Lettuce soup

Lettuce soup is a soup prepared with lettuce as a primary ingredient.^[1] It may be prepared with additional ingredients, and some lettuce soups may use several cultivars of lettuce in their preparation. It is a part of French cuisine and Chinese cuisine.^[2][3][4] Cream of lettuce soup is a type of lettuce soup^[5] prepared using milk or cream. The soup may be served with toast or rolls as a side dish or with the soup atop them. It may be served as an appetizer, a side dish or as a main dish,^[6] and may be served hot or cold.^[7]

Butter lettuce soup with croutons

Preparation

Lettuce is a primary ingredient, and several types of lettuce can be used, such as butter lettuce,^[8] Romaine (also known as cos) lettuce,^[1] Boston lettuce,^[2] green leaf lettuce and iceberg lettuce,^[6] among others. The lettuce may be chopped, torn, shredded or sliced into ribbons.^[2][4][9] Additional ingredients may include, but are not limited to, chicken stock, beef stock, cream, milk, wine, lemon juice, egg or egg yolk, meats, rice, potato, greens, sorrel, watercress, Swiss chard, escarole, peas, parsley/dried parsley, bread crumbs, onion, shallot, garlic, salt and pepper,^{[1][2][6][9][10]} among others. Some preparations purée all of the ingredients together,^[1][4] and some preparations are strained in a sieve.^[4] Lettuce soup is sometimes served with toast or rolls, either as a side dish or with the soup poured upon it.^[1][4][6] Sometimes croutons or chopped bacon are used in the dish or to garnish it.^[11] In French cuisine, lettuce soup is usually served poured atop thin slices of lightly toasted French bread.^[4] Some versions are served cold.^[7][10] Total calories can vary depending on the ingredients used. For example, versions that use milk may have fewer calories than those that use cream.^[12]

Dishes

Chinese versions include Cantonese dishes such as "minced chicken with lettuce soup" and "fish with lettuce soup".^[3]

See also

• Food portal

• Lettuce sandwich
• List of Chinese soups
• List of French soups and stews
• List of soups
• List of vegetable soups

References

1. Haedrich, Ken (2001). Soup Makes the Meal. Harvard Common Press. pp. 17–18. ISBN 155832187X.
2. De Gouy; Louis P. (2012). The Soup Book: Over 800 Recipes. Courier Dover Publications. pp. 311–312. ISBN 978-0486144498.
3. Simoons, Frederick J. (1990). Food in China: A Cultural and Historical Inquiry. CRC Press. p. 148. ISBN 084938804X.
4. David, Elizabeth (1999). French Provincial Cooking. Penguin. ISBN 1101501235.
5. Roehl, Evelyn (1996). Whole Food Facts: The Complete Reference Guide. Inner Traditions / Bear & Co. p. 160. ISBN 089281635X.
6. Aidells, Bruce; Kelly, Denis (2012). Bruce Aidells' Complete Sausage Book. Ten Speed Press. p. 174. ISBN 978-0307809025.
7. d'Avila-Latourrette, Victor-Antoine (2011). The Monastery Garden Cookbook. The Countryman Press. p. 198. ISBN 978-1581578980.
8. Ozersky, Josh (February 14, 2014). "Found: The incredible restaurant in the middle of nowhere that nobody knows about". Esquire. Retrieved 6 September 2014.
9. Adler, Tamar (2012). An Everlasting Meal. Simon and Schuster. p. 120. ISBN 978-1439181881.
10. DK Publishing (contributor) (2009). Soup. Penguin. p. 129. ISBN 978-0756665494. {{cite book}}: |author= has generic name (help)
11. "Recipes: Braised Romaine Hearts, Lettuce Soup, Stir-fried Lettuce, Caesar Salad". Star-Tribune. April 21, 2010. Retrieved 6 September 2014.
12. "Alternative Lettuce Soup". BBC News h2g2. Retrieved 6 September 2014.