This is a pretty soup, delicate and fresh tasting, whether you serve it as it is with the ribbons of lettuce floating in it, or liquidize it to an elegant pale green. It would be worth trying with those pesky bolting lettuces later in the summer. Just don't forget the croutons.
25 g (1 oz) butter
3 or 4 spring onions, finely sliced
half a cucumber, grated
small lettuce, shredded (I use an ordinary round lettuce)
1 litre (2 pints light chicken or vegetable stock)
4 tbsp cream
1 1/2 tbsp flour
1 egg yolk
salt and pepper
croutons and chopped parsley to serve
1. Melt the butter in a large pan and cook the onions briefly, without allowing them to colour.
2. Add the cucumber and lettuce and continue to cook gently for five minutes.
3. Heat the stock to boiling, pour over the vegetables. Season with salt and pepper and simmer until the vegetables are tender.
4. Mix the cream and flour to a smooth paste, and stir in the egg yolk, followed by a ladleful of hot stock.
5. Pour this mixture back into the pan and cook gently, without boiling, for five minutes.
6. Here you can liquidize the soup if you prefer a smooth texture, in which case it's good with a squeeze of lemon juice added.
7. Either way, serve with croutons and a little chopped parsley.
