This light soup of lettuce, cucumber, and fresh spring peas was quite common in nineteenth-century America. Potage maigre translates loosely as “fast day” soup, traditionally made for Lent. Versions of it appear in old Creole cookbooks.

　　

Ingredients

6 to 8 servings

　　2 tablespoons olive oil

　　2 large onions, quartered and thinly sliced

　　1 large celery stalk, finely diced

　　Handful of celery leaves

　　2 small heads Boston or Bibb lettuce, finely shredded

　　One 32-ounce carton low-sodium vegetable broth

　　1 cup water

　　1 cup steamed fresh or thawed frozen green peas

　　1 cup peeled, seeded, and finely diced cucumber

　　1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

　　2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill

　　Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

　　Vegan Sour Cream (page 7) for topping, optional

　　

Step 1

Heat the oil in a soup pot. Add the onions and sauté over medium-low heat until translucent. Add the celery and continue to sauté until the onions are golden.

　　

Step 2

Add the celery leaves, lettuce, broth, and water. Bring to a rapid simmer, then lower the heat.

　　

Step 3

Add the peas and cucumber. Adjust the consistency with additional water if the soup is too dense. Stir in the parsley and dill, then season with salt and lots of freshly ground pepper. Simmer over very low heat for 5 minutes.

　　

Step 4

Serve at once, or allow to cool to room temperature to serve. Either way, top each serving with a dollop of sour cream, if desired.

　　

Nutrition Information

Step 5

Per serving:

　　

Step 6

Calories: 85

　　

Step 7

Total fat: 5g

　　

Step 8

Protein: 3g

　　

Step 9

Fiber: 3g

　　

Step 10

Carbohydrate: 9g

　　

Step 11

Cholesterol: 0mg

　　

Step 12

Sodium: 77mg

　　Vegan Soups and Hearty Stews for All Seasons