Last updated on June 7th, 2017
Yesterday was a frantic but fun day for me. Starting at dawn, I brainstormed with web developer Dan Fennell about the redesign (it’s coming, folks!) of my website. Then I worked on the grounds here, in a vain attempt to make the place presentable in time for Saturday’s big Garden Conservancy tour. And last but by no means least, I made a pot of Lettuce Soup!
Lettuce Soup is a terrific way to celebrate leafy greens from the home garden or farmers’ market. My version, which counts romaine lettuce, potatoes, chicken stock, and lemon juice among its list of simple ingredients, is absolutely delicious. It’s delicious hot, warm, or cold. Cold from the fridge, the soup makes a fine first course for a summertime dinner party.
Here’s the step-by-step recipe:
To start, peel and roughly chop a big white onion.
Then peel and chop 2 cloves of garlic. Garlic is an important note in this summer samba.
Next, fetch 2 large russet potatoes (about 1 1/2 pounds)…
And peel and coarsely dice them.
Then violently whack up 10 chive stems…
And 20 leaves of lovage.
No lovage in your garden? Omit the herb. The soup will be marvelous without any lovage at all.
Not optional is the lettuce! Run out to your garden or local farmers’ market and return with 2 big heads of romaine (about 2 pounds). Wash and roughly chop the leaves.
Our prep work is complete! It’s time to take a nap assemble the soup.
Put 1 generous tablespoon of butter and a glug of olive oil in a large soup pot of Dutch oven, and heat them gently over a low flame.
Add the onions, give them a quick stir, then cover the pot. Let the onions “sweat” until soft — about 5 minutes.
Action shot: Add the garlic and 1 teaspoon of kosher salt, and saute for just 1 minute.
Now add the potatoes…
And 6 cups of unsalted chicken stock…
And 1 whole teaspoon of dried thyme leaves (triple the amount for fresh leaves).
Bring the works to boil over high heat. Then cover the pot, lower the heat, and simmer until the potatoes are definitely tender — about 30 minutes.
When the potatoes are done, add the lettuce and chives. You will think you have waaaay too much lettuce. But just add the leaves gradually, pushing them down with a wooden spoon as you go, so they wilt in the hot liquid.
Then add the juice of half a lemon.
You’ll want to clutch your pearls for this next step:
Add 1 1/2 cups of sour cream. Obviously this isn’t a diet soup. It’s just a delicious, delightful, and de-lovely soup!
If you are finicky about sour cream, feel free to substitute Greek yogurt.
Working in batches, add the soup to a standard blender (an immersion blender won’t produce the creamy results you want) and whir it at high speed until thick and wonderful — about 30 seconds.
Although the soup is delicious hot, I think it’s even better when chilled for several hours or overnight. Add several grinds of black pepper before serving. Garnish each serving with snips of fresh chives, and bits of toasted croutons.
Savory lettuce, tangy sour cream, zippy lemon juice — I promise you this soup will send you over the moon. Don’t make me beg you to try it!
Oh. And please stop by for the Garden Conservancy tour here on June 25, 2016. I’d love to meet you!
Here’s the printable:
This simple soup is savory with romaine lettuce, tangy with sour cream, and zippy with freshly-squeezed lemon. It's delicious at any temperature. For summer dining, serve the soup cold, garnished with snipped chives and bits of crispy croutons.
Ingredients
- Butter and olive oil -- 1 generous tablespoon of each
- 1 large white onion, roughly chopped
- 2 large cloves of garlic, peeled and roughly chopped
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 large russet potatoes (1 1/2 lbs), peeled and roughly diced
- 6 cups unsalted chicken stock
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves (triple the amount for fresh leaves)
- 2 large heads of romaine lettuce (about 2 pounds)
- 10 chive stems, roughly chopped (plus more for garnishing the soup)
- The juice of half a lemon
- 1 1/2 cups sour cream (or Greek yogurt)
- Freshly-ground black pepper
Instructions
- In a large soup pot or Dutch oven set over a low flame, heat the butter and oil just until the butter melts. Stir in the onions, then cover the pot, and let the onions sweat until soft -- about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and salt, and let cook for just 1 minute.Then add the potatoes, chicken stock, and thyme leaves. Bring to a boil over high heat, and then lower the heat, cover the pot, and let simmer quietly until the potatoes are perfectly tender -- about 30 minutes. Add the chives, and gradually add the lettuce, pushing the leaves down into the hot liquid so they will wilt.
