Recipe: Lettuce soup with tarragon

August 24, 9:03 PMLA Cooking ExaminerErika Kerekes

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Ever wondered what to do with that head of lettuce that's been in the refrigerator a few days too long? When your salad greens have wilted beyond rejuvenation, turn them into a smooth, creamy, fragrant, ultra-healthy soup. All it takes is onion, potato, rich chicken stock, dried or fresh tarragon, your sad lettuce, and a blender. No one will ever guess which vegetable is making the soup green.

More healthy soups: Classic chicken matzoh ball soup * Carrot-sweet potato soup with fresh ginger * Roasted pepper soup * Carrot soup with Thai flavors

Lettuce soup

• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 2 large onions, diced
• 3 large or 5 medium potatoes, cut into cubes
• salt and pepper to taste
• 6 cups chicken stock
• 1 tsp dried tarragon
• 1 large head limp lettuce, washed and torn into large pieces

Heat the olive oil in a large pot. Add the onions and potatoes, sprinkle with salt, and cook over medium-high heat about 5 minutes, or until the onions have wilted and turned translucent. Add the chicken stock and tarragon, bring to a boil, lower the heat, and simmer about 15 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender. Add the lettuce, cover the pot, and cook another 5 minutes, until the lettuce is wilted. Puree in batches in a blender or, even easier, with a hand-held blender in the pot, until smooth. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Note: Purist chefs would strain the soup through a fine sieve before serving, but that removes much of the fiber, so I don't. It's up to you.