Green Goddess “50 Calorie” Soup Recipe – A Green Smoothie in a Soup Bowl!
– Green Goddess “50 Calorie” Soup Recipe –
A Green Smoothie in a Soup Bowl!
Green Goddess “50 Calorie” Soup Recipe – A Green Smoothie in a Soup Bowl!
The other title for this post should have been “you can have your bread and eat it” as this soup is SO low in calories, that when I am on a “fast day” for the “5:2 diet” (where I only eat 500 calories a day) I can actually have this soup WITH a small crusty bread roll! I could have called this “Lettuce Soup”, but that doesn’t sound that appetising, when in reality it is a lovely bowl of tasty goodness with bags of flavour and with only 50 calories a bowl. It’s almost like a hot smoothie in a soup bowl, and this soup can also be enjoyed when it is chilled, maybe on a hot summer’s day (do they exist any more?!) or when taken a picnic. IN actual fact, this would be a perfect soup for a summer picnic, either hot or cold, just pour it into a flask and make sure you pack some mugs (enamel mugs are good, as they won’t break in transit) and make sure you also pack acres of crusty bread too.
Green Goddess “50 Calorie” Soup Recipe – A Green Smoothie in a Soup Bowl!
I used an assortment of lettuce leaves, herbs and green leaves in this soup – my “lettuce glut” was some Batavia lettuces that I bought from a local farmer’s market and that needed using up. I also added some rocket and a few scraggy ends of watercress; but, the soup can be made from lettuce leaves alone, and if you need an idea of what lettuce leaves would suit this soup, then I have shared some leafy beauties below, from the The British Leafy Salads website:
Leaves that would perfect to use in a soup:
Cos Lettuce
COS and Romaine (Red/Green)
Cos, or romaine lettuces as they are also known, have a long, oval head of tightly packed crisp leaves. They are rich in potassium and also contain carotenoids. They are the perfect and traditional base for Caesar salads. Cos is so called as it is thought it originated on the Greek Island of the same name. (Kos)
Iceberg Lettuce
Iceberg
A pale, round, tightly packed lettuce which has crisp leaves with a refreshing flavour.
British Iceberg lettuce is available from May through to October and reaches the stores less than 24 hours after picking. It stays fresh longer than any other type of lettuce, if kept at a constant cool temperature
Escarole Lettuce
Escarole
A broad leaved kind of frisee, this has crunchy, mild green outer leaves and a pale heart. The flavour is slightly bitter, but less so than frisee. It is good mixed with milder salad leaves.
Frisee-endive
Frisee Endive
This is a spiky firm textured leaf, which is mildly bitter with a slight grainy texture. Also known as curly endive, frisee is a form of chicory, and belongs to the Compositae or daisy family. Traditionally this is combined with poached eggs and bacon in the classic French bistro salad and, mixed with other leaves, provides a great and robust bed for a variety of hot ingredients.
Rocket leaves
Rocket
Thought to originate from southern Europe, rocket is very versatile and great served cold in salads, wilted in pasta or on top of a pizza. Also known as arugula, ruccola and roquette, this thin spiky leaf has a strong peppery flavour and has long had a role in Italian cookery. Dioscorides (40-90AD), the Greek physician and pharmacologist, described the leaf as ‘a digestive and good for ye belly’. It also contains compounds called Glucosinolates which are believed to have a possible protective role against certain types of cancers.
Watercress
Watercress
A member of the Cruciferae family, watercress has a distinctive ‘raw’ flavour, both peppery and slightly pungent. Watercress is the UK’s most historic salad leaf and, unlike other salad leaves, is grown in gravel beds, washed by flowing mineral rich spring water. The ancient Greeks called watercress kardamon and believed it could brighten their intellect, hence their proverb “Eat watercress and get wit”. The leaf is popularly eaten in soup and salads, as well as frequently featuring as an ingredient in detox juices.
Images and information: The British Leafy Salad Association
For salad recipes, visit their sister site: Salad Days – Make More of Salad
Green Goddess “50 Calorie” Soup Recipe – A Green Smoothie in a Soup Bowl!
