Real African Dishes: [MC-AllEthnic-Recipes] Lettuce and Green Garlic Soup

This seemed a little bland to me. I added a lot of Italian red pepper flakes.

* Exported from MasterCook *

Lettuce and Green Garlic Soup - French

Recipe By :Recipes for Health by Martha Rose Shulman
Serving Size : 4 Preparation Time :0:00
Categories : LowCal (Less than 300 cals) LowerCarbs
LowFat (Less than 25%)

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
1 tablespoon 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 stock
1/2 cup parsley leaves
1 bouquet garni -- made with a bay leaf and a few sprigs each parsley and thyme, tied together
Salt -- to taste
3/4 pound lettuce leaves -- washed and coarsely chopped (8 cups)
freshly ground pepper -- A generous amount of
2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley -- or chives for garnish
To garnish: -- Freshly grated Parmesan cheese

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.

Yield: 4 servings.

Advance preparation: You can make this a day ahead, but you will probably
want to thin it out a bit when you reheat it.

Nutritional information per serving: 174 calories; 4 grams fat; 1 gram
saturated fat; 1 gram polyunsaturated fat; 3 grams monounsaturated fat; 0
milligrams cholesterol; 29 grams carbohydrates; 3 grams dietary fiber; 60
milligrams sodium (does not include salt to taste); 7 grams protein

Use a flavorful broth – chik'n or vegetable – to enhance the subtle
flavors in this thick, comforting soup.

Cuisine:
"French"
Source:
"NYT, May 7, 2012"
S(Formatted by Chupa Babi):
"May 2012"
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 149 Calories; 4g Fat (22.8%
calories from fat); 3g Protein; 26g Carbohydrate; 3g Dietary Fiber; 0mg
Cholesterol; 16mg Sodium. Exchanges: 1 Grain(Starch); 1 1/2 Vegetable;
1/2 Fat.

Nutr. Assoc. : 0 0 4288 0 0 1036 926370 0 0 0 0 0