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.
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 recipes for braised iceberg lettuce or leftover lettuce lentil salad.
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.
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.
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
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
- 2 cups salad
- 1 tbsp vinagrette
- 1 tsp olive oil
- 300 ml vegetable stock from cube
- 1 Radish or other suitable vegetable
- 2 stalks parsley
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Heat the olive oil in a saucepan, and add the salad. Fry for a few minutes.
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Add the stock, put on the lid and simmer for about 10 minutes.
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Blend until smooth. Season to taste with salt and pepper
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Garnish with sliced radish and shredded parsley.
Why not try stirring in some soy sauce 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.
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!
The great thing about this is that it is so adaptable. Just bung it all in.
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!
it is such a good idea, and the sop is different every time as well as delicious!
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!!!
so quick easy and also delicious!
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!
Slimy leftover salad is just horrid, the soup is the best solution.
Omg salad soup!! This sounds so crazy it might work!
it is so simple, but amazingly good!
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
I am so pro anything that reduces food waste.
OMG, I think you are a complete GENIUS!! Seriously cannot wait to try this! Thank you!
Thank you Sarah – it is so simple, quick and easy.
Was just writing a post about food waste – what an excellent way to salvage leftovers! Looks delicious too which is a big bonus!
We love this soup. Delicious solution that cuts down on waste.
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
I nearly always have some leftover too. far better than throwing it away
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!
Anything that cuts down on food waste is a win!
Great solution to those sad looking salad leaves that are headed for the compost heap.
far better to make soup than to compost it!
What a super idea! I’ve never thought about doing something like this but it makes perfect sense. Definitely going to try it soon!
it is such a easy solution to sad salad.
Such a great idea, I am always with bits of leftovers in my fridge and this is better than eating limp leaves! Genius!
Limp leaves are no good at all.
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
It is so good! Perfect for dull summer days.
What a fab idea! ingenious in fact! I will definitely give this a whirl
Thank you. Enjoy it!
I have never tried a ‘salad soup before but I really like the concept of it. Plus it sounds delicious x
It is so quick, easy and delicious.
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!
This has all the flavour and goodness, but without that texture!
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.
it is all too easy to leave it wilting in the salad crisper.
Nice recipe! Great idea!
Thank you.
Yum! I am always looking for more recipes like this. Very quick and easy recipe thanks for sharing.
Thank you Aria,