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You are here: Home / Recipes / Recipes by Course / Soup Recipes / Left Over Salad Soup Recipe {Vegan, Vegetarian, Gluten Free}

Left Over Salad Soup Recipe {Vegan, Vegetarian, Gluten Free}

Published on June 27, 2017 by Helen 48 Comments
Last Updated on October 30, 2020

Jump to Recipe - Print Recipe

 This delicious leftover salad soup is the perfect thing to make leftover dressed salad.   It tastes delicious, is light in calories, easy to make and cuts down on food waste. Once tasted you will deliberately make extra salad so you have leftovers for this! Naturally vegan, vegetarian and gluten free.

This delicious leftover salad soup is quick and easy to make and uses up spare dressed salad.

Table of Contents

  • Leftover Salad
  • Ingredients you can use in Leftover Salad Soup
  • More Easy Soup Recipes
  • Summer Soup Recipes
  • Left-over salad soup
    • Ingredients
    • Instructions
    • Notes

Leftover Salad

A salad bowl of wilting dressed leaves that’s been left for too long is a depressing sight to people who believe in enjoying simple food from quality ingredients. The limp and wilted remains look fit only for the compost heap or rubbish bin, but actually you needn’t waste it; rather, use it to make this tasty leftover salad soup.

The idea of cooking with lettuce and other salad leaves might sound a bit odd to our ears, but of course the French have been serving cooked or warm lettuce for ages; not only in a salade tiede/warm salad but also dishes like braised or seared lettuce. I am a convert to cooking with lettuce; try my recipe for braised iceberg lettuce. 

Unlike those two recipes, however, this one uses salad that’s already been dressed, but hasn’t been eaten so is looking a little tired. It works equally well with plain leaves or including things like cucumber and tomatoes. You can also use those fridge-bottom salad vegetables that are looking a little past their best – wilted lettuce, wrinkly tomato or that slightly soggy cucumber. Of course, there are limits here: don’t use anything that’s really too far gone.

The great thing about this recipe is that it’s so easy to make, taking about 15 minutes in total. Just add the salad to some oil in a saucepan, fry it off for a few minutes then add vegetable stock. Cover, and let it gently simmer for about 10 minutes, and it’s ready to blitz with a stick blender (or transfer to a food processor or blender) and blend until smooth. Another bonus is that this soup also freezes very well.

Delicious leftover salad soup takes no time to make and is the perfect answer to too much dressed salad.Add some salt and pepper at the end to taste, or how about some soy sauce for a hint of umami? We garnished our soups with some sliced radishes for a hint of heat and some crunch, contrasting with a little cool shredded parsley.   To make this a little more special add a glug of white wine, or a swirl of cream.

Don't bin this bowl of wilted leftover salad, make our delicious leftover salad soup instead.So the next time you are over enthusiastic with the quantity of salad pop the remains back into the fridge and make this for the next meal.    It is also low in calories, making it ideal for anyone following the 5:2 or intermittent fasting diet, which also has amazing health benefits.   My friend Jac has an excellent guide to the 5:2 diet which is worth a read, especially for vegetarians.

Make this recipe Slimming World Syn Free by sautéing your leftover salad in Fry Light, rather than the olive oil.

Ingredients you can use in Leftover Salad Soup

  • Any leftover salad – dressed or not
  • Any salad leaves that can be past their best – rocket,  all types of lettuce, bagged mixed salad, spinach etc
  • Lettuce stalks (cut them up first)
  • Cucumbers
  • Tomatoes – wrinkled, soft ones are fine
  • Radishes
  • Spring Onions
  • Fresh or frozen leafy herbs and their stalks
  • Carrot tops
  • A slice or two of beetroot – pickled or cooked – this will dramatically change the colour of the soup
  • Green beans

If you like salad soup you will also like our fat free pea and lettuce soup or try our fat free dump and start pressure cooker tomato soup.

Delicious pea and lettuce soup; easy to make and fat free too.

More Easy Soup Recipes

  • Good soup often starts with a soffritto recipe.   Make a big batch, freeze and use every time you make soup.
  • Carrot and lentil soup
  • Pumpkin and sweet potato soup 
  • Swede Soup
  • Slow cooker vegetable soup
  • Butternut squash soup
  • Tomato and lentil soup
  • More easy soup recipes

Summer Soup Recipes

  • Gazpacho with canned tomatoes
  • Pea and lettuce soup
  • Pappa al pomodoro

If you like your lettuce cooked try this braised iceberg lettuce recipe.

