Try out my green gazpacho! It’s a refreshing cold lettuce soup recipe and the perfect summer appetizer. The fresh tarragon makes it extremely refreshing as well.
Hang on a minute.
So how exactly does someone come up with the idea to blend lettuce? And then turn it into a green gazpacho that looks like one of those green smoothie?
Yeah well, I was just fed up with lunch salads to be very honest.
Don’t get me wrong though. Lettuce is a great lunch idea. I love salads for lunch! I like to sprinkled with a bunch of vegetables and leftovers too. Ingredients such as fresh tomatoes, hard boiled eggs, canned fish, grated carrots, olives, pine nuts, croutons… and so on.
If I have some leftover cold cooked chicken from last night’s dinner, then I will always turn it into one of our favorite salads ever. A caesar salad of course!
But sometimes enough is enough. We had had salads for lunch for 3 straight days. And still I had half a head of lettuce in my fridge. And it was going a little limp too.
Not that I was going to throw it away. I can’t throw food away, period.
So I had to come up with another idea for it.
Easy Green Gazpacho Appetizer Drink
This cold lettuce gazpacho is a perfect appetizer.
The fresh tarragon makes it extremely refreshing. Don’t go too crazy on the seasoning (like I did the first time…). The lettuce flavor is so subtle but beautiful so let’s keep it that way. You can easily prepare the gazpacho in advance.
Keep it chilled in the fridge before serving. It looks absolutely stunning in little glasses. Another surprising appetizer to start your summer party with…
Do you love cold soups?
Then also check out my salmorejo! Looks very similar to a classic Spanish gazpacho, but it is totally different in taste!
Enjoy!
Easy Green Gazpacho Recipe
- 10,5 oz butter lettuce (300 g), chopped
- ¾ cup vegetable stock (180 ml), warm
- ¼ cup cream (60 ml)
- 8 leaves fresh tarragon
- 1 small garlic clove
- 2 tbsp onion chopped
- olive oil
- pepper
- salt
1) In a large pan pour a little olive oil and place it over medium heat. Peel and chop the garlic and add it together with the chopped onion to the hot oil.
2) Stir well and cook the onion for 2 minutes. Then add the sliced lettuce.
3) Stir again. Cook the lettuce for 4 minutes. Then pour in the warm vegetable stock.
4) Stir and cook the lettuce for another 3 minutes. Then season with a little pinch of pepper and salt. Pour the lettuce and liquid in a blender.
5) Pulse well into a puree. Then pour in the cream.
6) Pulse and add the fresh tarragon.
7) Pulse well again. This can take a minute or two to get a very fine texture. If you are not happy with it (it can sometimes be quite grainy if the lettuce isn't cooked enough) you can strain it through a fine sieve. Then check the seasoning and add extra pepper or salt to taste if necessary. Pour the gazpacho into small glasses and chill in the fridge for another 10 minutes. Serve.
