A comforting one-pot chicken and lettuce soup made with leftovers, fresh greens and simple ingredients. Perfect for busy weeknight dinners.

Part two of the Lettuce Series, as I’ve dubbed it, involved throwing a bunch of ingredients into a large pot and ending up with a soup that made life feel a whole lot better. Chicken Lettuce Soup wasn’t a planned recipe, but it’s the kind that, once you’ve tasted it, you realise needs to be shared with the world. Or at least the little corner of the world this blog reaches.

The best thing about this soup? The mothership liked it. And trust me when I say that her approving of something containing both chicken (she’s steadily developing a dislike for meat) and lettuce (see part one of the Lettuce Series) felt like a major life achievement.

Note: I used leftover smoked chicken, but any cooked chicken works just as well

For those joining this rodeo late, check out the Lettuce Sourdough-wich recipe to understand the concept of reverse parenting. And if soups are your thing, the Masala Chicken Soup and Pumpkin Carrot & Spring Onion Soup might offer a little inspiration.

A hearty grilled lettuce sourdough sandwich packed with lettuce, cheese and tomato, born from an attempt to get reluctant parents to eat more greens.

Remember those childhood days when parents came up with innovative ways to make you eat those dreaded greens? There’s been a role reversal at home, where I now have to find ways to get the parents to eat “foreign” vegetables — namely lettuce, broccoli, zucchini, and other vegetables they didn’t grow up with.

I get the reluctance, I really do. But as I keep reminding them, “You’ve got to eat your greens.” #Payback

With lettuce, I started with the tried-and-tested salad route, which worked brilliantly for my father. He loves salad. My mother? Not so much. She was, and continues to be, reluctant.

Determined to get her to eat it, I began tweaking a few recipes and, voila! She ate the lettuce-loaded food, and I ended up with what I’m now calling the Lettuce Series, starting with the Lettuce Sourdough-wich.

The parents have developed a taste for sourdoughs, and since all three of us love pan-grilled sandwiches, I snuck a few leaves into our breakfast sandwich one day, and, to my delight, oh delight! It’s hearty, tasty and that golden crunch when you bite in… mmmmm.

You can use vegetables other than tomato here, but there’s something pure and nostalgic about the combination of bread + cheese + tomato that I adore. Just one thing to remember: these sourdough-wiches (sandwich… sourdough-wich… you get the drift) are pretty filling. In fact, I ended up skipping lunch altogether and settled for supper and a late-night snack instead.

Things to remember

• You can use vegetables of choice, but as I’ve mentioned, tomato and cheese are pure nostalgia and classic.  
• If the idea of pan grilling terrifies you, pop the sourdough-wich into a sandwich maker – whatever makes life easier!