We are a bit over run with lettuce at this time of year so have been making lots of delicious lettuce and lovage soup. Lovage is a tasty herb that grows vigorously; its celery like flavour is great in both soups and stews.

Our HND Horticulture with Plantsmanship students grow lettuce on their plots and are assessed on their growing skills in late June. Inevitably this means that all the salads are ready at the same time. Fortunately all of our crops are used up by our volunteers and the Gateway restaurant here at the Botanics.

In your own vegetable garden the best way to avoid gluts is to sow successionally. By sowing a small amount of seed every two weeks in the spring/ summer you can space out your harvest. If you do find that you have a glut then try our lovely soup!

RecipeIMG632

Serves 6

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
  • 1 onion, finely chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
  • 1 stalk of lovage, chop the stalk, reserve the leaves
  • 1 litre vegetable stock
  • 250g potatoes, peeled and chopped
  • 6 Small Lettuces such as little gem, tom thumb, webbs wonderful, roughly chopped
  • Freshly grated nutmeg
  • Salt and black pepper
  • Greek yogurt (to serve)

Method

Sweat the onion, garlic and lovage stalk until soft

Add the vegetable stock and potato, cook until tender

Stir in the lettuce and lovage leaves, cook for a further 5 minutes

Remove from the heat and liquidise

Season with salt, pepper and freshly grated nutmeg

Serve warm with a dollop of greek yogurt