 |
| Too cold for salad; lettuce soup! |
After a few rainy days and some sunshine the kitchen garden is flourishing. The lettuce looks gorgeous and it’s time to start picking. But with temperatures so low, I have no desire to eat salad.
I’ve added chopped lettuce to my usual vegetable soup, but, searching for something a little different, I was delighted to find this recipe for a Spanish lettuce soup on the blog Me Sabe a Málaga ("it tastes like Málaga") by Ana Abellán.
Crushed almonds give the soup a creamy consistency without any dairy. Made with vegetable stock or water, the soup is a nourishing vegetarian dish. For my rendition, I used homemade chicken stock and finished the soup with poached egg.
 |
| Cooked lettuce is nicely chewy. Crushed almonds give the soup a creamy consistency. |
 |
| Poach eggs right in the soup. |
Lettuce Soup
Sopa de Lechuga
Beaten eggs can be stirred in to thicken the soup or, alternatively, one egg per person can be poached in the soup. Serve the soup with bread which can be broken up into the soup, as desired.
Serves 4.
 |
| From garden to soup pot. |
3-4 tablespoons olive oil
1-2 slices bread
¼ cup blanched almonds
2 cloves garlic, lightly crushed to split the skins
1 medium onion, chopped
1 leek, chopped
4 cups chopped or shredded lettuce
6 cups chicken or vegetable stock or water
Salt to taste
Freshly ground black pepper
Chopped ham (optional)
2-4 eggs
Sprigs of fresh mint
 |
| Fry bread, almonds. |
Heat 3 tablespoons of the oil on medium-high in a pan. Fry the bread, almonds and garlics until they are golden. Skim them out. Discard garlic skins and place the garlics in a blender container with the bread and almonds. Reserve.
Add the onion and leek to the pan with additional oil, if needed. Sauté them gently until softened, 4 minutes. Add the lettuce and sauté until lettuce is wilted. Add the stock or water, season to taste with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, cover, and reduce heat. Cook 20 minutes.
 |
Ladle some of the broth from the pan into the container with the fried bread, almonds, and garlic. Let it stand 5 minutes to soften the bread, then blend until smooth. Pour the mixture into the pan. Add ham, if using. Cook 5 minutes.
Stir 2 beaten eggs into the soup or break 4 eggs into the soup and poach them until whites are set and yolks still runny.
Ladle soup and eggs into bowls and serve the soup garnished with mint sprigs.
 |
| Second day, I reheated the lettuce soup with chunks of lacón, smoked ham. |
More recipes--mostly salads--with lettuce:
Lettuce Salad with Everything
Lettuce Hearts with Garlic and Asparagus
FLAVORS OF AL-ANDALUS
The Culinary Legacy of Spain
FLAVORS OF AL-ANDALUS, The Culinary Legacy of Spain. Here's a fresh angle on the traditional cooking of Spain, with 120 recipes that trace their roots to Moorish Spain. See below for where to order.
This cookbook explores the fascinating story of the deep and lasting influences that Islamic culture has left on modern Spanish cooking.
Author and Spanish cooking expert Janet Mendel tells the story of the Moorish influence on Spanish cooking through 120 recipes and photographs for modern-day dishes, from salads and vegetables to fish, poultry and meat to sweets and pastries, that trace their heritage to foods served in medieval times. Dishes from this era include exotic spices such as saffron, the use of fruits and almonds with savory dishes, and honeyed sweets and pastries. The flavors of al-Andalus live on in modern Spanish cooking and are what makes Spain’s cuisine distinctive from the rest of Europe. (Hippocrene Books)
Order on IndiePubs (USA)
Use PROMO CODE HIPPOCRENE40 for 40% off on all Hippocrene titles at IndiePubs online bookstore.
***
Order on amazon (USA)
(If you order on Amazon, please give my book a review!)
***
No comments:
Post a Comment