I know what you’re thinking.
OMG COOKED LETTUCE, WTF.
I know. I thought that too. And I have never eaten it before yesterday. But I have an abundance of lettuce and there’s so many leaves you can put in smoothies every day. I get a lettuce delivered every week in my organics box, and I have four lettuces growing in the garden. They are getting crazy and I loathe waste, so have been thinking of some recipes to use them in.
This one is kind of a cross between the Italian risi e bisi, or rice and peas, and the French-style braised peas and lettuce. I wanted it to have a bit of substance, and be sort of soupy at the same time. But above all, I wanted it to taste good and to use up the lettuce. It is a simple, summery, light dish that is so quick to whip up (especially if the rice is pre-cooked) and while it gets a little grey if you leave it sitting too long (like I did here, I was watching The Lorax and got distracted. How good is it! Man I love Dr Seuss), it still tastes great. I’ve deliberately kept it simple, but there’s no reason you can’t dress it up if you so desire. Some baked tofu, some chilli, anything you like.
Braised lettuce and peas with rice
Print recipe
| Prep time | 5 minutes |
| Cook time | 10 minutes |
| Total time | 15 minutes |
| Dietary | Gluten Free, Vegan, Vegetarian |
| Meal type | Main Dish, Soup |
Ingredients
- 1 Small onion, diced
- 1 Large clove garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 cup peas (frozen ok)
- 4 handfuls lettuce, chopped roughly
- 400ml vegetable stock
- 1/2 lemon, juiced
- seasoning, to taste
- 2 cups rice, cooked.
Directions
| Step 1 | |
| Melt the butter and olive oil in a medium sized pot on medium heat. Add onion and garlic and cook until translucent. | |
| Step 2 | |
| Add peas, lettuce and stock. Put on the lid, turn the heat down low and cook until lettuce is wilted, about 5 minutes. | |
| Step 3 | |
| Check for seasoning (bought stock is much saltier, so check before adding any extra) and add the lemon juice | |
| Step 4 | |
| Ladle into bowls over rice and mix. | |
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Hmmm, cooked lettuce! That’s a new one, but I have the perfect lettuce for it. It’s the last one left in the garden and it’s probably a little bitter to eat fresh. Thanks for the recipe!
I actually posted a meatless recipe today and would love to link up, but can’t see the linky.
Sorry dude, not sure what happened there. It should work now!
Yeah I was a bit funny about cooked lettuce, but other cultures have been doing it for hundreds of years, who am I to be precious about it?! It was bloody good too, and cooks a lot of lettuce down into a manageable size. Genius.
I don’t know about this one Stace… maybe with some chilli. Maybe. Sorry girl! I usually love everything you make 🙂
BUT, great photos! Very pretty light!
I learned very early on you can’t please all the people all the time. I, however am eating it right now! It just tastes like veggie soup with rice and peas. The lettuce doesn’t even have a taste and surprisingly the texture isn’t weirding me out. Anyway, if the French are doing it, it must be good! Except that whole frog’s legs thing.
Oh for sure! And who the hell wants to please everyone – you’ll make yourself batty! Perhaps I’ll just have to rock up to yours one day when you’re making it 😉
Haha I couldn’t possibly even try to please everyone, especially since I don’t know what they like or dislike in the first place! You might have like braised lettuce for all I knew 🙂
I like trying new things.
Yep. You’re cool.
meanwhile, wanna hang soon?
I feel healthy just looking at this dish! My grandma used to cook lettuce like this and also put it in things like rissoles to keep them moist. Hubby will freak but I definitely have to give this a go!
oh what a clever grandma! nobody wants dried out gross rissoles. Maybe if you chop it up real small, he won’t know it’s lettuce…
I meant to say a while ago that I love your new recipe cards.
And I love cooked spinach and kale so I suppose it is just a hop, skip and a jump to other lettuces.
I’m really surprised it’s not gross!
Great idea on the lettuce. I never know what to do when I have too much.
Yes it’s quite restrictive, isn’t it? Only so many salads you can make, and it grows so fast!
I saw Jamie Oliver doing cooked lettuce on his 30 minute meals show a wee while ago. I’m down with it. It’s just a leafy green. Heck, if I’m going to suggest people juice their spinach, why not braise an iceberg? Let’s go crazy and make butter lettuce ice cream! x
Great recipes with enticing pictures. I’ll be sure to come back for more recipe another great was one from Miratel it was sophisticated and vegetarian. http://www.miratelinc.com/blog/meatless-monday-with-greens-grains-gratin-with-browned-yogurt-topping/
Sophisticated and vegetarian is a fabulous combination!
Great Post VM…. this is so weird I must try it!
Ok…that “guest” post below was me…weird disqus..so appropirate weirdness then.