- Off heat, stir in the lemon juice and sour cream. Working in batches, puree the soup in a standard blender at high speed until thick and definitely creamy -- about 30 seconds for each batch. Transfer the pureed soup to a large serving bowl or pot. Add several grinds of black pepper, and taste to correct seasoning. You might like to add more salt. Refrigerate for several hours or overnight. Serve the soup hot in winter, cold in summer. Garnish each serving with freshly-snipped chives and crispy bits of toasted croutons.
NOTE: I used romaine lettuce for this recipe, but you don't have to. You can substitute 2 pounds of another kind of lettuce, such as Boston, Black Seeded Simpson, or Oak Leaf. Iceberg lettuce isn't suitable for soup, because it has no flavor.
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More Seasonal Deliciousness from Kevin’s Kitchen:
Strawberry Tart
A Summer Salad of Peaches, Tomatoes, Basil, and Burrata
Garlicky Summer Squash Pizza
Tammy says
How do you do it all, Kevin? You are amazing.
The lettuce soup has been added to my “Kevin recipes to try this summer” list!
Delores says
Looks so yummie -and I love soups -hot or cold -and this is one I’m trying!!!! Thank you Kevin for another winner!!!!
Tammy says
Thanks for the recipe, Kevin! I am going to try this ASAP as it looks wonderful and I have a ton of lettuce in my garden. 🙂
Brenda Johnson says
As I was toiling away at work… getting warmer and hungrier by the second- Kevin appeared with a chilled bowl of this beautiful green soup. Lettuce soup??? I was skeptical I admit- but I assure you- it was a delightful!!! Down right delicious!!! Rich and thick- savory onion and garlic play so nicely with the tangy flavors of the sour cream and lemon! I loved everything about this soup!!! It was refreshing, filling and so tasty!!! Thanks so much for sharing Kevin!!!
Kevin Lee Jacobs says
Hi Brenda – I’m so glad you liked the soup!
Suzanne Jacques says
Oh my!!! Just love the idea of this Lettuce Soup!! Definitely going to make this over the summer – just need to decide whether hot or cold (or try it both ways!!) Thanks for such a lovely idea!! And as a “soup person”… I’m chuffed to bits! My Mum would be so impressed!!!
Krista says
I have a quick question about the type of lettuce. I have more mustard lettuce in the garden than romaine. Do you think i could use that instead? Or would it be too bitter?
Beverly, zone 6, eastern PA says
I do have Lovage… (seeded in the winter jugs last year, now 6 feet high in bloom)
And most of the other soup ingredients on hand.
A great idea!
Maraya says
Another wonderful recipe! I plan to use an immersion blender before adding sour cream. I like to freeze portions, so will add the sour cream before serving.
Can celery be used instead of lovage?
I love your website just the way it is.
Kevin Lee Jacobs says
Hi Krista – You are correct about mustard greens. Too bitter for this soup!
Drewzinha Taylor de l'Isle says
Kevin, please confirm the Dried Thyme quantities in the printed recipe ( “1 Tablespoon”) versus the photo ( “1 teaspoon”). I’m clutching my pearls in angst!!
Thank you,
Kevin Lee Jacobs says
Hi Drewzinha – Teaspoon. Fixed now. (I love your pearls!)
Liz says
I wish Kevin would appear with a chilled bowl of lettuce soup at work! 😉 I guess the recipe will have to do for now! LOL
Julie says
Thanks for another yummy sounding soup! After seeing the pictures posted with this, I now know why your last mixer giveaway was GREEN! Beautiful!
