July – Starter – Lettuce and courgette ‘butter’ soup

From page 18 of Kitchenella.

I love this soup not only for its lovely colour and delicate flavour – the lettuce adds a sharpness that sits beautifully with the soup’s buttery richness – but because I can buy the ingredients anywhere, at any time of year. Make this soup with water; the secret is in adding a larger amount of butter than usual.

Serves 4

1 litre/1 3/4 pints water or stock
4 onions, roughly chopped
1 garlic clove, crushed with the back of a knife and peeled
1 floury potato, peeled and cut into dice, then rinsed under water
3 walnut-sized lumps of butter
3 courgettes, sliced
1 large green lettuce (romaine or cos is ideal) or two butterhead lettuce (the soft-leaved English type), roughly chopped
salt and white pepper
90ml/6 tablespoons whipping cream

Put the water or stock in a pan and heat to simmering point. Pour into a jug and put the onions, garlic, potato and butter into the same pan and cook over a medium heat for about 10 minutes. Stir from time to time, and, if the potato sticks to the base of the pan, add about half a mug of water.

Add the courgettes and lettuce leaves and cook for another 2 minutes, then add the hot water or stock. Cook for 5 minutes, transfer to a liquidiser or food processor and process until very smooth. A perfectionist French cook would sieve the soup to remove any leaf fibres, but this really will not make any real difference to the enjoyment. If you want to do this – put the soup through a hand-operated food mill, or mouli legumes.

Return the soup to the pan and reheat to just below boiling point. Taste and add salt if necessary, then add pepper. Add the cream, stir, and serve immediately.