Don’t let the idea of making a soup with lettuce put you off, if you think about it, it’s no different to using any green leaves such as watercress, chard or spinach, and watercress soup is one of my all time favourites – I shared a recipe just recently here: Thrifty & Organic Meal Planner – Sausage Meatballs, Fennel, Strawberry Jelly, Watercress & Scones Recipes. By using lots of lettuce leaves in this soup, not only are you getting a soup packed with vital vitamins, but, you are also using very few calories too. If you are following the 5:2 diet, as I am, or Weight Watchers (as I am too – on alternate days) then this is JUST the soup for you, and as I said before, you can also treat yourself to a bread roll to accompany it, or maybe some cheeky little croutons! For more of my 5:2 low-calorie diet recipes, click on this link: Lavender and Lovage 5:2 Diet Recipes for Fast Days, there are more tasty soups there, as well as fish, burger, salad, sandwich, egg, kebab, stew, casserole and many more recipes. That’s all for today, see you soon with more new recipes and chat! Karen
Green Goddess “50 Calorie” Soup Recipe – A Green Smoothie in a Soup Bowl!
Green Goddess “50 Calorie” Soup
Print recipe
| Serves | 4 servings |
| Prep time | 5 minutes |
| Cook time | 30 minutes |
| Total time | 35 minutes |
| Allergy | Milk |
| Dietary | Vegetarian |
| Meal type | Lunch, Main Dish, Snack, Soup, Starter |
| Misc | Freezable, Pre-preparable, Serve Cold, Serve Hot |
| Occasion | Casual Party, Halloween |
| Region | British |
| By author | Karen S Burns-Booth |
Ingredients
- 1 onion, peeled and finely diced
- 600mls home-made vegetable stock (I used Marigold Swiss Low-Salt Vegetable Bouillon)
- 4 spring onions, trimmed and chopped
- 450g to 500g assorted green lettuce & salad leaves (such as Batavia lettuce, Iceberg Lettuce, Watercress, Rocket, Spinach and Nettles)
- small bunch of mint (chopped, about 2 to 2 tablespoons, some left for a garnish)
- 2 teaspoons cornflour (mixed with a little milk)
- 200ml skimmed milk (0% fat)
- salt and pepper (to taste)
Note
This amazingly tasty soup is low in calories and packed full of your five-a-day requirements; use any green leaves in this soup, which is a perfect way of using a glut of summer lettuces. The herbs can be adjusted to suit your personal tastes, chives and parsley are also wonderful when added to this soup. Only 50 calories per portion - this soup can be frozen and can also be eaten chilled on a hot day.
Directions
| Step 1 | Pour the stock into a large saucepan that has a lid and add the chopped onion and spring onions. Simmer with the lid on for 10 minutes, or until the onions are soft. |
| Step 2 | Add the lettuce and green leaves, replace the lid and simmer for a further 15 to 20 minutes, or until the leaves have cooked down and are soft. Add the chopped mint and cook for a further 1 to 2 minutes. |
| Step 3 | Transfer the soup to a blender or using a hand-held immersion blender, liquidise the soup until it is smooth. Pour the soup back into the saucepan. |
| Step 4 | Add the cornflour and milk paste to the rest of the milk and then add it to the soup. Bring the soup to the boil and then turn down the heat, making sure you stir it continually until the soup has thickened. Season to taste with salt and pepper. |
| Step 5 | Serve in warmed soup bowls and scatter some chopped mint over the top of the soup as a garnish. |
| Step 6 | Quick home-made vegetable stock: Simmer a celery stalk, a leek, a couple of carrots, an onion, a bay leaf, some garlic cloves in a litre of water with salt and pepper until they are soft and cooked. Strain the vegetables and liquid into a jug and keep in the fridge until needed. Will keep for up to a week. Use any seasonal vegetables you have to hand. |
Green Goddess 50 Calorie Soup
As this is perfect for picnics and is VERY seasonal I am entering it into Anneli and Louisa’ new Four Seasons Food challenge!
And, as it is made from scratch and is also made with love, I am entering this into Javelin Warrior’s Made with Love Mondays
As well as my own Cooking with Herbs (Herbs on Saturday) challenge!
Green Goddess “50 Calorie” Soup Recipe – A Green Smoothie in a Soup Bowl!
Anneli (Delicieux) says
What a beautiful green! I actually love lettuce soup and have made it quite a few times. I think it tastes a bit like asparagus soup and I have served it at a dinner party and made them guess what kind of soup it was….!! It’s full of flavour and cheap to make too. This is a great recipe – thanks for sharing on Four Seasons Food xx
Karen says
I love lettuce soup too, but I have been met with wrinkled noses when I have told people! Perfect for a summer dinner party as you say! Karen
anthony harrington says
looks great and low in calories, win win!
