Broad Bean & Lettuce Soup

I had never thought of using lettuce in soup, until I read that it was one of the classic French soups while planning the ‘Be Our Guest’ menu inspired by Disney’s Beauty and the Beast.

I adapted this from a French recipe, which normally calls for butter and heavy cream, to be dairy-free and vegan. To preserve the nutrients, the lettuce are added into the soup tureen after the heat is turned off; the residual heat is sufficient to wilt the leaves while maintaining its verdant green colour and flavour. You may use any type of lettuce such as Romaine or Bibb. Broad beans and watermelon seed butter is used to thicken the soup. Quick and easy to prepare, high in protein and bursting with the sweetness of broad beans and lettuce, this soup will definitely make repeat appearances!

Befittingly in the opening scene ‘Belle’ of Beauty and the Beast, Belle had gushed that she’d “just finished the most wonderful story about a beanstalk and an ogre” while on her way to the bookshop. Since this soup contains beans and is a chartreuse green, it reminds me of a beanstalk like in the story!