This light and creamy roasted romaine soup really captures the essence of romaine. It’s hard not to think of a fresh Caesar salad while eating it, despite the warm and silky texture. Although romaine is the strongest and most predominate flavor, it is layered with sweet and creamy cashews, a slight lemony tang, rich garlic, hints of thyme, parsley and oregano, and right at the end a fresh note of basil. This light soup would be the perfect accompaniment to a meal, or a great starter. It will leave you feeling refreshed, and your palate delighted by the delicate and intricate flavors.

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If there’s any vegetable that needs a good PR agent right now more than the potato, it’s romaine lettuce. At the end of 2018 to the beginning of 2019, there seemed to be a recall of romaine every other week in the US. And it’s really not romaine’s fault- really, it’s the meat industry that’s to blame. All these instances of contaminated lettuce comes from a bacteria called e coli, which is normally introduced into our food through cows. E coli is present in the cattle’s digestive systems (which are made more compatible for e coli survival through the unnatural diet of grains we feed cattle), and through the cows manure it makes its way onto other food sources. Either my intentional use of manure as fertilizer, or though unintentional issues with contamination and irrigation, water-loving romaine can become an a carrier of e coli, which can be deadly to humans.

One reason romaine lettuce (and other lettuces) are more often responsible for e coli poisonings than other vegetables is that people tend to eat their lettuce raw. This might sound like a “duh” type of statement, but there’s a pretty powerful flip side to it- cooked romaine is safe to eat. I’m not suggesting you find some romaine you think is contaminated, fry it up and eat it, but in theory you could. Cooking vegetables for a relatively small period of time above 160 degrees F (around 70 C) should leave you safe.

I actually didn’t know that when I first decided to try roasting romaine- I had read that it’s flavor could stand up to the heat of an oven, and I wanted to know if it was true. Oh boy was it! Not only did the greens not shrink into nothing, but they wilted and charred magnificently, with a flavor that became simultaneously more robust and less bitter. I was seeing romaine in a new light- not the tag along buddy of watery iceberg, but a leaf that could sit proudly next to rainbow chard without being over shadowed. I couldn’t do another salad recipe, but I needed to harness this flavor somehow. That’s when I decided to create this simple, creamy, vegan roasted romaine soup, to capture the essence of what this under appreciated green has to offer.

Other Recipes that Use Greens

• Savory Kale Pie
• Massaged Chard Salad with Flax, Pumpkin Seeds and Golden Raisins
• Collard Greens and Maitake Steamed Buns (Hen of the Woods)
• Crown Daisy in Tahini Sauce

We’ve kept the process pretty simple- start by cutting off the greens tips of the romaine (although if you are concerned with e coli, just keep them on and roast with the rest). Roast the lettuce with garlic, and topped with olive oil and dried herbs. While it’s roasting, boil cashews. This has the same effect as soaking them, which you’ll see being utilized in all sorts of creamy vegan cashew treats. The roasted romaine soup all comes together in the blender- cashews, lettuce, garlic, vinegar, basil, and water. It’s a simple soup starter, and a great way to reacquaint yourself with what romaine can be.

Creamy Roasted Romaine Soup (Vegan)

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Let’s hear from you…

• Roasted romaine soup- are you ready for that soup and salad combo?
• What other ways do you like to eat romaine?
• What other vegetables are traditionally eaten raw, but benefit from a little cooking?

Share your thoughts with us in the comments below!

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