Karen says
Exactly! Win win all the way!
anthony harrington says
yes there are not many tasty and filling things that are so low calories!
thelittleloaf says
This sounds INCREDBLY virtuous – the perfect soup to eat before making one of your gorgeous cakes 😉
Karen says
Thanks so much! 🙂 I DO have a lovely cake to share soon – nearly as good as one of yours! Karen
Jude A Trifle Rushed says
I love lettuce soup, it’s an old favourite and as you say great for using up lettuce and other greens. your recipe sounds particularly tasty, with gorgeous photos too. You forgot to mention it’s sleep inducing qualities though! It makes it ideal for the summer when sleeping in the heat can be tricky!
Jude x
Karen says
Thanks so much Jude! And yes, I do remember reading that lettuce induces sleep – so a perfect meal to have before climbing into the hammock! Karen
Dominic says
wowzers what a colour!… I do love a lettuce soup and since returning to the cottage last night all our lettuce has gone bonkers so I am more than able to make this soup right now… just need to take my tired ass into the garden and get plucking! xx
Eric says
This is very nutritious soup. I always like the vegetable soup for always. It’s so helpful for my health. Thanks so much for this.
Karen says
Glad you like this soup Eric! Karen
Eric says
The green soup is very beautiful. I like this soup so much. All is really so nice. I like to took this.
Javelin Warrior says
This sounds so healthful, Karen, and the color is so intense. I love the combination of different types of lettuce to boost the flavor and mint is an excellent addition. Very tasty!
Karen says
Thanks JW! Did you notice that the recipe for home-made stock was included too? Real made from scratch! Karen
Lisa Williams says
such a great colour and great ingredients 🙂
Karen says
Thanks Lisa!
Lisa Williams says
you could add nettles too I don’t know about their calorie content but they are so good for you and taste great they would go with this soup really well 🙂
Lisa Williams says
tweeted to share
Lisa Williams says
tweeted to share 🙂
AncientMariner says
For a real gourmet touch to the chilled version, add a generous dash of good dry sherry – desertspoonful/10 ml if you insist on precision.
Karen says
What a GREAT idea, thanks! I love sherry in soups and often add a dash to cream of mushroom soup when I make it. Karen
Jacqueline says
This is brilliant Karen. You are a genius! I want to dip into that right now, it looks so delicious, even though it is half past midnight here and 28 degrees during the night.
Maya Russell says
It looks so delicious and I want some. Maybe my body needs some good, healthy greens (I have a rotton cold)!
Lisa Williams says
tweeting to share 🙂
Caroline Taylor says
I am a big fan of lettuce soup! So humble. This looks brilliant Karen, who’d have known it was so low in calories?!
Louisa Foti says
Oh I’m loving your name for lettuce soup! Looks pretty virtuous, yet tasty, to me. And coming in at 50 cals a serving is AMAZING. Well so far I’ve done 3 days of the 5:2 diet spread over 2 months so it’s not going too well really!!! I have serious intentions of getting to grips with it one day soon, but with so much travel and so much going on these days I haven’t quite got on to it yet. But this soup will be right up there when I do! Bookmarked. And thanks for entering it to the FSF challenge, perfect.
Monica McGuiness says
I love how deep green this soup is. So vibrant. My next soup to try!!
Karen says
Thanks Monica, it really is a fabulous soup! Karen
Maya Russell says
Wow, only 50 cals! Shared on Twitter: https://twitter.com/maisietoo/status/351547590011133952
Claire Appleton says
Im about to start a new diet and I’m struggling to find healthy recipes that actually sound nice, but this looks really tasty! I’m going to definitely have to try it! Thank you 🙂
Patricia Edwards says
I’ve just bought a soup maker and this looks a great recipe for it
Erica Price says
I’ve really discovered soup recently as part of dieting. This looks lovely.
Martina says
Superdelicious! I actually skipped the milk and cornflour and it still tastes amazing, and it probably saved me a few calories so I can treat myself some fruit later on tonight. Thanks for sharing this tasty recipe!
Karen says
Thanks Martina, great idea and you rewarded yourself with a fruity treat! 🙂 Karen
Phillip says
Wow just 50 calories in what looks like a delicious bowl soup. Great if your on a diet or not
Karen says
Thanks Phillip! It is so tasty too!
Zoe says
Made up with this soup! Very tasty, can’t believe how low in calories it is! I will definitely be trying some of your other recipes! 🙂
Karen Burns-Booth says
THANKS Zoe!
Bintu @ Recipes From A Pantry says
Karen this is beyond ingenious. I totally love it. Bring on summer greens with all their freshness and flavours
Kerie Receveur says
Lovely recipe, but could you swap the corn flour & milk for mushrooms instead? I don’t like the consistency of corn flour!
Katy Baker says
Thank you so much, this is a fantastic recipe. Tastes delicious!
Karen Burns-Booth says
It’s a favourite here too! Karen