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Delicious leftover salad soup is the perfect way of making wilted salad tasty. Quick and easy, too!
Print Recipe
4.86 from 27 votes

Left-over salad soup

Leftover salad soup is quick, easy, delicious and the perfect way of using up too much dressed salad. There's a double benefit as it cuts down on food waste, too.   Use fry light instead of olive oil to make this Slimming World Syn Free. Naturally vegan, vegetarian and gluten free.
Servings: 2 people
Author: Helen Best-Shaw
Prep Time5 mins
Cook Time10 mins
Total Time15 mins

Ingredients

Dressed salad

  • 2 cups salad
  • 1 tbsp vinagrette

For the soup

  • 1 tsp olive oil
  • 300 ml vegetable stock (from cube)

Garnish

  • 1 Radish (or other suitable vegetable)
  • 2 stalks parsley

Instructions

  • Heat the olive oil in a saucepan, and add the salad. Fry for a few minutes. 
  • Add the stock, put on the lid and simmer for about 10 minutes. 
  • Blend until smooth. Season to taste with salt and pepper
  • Garnish with sliced radish and shredded parsley. 

Notes

  • Why not try stirring in some soy sauce ot gluten free tamari for extra flavour just before serving? If you plan on doing this, adjust your seasoning accordingly. 
  • To make this a little more special stir in a glug of white wine or stir through some cream just before serving.
  • Freezes well.
  • To make it Keto friendly, use cold pressed olive oil
  • This recipe is 3 Weight Watchers Smart Points per portion
  • For low salt use a low salt stock
  • To make it whole 30, make your own vegetable stock at home instead of a cube
• Please note that the nutrition information provided below is approximate and meant as a guideline only.
• Unless stated otherwise cup conversions have been made with an online tool. For accuracy please check with your favoured conversion tool. We recommend buying inexpensive digital kitchen scales.
Nutrition Facts
Left-over salad soup
Amount Per Serving
Calories 70 Calories from Fat 54
% Daily Value*
Fat 6g9%
Saturated Fat 1g6%
Sodium 611mg27%
Potassium 68mg2%
Carbohydrates 3g1%
Sugar 1g1%
Vitamin A 860IU17%
Vitamin C 10.6mg13%
Calcium 5mg1%
Iron 0.3mg2%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Course: Appetiser, Appetizer
Cuisine: Vegan, Vegetables, Vegetarian
Keyword: Leftover Salad, Leftover Salad Soup
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This delicious leftover salad soup is the perfect answer when wondering what to do when you have too much dressed salad. It's quick and easy to make, tastes great and cuts food waste too.

 

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Filed Under: Easy Ways to Extra Veg (and Fruit), Quick & Easy, Recipes, Soup Recipes, Summer, Vegan Recipes, Vegetables, Vegetarian Recipes, £ Ingredients: Cucumber, Lettuce, Stock, Tomatoes

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    Recipe Rating




  1. Shashi at Savory Spin

    5 stars
    I just have to say how brilliant is this leftover salad soup! While I’ve heard of cooking with lettuce, I, myself, have never attempted it. Though this leftover salad soup is definitely inspiring me to try!

    Reply
    • Helen

      The great thing about this is that it is so adaptable. Just bung it all in.

      Reply
  2. Monica | Nourish & Fete

    5 stars
    What a lovely idea! It seems like we always have a little bit of leftover salad – I guess I’m usually too optimistic that we’ll devour more greens than we actually can – and I would love to have a better use for them than adding to our compost!

    Reply
    • Helen

      it is such a good idea, and the sop is different every time as well as delicious!

      Reply
  3. Edyta at Innocent Delight

    5 stars
    OMG! This is such an amazing idea. I did not know that you can actually cook salad. I’ve been throwing out so much salad so far. I will never do that again. Thanks for this awesome idea Helen!!!

    Reply
    • Helen

      so quick easy and also delicious!

      Reply
  4. Beth

    5 stars
    This is simply GENIUS! I HATE throwing leftover salad! I usually try to eat it the next day and then give up and throw it the compost! GENIUS, I say!

    Reply
    • Helen

      Slimy leftover salad is just horrid, the soup is the best solution.

      Reply
  5. Iman

    5 stars
    Omg salad soup!! This sounds so crazy it might work!

    Reply
    • Helen

      it is so simple, but amazingly good!

      Reply
  6. Rhian Westbury

    5 stars
    I’ve never thought about using leftover salad for a soup, this is a great way to use up leftovers without throwing it out x

    Reply
    • Helen

      I am so pro anything that reduces food waste.

      Reply
  7. Sarah Newman, Vegan Chickpea

    5 stars
    OMG, I think you are a complete GENIUS!! Seriously cannot wait to try this! Thank you!

