Lettuce and Green Garlic Soup - 29g Carbs, 3g Fiber
From: "The Very Best of Recipes for Health." by Martha Rose Shulman
Use a flavorful broth – chicken or vegetable – to enhance the subtle
flavors in this thick, comforting soup.
1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1 bulb green garlic, stalks and papery layers removed, roughly chopped
1/2 cup rice
7 cups chicken OR vegetable stock
1/2 cup parsley leaves
A bouquet garni made with a bay leaf and a few sprigs each parsley and thyme, tied together
Salt, to taste
3/4 lb lettuce leaves, washed and coarsely chopped (8 cups)
A generous amount of freshly ground pepper
2 Tbsp chopped flat-leaf parsley or chives for garnish
Freshly grated Parmesan for garnish
1. Heat the olive oil in a large, heavy soup pot over medium heat and
add the onion. Cook, stirring, until it is tender, about 5 minutes.
Add a generous pinch of salt and the garlic and cook, stirring, until
the garlic is fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the rice, stock, parsley
leaves and bouquet garni, and bring to a boil. Add the lettuce and
salt to taste, reduce the heat, cover and simmer over low heat for
30 minutes. The tough ribs of the lettuce leaves should be thoroughly
tender.
2. Using an immersion blender or a regular blender (working in batches
and covering the blender with a kitchen towel to prevent the hot soup
from splashing), blend the soup until smooth. If using a regular blender,
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 and freshly grated Parmesan.
Advance preparation:
You can make this a day ahead, but you will probably want to thin it out
a bit when you reheat it.
Servings: 4
Nutrition per Serving:
174 Calories, 4g Fat, 1g saturated Fat, 1g Polyunsaturated Fat,
3g Monounsaturated Fat, 0mg Cholesterol, 29g Carbs, 3g Dietary Fiber,
60mg Sodium (does not include salt to taste), 7g Protein
