Warm Potato Lettuce Soup With Cold Seafood

LETTUCE SOUP

Steps:

• Heat the oil in a large saucepan and gently fry the onion for 5-6 minutes, or until softened and beginning to brown, stirring regularly.
• Add the lettuce and potatoes and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly.
• Add the stock and bring to a gentle simmer. Cover loosely with a lid and cook for 10-12 minutes, or until the potatoes are very tender, stirring occasionally.
• Remove the pan from the heat and blitz using a stick blender until smooth. If the soup is a little thick, add a splash of just-boiled water. Season to taste with plenty of salt and pepper.
• Ladle into warmed bowls and, if you like, top with swirls of cream and chopped herbs.

WARM POTATO-LETTUCE SOUP WITH COLD SEAFOOD

Steps:

• To make the soup, boil the potatoes until tender. Drain, reserving the liquid. Pass the potatoes through a ricer. Set aside the liquid and potatoes.
• Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Add the wine and bring to a boil. Add the cored lettuce, lower the heat, cover and cook until wilted, about 2 minutes. Place the mixture in a blender and blend until smooth.
• Place the potatoes in a large saucepan and stir in the lettuce mixture, 1 1/2 cups of potato cooking liquid, cream, salt and pepper. Warm the soup over low heat.
• To make the seafood, cut the lobster tails across into 1/4-inch slices and cut the claws into 1/2-inch chunks.
• Arrange all of the seafood on a platter. Whisk together the lemon juice, oil, salt and pepper and drizzle over the seafood. Sprinkle the chives over the top.
• Ladle the soup into 8 bowls and let diners add their choice of seafood.

CHILLED LETTUCE SOUP

Steps:

• Put butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat; when it melts, add onion and sweat for about 2 minutes or until it begins to soften; sprinkle with salt and pepper. Add all but a couple of handfuls of the lettuce to the pan, reserving the rest for garnish, and cook until it wilts. Add stock, turn the heat to medium-high and bring liquid to a boil; lower heat to medium and cook until lettuce is very soft, about 5 minutes.
• Put cooked lettuce in a blender and add 2 cups of ice water. Purée mixture until smooth, then put in a large bowl and refrigerate for at least an hour.
• Once soup is chilled, add cream or half-and-half to taste and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Finely chop reserved lettuce and put about 1/4 cup in each bowl and ladle soup on top. Garnish with croutons or bacon.

LETTUCE AND POTATO SOUP

Steps:

• Heat the olive oil in a large, heavy soup pot over medium heat and add the onion and leek. Cook, stirring, until tender, about 5 minutes. Add 1/2 teaspoon salt and the garlic and cook, stirring, until the garlic is fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the potatoes, stock or water, and bouquet garni, and bring to a simmer. Add salt to taste, cover and simmer over low heat for 45 minutes.
• Stir in the lettuce leaves and continue to simmer for another 15 minutes. The potatoes should be thoroughly tender and falling apart.
• Using an immersion blender, or in a blender or food processor fitted with the steel blade (working in batches and covering the blender lid or food processor with a kitchen towel to prevent the hot soup from splashing), blend the soup until smooth. If you want a smoother, silkier texture, strain the soup through a medium strainer, pushing it through the strainer with a pestle, spatula, or the bowl of a ladle. Return the soup to the heat, add lots of freshly ground pepper, taste and adjust salt. , Heat through and serve, garnishing each bowl with chopped fresh parsley or chives.

LETTUCE SOUP

Steps:

• Cook onion mixture and garlic in 2 tablespoons butter in a 4- to 5-quart heavy pot over moderately low heat, stirring, until softened, 3 to 5 minutes. Add coriander, salt, and pepper and cook, stirring, 1 minute. Stir in potato, lettuce, and water and bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer, covered, until potato is very tender, about 10 minutes.
• Purée soup in batches in a blender (use caution when blending hot liquids) and transfer to a 2- to 3-quart saucepan. Bring soup to a simmer, then whisk in remaining tablespoon butter and salt and pepper to taste.