Pea Lettuce Celery Soup Recipe 385

Steps:

• Heat oil and butter in a heavy saucepan over medium heat. Add leeks, celery and onions, and cook until soft, about 10 minutes. Add boiling vegetable stock, salt, pepper and sugar to pan and return to boil. Cook until slightly reduced, 8 minutes more. Add peas and simmer until heated through, 2 minutes more. Off heat, add lettuce, parsley and mint to soup. Use a blender to purée until very smooth. Adjust seasoning as needed. Return soup to heat. Stir in cream. If too thick, stir in a little more hot stock. Ladle soup into heated bowls and serve immediately. If desired, garnish each portion with fried diced chorizo, pancetta, bacon, prosciutto, croutons and/or chopped, toasted hazelnuts.

Steps:

• Separate dark green outer leaves of romaine from pale green inner leaves and coarsely chop enough dark green leaves to measure 6 cups loosely packed. (Reserve heart for another use.)
• Cook onion in butter in a 3- to 4-quart heavy saucepan over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook, stirring, 1 minute. Add lettuce and cook, stirring, until wilted, about 2 minutes. Add peas, broth, water, salt, and pepper and simmer, uncovered, 10 minutes.
• Purée soup in 2 batches in a blender with dill and cream (use caution when blending hot liquids).