Chilled Lettuce Buttermilk Soup

Evidently, lettuce soup is a old time American favorite. I had three bunches of lettuce from the CSA one week and came up with this recipe by combining a variety of recipes I found online. It's actually pretty tasty, a refreshing dish on a hot summer day!

• Ready In: 30 mins
• Serves: 4-6

Ingredients

• 3  tablespoons butter
• 1  red onion, chopped
• 2  garlic cloves, chopped
• 1  head lettuce, rinsed and dried and chopped into thin strips (I used romaine)
• 1⁄4 cup  chopped fresh parsley
• 1⁄4 cup  chopped fresh dill
• 2  cups buttermilk
• 2  cups  fat free half-and-half
• 1  cup sweet peas, pureed
•  salt and pepper, to taste
•  chopped fresh dill (to garnish)

Directions

1. Pour buttermilk and half-and-half into large bowl or saucepan.
2. In a heavy-bottomed skillet over medium heat, melt 3 tablespoons of the butter. Add onion, increase heat to medium-high and sauté until softened.
3. Add garlic, stirring, and then lettuce strips. Sauté for about three minutes, stirring occasionally, until lettuce is wilted.
4. Stir lettuce strips, parsley, dill and pea puree into buttermilk mixture, then blend with an immersion blender.
5. Add salt and pepper to taste. Chill at least three hours or overnight.
6. To serve, ladle into soup bowls and sprinkle with dill.