Mary in Iowa says
This couldn’t be more timely! I have half a dozen big heads of Romaine that I know are going to decide to bolt any day to protest the long stretch of rainless heat. It’s red and green speckled, so the color won’t be quite as nice, but still lovely, and will be a refreshing lunch when coming in drenched from garden work in high, humid heat.
Wishing you a fabulous open garden day, Kevin. Relax and enjoy it to the hilt. You’ve earned it.
Julie says
Looks wonderful and bravo on the salt in motion picture! Love!
Barb Gilligan says
the cabbage in the background of you pic looks so bug free, no holes, how do you do that Kevin? I am really struggling up here in MN with the cabbage moth. I have tents up all over, it works, but is not handy to do garden work around them & in them.
Kevin Lee Jacobs says
Hi Barb – I’m not doing anything special to protect my cabbage. Cabbage moths will probably find the plants before too long!
Barb Gilligan says
last year I left mine, after 2 wks on vacation, they were total loss, they looked like lace, I ended up pulling them all….such a loss
linda says
I made this today with a surplus of organic leaf lettuce in my garden. I grow lovage and chives and went half and half on the sour cream and plain Greek yogurt . It is chilling now, but the warm version was wonderful. Perfect thing chilled for a hot, dry Western North Carolina day. I shared the recipe and we’ll see how it goes with my friend. Oh, I used vegie broth that I make with the left over scraps that don’t go to the compost, so I imagine that the taste could be altered a bit. No worries. It’s all good. Thanks Kevin.
Frantique says
This is the summer I try Lettuce Soup – your recipe seems to have all my favorite things in it – garlic, onions, thyme, chive which are all in my garden or pantry. I will opt for the Greek Yogurt though. Quick, simple recipes make me happy in the summer – less work, make ahead options – Thanks for a yummy recipe – will make when I return home next week.
Kevin Lee Jacobs says
Hi Linda – I’m so glad you liked the soup with its veggie broth variation. Yes, just the ticket for this too hot, too dry weather!
Julie R says
This will be my first time for trying lettuce in a soup. Can’t wait, it looks so good in the pictures, and that is a great action shot of the pouring salt. I don’t have lettuce in my tiny garden, but I do have green onions in the garden. I would like to try this soup both ways, with the sour cream and with Greek yogurt, both ways sound equally yummy.
I hope that your garden tour turns out well.
Kara says
I honestly thought this would be awful but have SO MUCH lettuce from our garden and our CSA and tried it. Have to admit, it is fabulous! Thanks so much for sharing. I also emailed my CSA your blog link…they try to find good new recipes that go with the veggies each week and I couldn’t think of a better place!
Kevin Lee Jacobs says
Hi Kara – Thanks for being brave enough to try this soup. I’m so glad you liked it!
Stacey says
Okay, so I was channeling my inner “Kevin Lee Jacobs” and went for this with gusto and flair! I have to change the name to baked potato soup (maybe have organic bacon crumbles and shredded cheddar on the side) because everyone just gave me yucky looks when I said, lettuce soup and the soup was not even given a fair try even though I did get a few curious glances as I heartily ate mine with chopped chives and crispy croutons and was describing how good it was cold and how it had all of these really good ingredients. Chickens….then I realized, “change the name”, so hopefully with Kevin’s approval, I can rename it for future attempts because……I like it! It was soon discovered that this delicious soup was even better the second day.
Ann says
I so love your down to earth humer. I have purple fans that match that mixer. And I really need a mixer. Been using a stick it’s just not the same.
Delores says
Yummie – Lettuce soup -going to make it — I love soup -your recipes are always —-Never fail for me-Thank you
Connie Chard says
Kevin…I LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE this lettuce soup!!!!!! Ever since you put it on your website I have been making it….have been eating it for breakfast, lunch and dinner..AWESOME recipe!!! Thank you!!!
Christopher Petros says
Hey Kevin! I wanted to stop in and let you know I made this soup yesterday. It is FANTASTIC. Like you said, it is great when chilled! We love it. Thank you!
Kevin Lee Jacobs says
Hi Connie (2017!) and Christopher — So glad you enjoyed the soup!!!