Chilled Lettuce Soup

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In an earlier post I mentioned getting a very large head of romaine lettuce. The following soup is one of the things I used it for. Lettuce Soup--I know it sounds a little weird, but it turned out very well. We both liked it.

Chilled Lettuce Soup

1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1/2 tablespoon oil
1 cup sliced leek (or substitute green onions from CSA box)
1 medium shallot (believe it or not I still had a few left from a winter box)
4 cups vegetable or chicken broth
10 ounces romaine lettuce or any other green or salad mix, chopped (I didn't measure and the amount isn't important)
3 medium potatoes, peeled and diced (about 2 1/2 cups)
Salt and pepper to taste
1 tablespoon or a bit more chopped fresh dill (I think other herbs would also work--but the dill was great)
1/2 cup 1/2 and 1/2 (or enough to get the consistency you want)

Melt butter in large pot. Add oil, leek or green onions and shallot. You could also use some garlic scapes. Cover and cook until vegetables are softened.
Add the broth, potatoes and lettuce. Cook until the potatoes are tender--about 15 minutes. Use an immersion blender or food processor to somewhat puree. I left mine a bit chunky but it got rid of any stringy greens.
Season with salt and pepper and stir in the fresh dill.
Add the half and half and refrigerate until chilled. The soup is OK warm too, but try it both ways. It makes a good sized amount.

Recipe adapted from 366 healthful ways to cook leafy greens by Linda Romanelli Leahy

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