Ever since moving to Tribeca, I have become a die hard Locavore when it comes to cooking and eating at home. Locavore, that is, is a term used to describe a person who eats exclusively food that is produced, grown, or caught within a certain mile radius of where he or she lives. It’s a strict lifestyle to keep up all year round, but I find that during the summer it is the ONLY way to eat. Just because it is that much more tasty, sustainable, and makes cooking fun. I love my local farmers market and also my award-winning Tribeca Whole Foods that sources a majority of produce and protein from local providers, if not their own local fjord and farm.
At the beginning of the week, I like to take the opportunity to recalibrate. I will make a simple and seasonal meal if I am at home- just something fresh and figure friendly to counter balance the weekend’s indulgences. So today, I’m sharring my truly spectacular exclusively summer soup that is as simple as they come. Silky, luscious, and a show stopper first course, this soup is in fact packed with an array of nutritional elements that will make your skin glow, and your stomach happy…
Locavore Lettuce Soup
Serves 4
Vegan || Detox || Delicious
Ingredients
3 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
1 leek, split in half and finely sliced
1/2 head of romaine lettuce, chopped (plus any leftover leaves, such as butter, baby kale, or spinach chopped)
1-1/2 bunch watercress, roughly chopped
1 bunch tarragon, chopped
2 english, seedless, cucumbers, roughly chopped (in quarters)
2 rip avocados, chopped
zest and juice of 2 lemons
3 slices fresh ginger, chopped (can also use 3-4 pieces pickled ginger)
3 small sheets roasted seaweed *, or one sheet Nori, finely chopped/sliced
1 cup Miso Broth (reserve some extra to thin to your desired consistency)
sea salt
fresh black pepper
*Find roasted seaweed snacks by Annie Chun, or other variations in the Asian section of Whole Foods
1. in a large saute pan, sweat the garlic and leek on medium heat in a tablespoon or two of olive oil, adding 2 dashes of sea salt (cook till softened, but not colored). Pour into a large bowl and let cool at room temp while you prep the lettuce, cucumbers, herbs, avocado, lemon ginger, and seaweed.
2. Add all remaining prepped/chopped ingredients to the bowl when the aromatics have cooled, add the 1 cup of Miso Broth and a healthy few dashes of sea salt and lots of fresh cracked black pepper. Mix gently just to combine.
3. In batches, or in one large batch (this recipe is sized to specifically fit into the largest size blender attachment of a Vitamix) blend the mixture completely till smooth and creamy and vibrantly green. You will need a high power blender to get this soup to the desired texture and smoothness.
4. Taste to season (you will need to add a bit more salt here definitely) & also observe the consistency. I usually tend to add a bit of filtered water and some extra Miso Broth at this point to make the soup less dense, remembering that once it is chilled it will feel and plate thicker, and also loose a bit of flavor, so do not be afraid to season robustly.
5. Place the soup together in an air tight container in the fridge for at least 4-6 hrs (desired) or as long as you can (if you are rushed I tend to stick it in the freezer for just about 15min) and that does the trick!
6. Serve cold, or after a few minutes at room temperature with an optional garnish of a couple tarragon leaves.
