettuces from the garden or allotment that have bolted and are past their best.
Even better you can use that forgotten lettuce at the bottom of the fridge, you know, the one that is slightly limp, maybe a little brown around the edges. Not a wet and slimy lettuce, I’m afraid that one goes in the compost heap.
Growing Lettuce
Lettuce has to be one of the easiest crops to grow. Salad Bowl lettuce is the easiest and you can pick as much as you need and then come back for more.
Other lettuces are no more difficult, you simply plant the seeds and keep them watered and they will grow. You do need to watch out for slugs and other predators but some of your seeds will germinate and survive.
Lettuce grows well in containers too, so if you don’t have a patch of ground you can still grow lettuce. Pay attention to the watering as this is even more crucial when a plant is in a container.
Read my grow your own guide
How to Grow Salad Bowl Lettuce is a step by step guide to show you how easy it is to grow salad leaves so you can enjoy fresh salad all summer long.
Can I freeze lettuce soup?
Yes, let the soup cool, then put in a freezer-proof container and freeze for up to 3 months. To use the soup either thaw overnight in the fridge or, heat gently in a saucepan from frozen, stirring frequently. You can also thaw on the defrost setting of the microwave.
Can I serve lettuce soup cold?
Lettuce soup is very good served either warm or cold. If serving cold, then make sure it is really well chilled. It would be perfect served in shot glasses as part of a buffet or afternoon tea.
What other vegetables can I add to Lettuce Soup?
Traditionally Lettuce Soup is made only with lettuce and onions or leeks, but you can add many other vegetables to your lettuce soup.
As long as there is more lettuce than other ingredients, then you won’t lose the delicacy of flavour.
Here are a few ideas:
- I always add a few carrots, as they provide a little sweetness.
- Chard leaves
- Spinach leaves and stems
- Pak (Bok) Choi
- Celery
- Peas
Lettuce Soup is really quick and easy to make, so next time you are about to throw out lettuce, remember you can make Lettuce Soup!
Optimum Vac 2 Air Vacuum Blender
Lettuce Soup is a blended soup and I used the Optimum Vac 2 Air Vacuum Blender to blend my soup. A high power blender like this one really makes a difference to the smoothness of a blended soup.
Read my review
If you want to find out more then read my review of the Vac 2 where I go through all the features of this amazing power blender.
Ambassador Delivery
If you’d like to order an Optimum Vac2 Air Vacuum Blender, at time of writing it’s on offer at £299. Order through the link above and you will receive free P&P. Just add “3116 free ambassador delivery” to the comment box when ordering. If you order by phone, just mention the code. The delivery charge will be credited back to your card.
Froothie Evolve – Cook, Steam, Blend.
You can make Lettuce Soup directly in the Froothie Evolve because it’s the future of high-speed blending. It steams and cooks as well as being a super-powerful vacuum blender. It’s voice-activated and even has an app for your phone!
Read my review of the Froothie Evolve and see which blender would suit you best.
More Spring and Summer Soup Recipes from Farmersgirl Kitchen
Carrot and Tomato Soup is one of my favourite soups, it’s rich and creamy, full of flavour, really easy to make and very economical. You can use up all the dodgy carrots at the bottom of your fridge drawer, add a couple of cans of tomatoes, an onion, some stock, and a little milk, and you will have enough soup for 8 people.
Scottish Summer Vegetable Soup is perfect for those cooler days of summer when you crave a little comfort food. It’s the summer equivalent of my Scotch Broth recipe but this time packed full of summer vegetables and herbs.
Wild Garlic, Ham and Pea Chowder is a chunky soup using potatoes, peas, ham, and wild garlic leaves. The soup has a mild garlic flavour and is creamy and totally delicious.
More Recipes using cooked salad vegetables:
- Bean and Roasted Radish Salad with Oregano Dressing – Natural Kitchen Adventures
- Leftover Salad Soup – Fuss Free Flavours
How to make Lettuce Soup
Ingredients
- 25 g butter
- 1 large onion roughly chopped
- 1 large or two smaller carrots washed and finely diced
- 2 heads of lettuce or about 200 g leaves
- 1 tbs chopped chives
- 300 ml vegetable stock
- salt & pepper
- 300 ml full fat milk
- 1 tsp chopped parsley to serve
- A little single cream to serve
Instructions
- Melt the butter over a medium heat.
- Add the chopped onions and carrots and cook until the onions soft.
- Roughly chop the lettuce and add to the pan, cook until the lettuce has wilted.
- Add the stock, season with a little salt and pepper and cook for about 5-10 minutes until the carrots are just softened.
- Remove from the heat add place into a blender with the milk.
- Blend until completely smooth, taste and add seasoning if required.
- Reheat and serve with a swirl of cream and a sprinkling of chopped chives
Nutrition
Disclosure: Froothie UK sent me the Froothie Optimum Air Vac 2 to use and review at home. I have not been paid for this post and was not required to give the blender a positive write up. All opinions are my own. Affiliate links included in this post
Hannah Hossack-Lodge says
I’ve never actually tried lettuce soup before, but I am forever finding half-eaten, browned lettuces in the salad drawer so I should probably give it a try!
Janice Pattie says
This recipe is definitely for you Hannah! You can add lettuce to any soup you are going to blend.
Helen @ family-friends-food.com says
That looks and sounds delicious! I’ve never even heard of putting lettuce in soup before, but why not? Will have to give it a try next time I forget about a lettuce in the fridge…
Janice Pattie says
I hope you do Helen, you won’t be disappointed.
Michelle @ Greedy Gourmet says
I’ve never had lettuce soup but it sounds good. Great tip for using up limp lettuce in fridge!
Janice Pattie says
Thanks, Michelle. It is a delicious soup.
Ceri Jones says
I’ve never tried lettuce soup, it sounds such a useful way of eating it up and moving a summer veg into the autumn!
Janice Pattie says
Well, I’m surprised Ceri! You do such amazing things with vegetables, i thought you would have tried this, not to late to start now though.