    Reply
    • Helen

      Thank you Sarah – it is so simple, quick and easy.

      Reply
  8. Lucy Parissi

    5 stars
    Was just writing a post about food waste – what an excellent way to salvage leftovers! Looks delicious too which is a big bonus!

    Reply
    • Helen

      We love this soup. Delicious solution that cuts down on waste.

      Reply
  9. Stephanie Cummings

    5 stars
    what a great idea, we always have random bits of salad left over and this has to be better than it going on the compost pile

    Reply
    • Helen

      I nearly always have some leftover too. far better than throwing it away

      Reply
  10. Leandra Bramham

    4 stars
    I would never even consider making soup from salad leftovers! But what a good idea, this looks delicious, I love saving food from going into the recycling bin, it feels like free food!

    Reply
    • Helen

      Anything that cuts down on food waste is a win!

      Reply
  11. Elinor Hill aka Beach Hut Cook

    5 stars
    Great solution to those sad looking salad leaves that are headed for the compost heap.

    Reply
    • Helen

      far better to make soup than to compost it!

      Reply
  12. Elizabeth

    5 stars
    What a super idea! I’ve never thought about doing something like this but it makes perfect sense. Definitely going to try it soon!

    Reply
    • Helen

      it is such a easy solution to sad salad.

      Reply
  13. Ceri Jones

    5 stars
    Such a great idea, I am always with bits of leftovers in my fridge and this is better than eating limp leaves! Genius!

    Reply
    • Helen

      Limp leaves are no good at all.

      Reply
  14. Lynne Harper

    5 stars
    Wow this is one thing I would never have thought that would work, but it clearly does and it looks delicious. How clever and what a great way to use up leftovers x

    Reply
    • Helen

      It is so good! Perfect for dull summer days.

      Reply
  15. Donna Ashworth

    5 stars
    What a fab idea! ingenious in fact! I will definitely give this a whirl

    Reply
    • Helen

      Thank you. Enjoy it!

      Reply
  16. Ana De- Jesus

    4 stars
    I have never tried a ‘salad soup before but I really like the concept of it. Plus it sounds delicious x

    Reply
    • Helen

      It is so quick, easy and delicious.

      Reply
  17. Kirsty

    4 stars
    I don’t eat salad as I don’t like the texture but I might have to give this ago as it sounds nice and I might be able to manage it!

    Reply
    • Helen

      This has all the flavour and goodness, but without that texture!

      Reply
  18. Amy

    5 stars
    This is actually a GREAT idea! Often I buy salad and don’t get through it in time before it wilts and other times I just simply forget and leave it out. I will definitely be trying this, it looks delicious too.

    Reply
    • Helen

      it is all too easy to leave it wilting in the salad crisper.

      Reply
  19. Catering in Den Haag

    5 stars
    Nice recipe! Great idea!

    Reply
    • Helen

      Thank you.

      Reply
  20. Aria Smith

    4 stars
    Yum! I am always looking for more recipes like this. Very quick and easy recipe thanks for sharing.

    Reply
    • Helen

      Thank you Aria,

      Reply
  21. Harriet

    5 stars
    I really love cooked lettuce. It should never be underestimated. So I can truly believe that this soup is most delicious and it a brilliant use of leftovers.

    Reply
  22. Belinda Morris

    5 stars
    Nothing worse than making a big bowl of salad and finding it wilted and feeling sorry for itself. Ours usually goes on the compost, but this is a really good idea. Will have to give it a try.

    Reply
  23. Caroline Jessop

    5 stars
    I would never have thought that you could cook dressed leftover salad. What a fab idea.

    Reply
  24. Mal

    5 stars
    My Mother makes a very fine lettuce soup, so I can vouch that this will also be very tasty.

    Reply
  25. Emma Taylor

    5 stars
    Great way of using leftovers, and so easy to do. Saves money and makes a tasty lunch.

    Reply
  26. Robert

    5 stars
    What a great idea ! Think it’s worth trying

    Reply
    • Helen

      it is delicious

      Reply
  27. MmMm

    5 stars
    I made this yesterday and it worked very well. It is a perfect formula for creating a versatile soul base which you can customise. As well as the base ingredients listed, I added a sprinkle of dry curry powder, coconut essence and some lime juice to give it an asian twist. It was so tasty. I’ve made it on several occasions and it always works. You can add carrots, coriander, leftover cucumbers, spices … it’s so adaptable.

    Reply

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Headshot of Helen Best-Shaw, Food Blogger at Fuss Free Flavours I'm Helen, full time freelance food writer, photographer and blogger. On this site you will find my fuss-free recipes, travel and reviews. Learn more here
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