Need something hot and nourishing that you can make in just 10 minutes? This creamy, savory easy romaine lettuce soup will warm your bones on chilly nights (or any night of the year, really). Plus, you won’t believe it’s dairy-free!
“Cos” It’s Good For You, That’s Why!
Without doubt, many people think romaine lettuce belongs in a Caesar salad, not soup.
But hear me out … allow me a minute to convince you why romaine, aka “cos” lettuce, is perfect for this recipe.
Before I state my case, I will admit that easy romaine lettuce soup doesn’t sound as appetizing as my other keto soup recipes.
Easy Lobster Bisque: no explanation needed.
Taco Soup: yeah, I’m proud of that one.
Zuppa Toscana: Molto delizioso!
Yes, these recipes I’ve come up with are instant hits with my family and followers. But featuring one with cos lettuce? Yeah, I’ve got to do some convincing, so here goes….
First of all, the recipe has more ingredients than just lettuce. We’ll get to them shortly….
In defense of cos lettuce, don’t think of it as a bland, devoid-of-nutrition, first-cousin of iceberg lettuce. On the contrary, cos lettuce is nutrient dense.
It’s got vitamins C, K, A, and B9 (folate). And it contains the following minerals: calcium, magnesium, phosphorous, and potassium.
If you’re interested in learning about any of these vitamins and minerals, let me help you with that. Suffice it to say, these vitamins and minerals are crucial for optimal health.
Furthermore, if you’re watching your net carbs, this easy romaine lettuce soup is perfect. A whole cup of the lettuce contains just a couple grams of carbs.
And the total carb content for per serving is only 4 grams. Adding cos provides a boost of nutrition and palette-pleasing texture.
Ghee Whiz!
If you want to make a lettuce soup that will live in infamy, you’ve got to use smart fats in the recipe. And for this easy romaine lettuce soup, I’m using ghee.
Also known as “clarified butter,” ghee is a staple in Indian cooking. The main difference between regular butter and ghee is that in making ghee, the milk solids are removed.
Essentially (though not necessarily, technically), this makes ghee a dairy-free ingredient. That’s because, through the removal of milk solids, there is no lactose present in ghee.
Therefore, if you have allergies or sensitivity to dairy, there’s no antigens in ghee that will cause your immune system to go haywire.
Another reason I love using ghee is that like coconut oil, it contains medium-chain fatty acids. This particular type of dietary fat molecular structure is thought to be beneficial for heart health.
In addition, ghee contains a healthy trans fat called CLA. Yes, that’s right, there is such a thing as a healthy trans fat. (You can learn more about CLA on my natural health blog.)
Ghee doesn’t taste exactly like butter; it’s often described as having a nuttier, richer taste. It’s sort of like eating the oil that melts from regular butter, if you can picture what that tastes like.
I know that doesn’t sound as appetizing as, say, a truffle. But trust me, ghee goes perfectly in this recipe.
Easy Romaine Lettuce Soup: Stock Or Broth?
No soup is worth it’s salt unless it has a savory liquid to slurp. But what’s the best liquid base?
Should you use stock or bone broth? And what’s the difference between the two?
The main difference is that stock is simmered for a much shorter amount of time than bone broth.
True bone broth, one that uses all-natural ingredients and free-range chicken parts, needs to simmer for at least 24 hours.
It takes that long for the collagen protein from the chicken parts to fully leach into the broth. Your body’s most abundant protein is collagen.
However, as you get older, the collagen that keeps your skin smooth and youthful-looking starts to break down. So, too, does the collagen in your joints.
It’s by consuming the collagen from the chicken that we can strengthen our own internal collagen.
Those bouillon cubes you have in the pantry might be savory, but chances are, they’re not going to do much to rebuild your body’s collagen.
That’s why it’s worth it to pay the extra money and buy bone broth.
One of the other amazing supposed benefits about bone broth is that it can heal leaky gut. Leaky gut occurs as a result of large food molecules passing through the walls of the intestine and into the bloodstream.
Manage Autoimmune Disease With This Hearty Broth
As a result of this, autoimmune disease can develop. But bone broth helps to repair the gaps in the intestinal wall, thus preventing undigested food molecules from triggering unwanted immune reactions.
I’ve read some pretty amazing health transformations that occurred, at least in part, as a result of consuming bone broth. And not just better looking skin and less painful joints.
In fact, I’ve read about people’s autoimmune conditions becoming much more manageable as a result. In addition, it might even be good for your hair.
Granted, more research needs to be done on bone broth and collagen protein to confirm the benefits. But isn’t it good to know this recipe not only warms your bones, but strengthens them as well?
Enjoy this super simple recipe!
Easy Romaine Lettuce Soup
Ingredients
- 1/2 small onion
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 3 tablespoons butter flavored coconut oil or ghee
- 1 tablespoon fresh basil chopped fine
- 1 tablespoon fresh parsley chopped fine
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/8 teaspoon black pepper ground
- 2 cups cauliflower chopped
- 8 cups romaine lettuce chopped
- 4 cups chicken bone broth use vegetable broth for vegan
Instructions
- Saute onion and garlic in ghee or butter until onion is translucent (about 4 minutes).
- Add seasonings (basil, parsley, salt, pepper) stir and cook another minute.
- Stir in the remaining ingredients (cauliflower, lettuce, bone broth) then simmer covered for about 15 minutes.
- Using a stick blender (or regular blender), puree the soup. Add in additional seasonings to taste.
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Notes
Nutrition
Note on Nutritional Information
Nutritional information for the recipe is provided as a courtesy and is approximate only. We cannot guarantee the accuracy of the nutritional information given for any recipe on this site. Erythritol carbs are not included in carb counts as it has been shown not to impact blood sugar. Net carbs are the total carbs minus fiber.
About Lisa
Lisa has been creating low carb recipes for herself and sharing them with others since 2010. She loves to experiment in the kitchen and find new ways to create low sugar foods that taste like high carb favorites! Her recipes have been featured on popular magazine sites including Fitness, Shape, Country Living, Women's Health, and Men's Health. Lisa lives in Southeastern Connecticut. Connect with her and Low Carb Yum at:
Sue says
I’m making this today and will freeze to test. Have you frozen it? Also I’m substituting the cauliflower. It doesn’t like me…carrots and zucchini instead. Thoughts?
Lisa MarcAurele says
Zucchini would be a good sub. I haven’t frozen it, but it should be fine to freeze for longer storage.
Lauren Vavala @ DeliciousLittleBites says
I have never seen a soup featuring lettuce like this before! I’m low carb most of the time and my oldest son has some weird addiction to lettuce. Going to have to try this one for sure!
Lisa says
I hope your son enjoys the soup. My daughter liked it.
Claudia Lamascolo says
this is a new one for me and as much as I love soup and salad this is a brilliant idea to put it in a soup! WOW never thought of this
Lisa says
It’s so good Claudia. You need to give it a try.
Jennifer says
I have an autoimmune disease and my doctor has me on a special diet, I’m so excited that I can have every ingredient in this soup without any modifications! Thank you!
Lisa says
Enjoy the soup Jennifer!
Danielle says
I keep hearing about lettuce soup, but I have never tried it. It’s a great way to reduce waste though.
Lisa says
I like it much better than salad.
Kelly Anthony says
This is so interesting! I never ever would have thought to put lettuce in a recipe! You make it look great!
Lisa says
It’s really delicious. You should give it a try!