🔗 Share this article

Inspired by a well-known NYC restaurant, the creative technique converts usually thrown-out external lettuce leaves into an velvety green “mayonnaise”. It’s a ingenious approach to reduce food waste while producing something flavorful and versatile.

The Reason Use External Lettuce Greens?

These external leaves serve as nature’s protective packaging, guarding the tender inside lettuce. While composting vegetable scraps is one basic zero-waste practice, discovering creative uses for these parts is additionally beneficial. Converting excess ingredients into rich compost avoids landfill accumulation, where they may release greenhouse gases, a powerful environmental issue.

This is rather innovative when you think about it: food decomposes and transforms into the ideal soil to feed further plants, thereby completing this loop and respecting nature’s process of growth.

However, given more than thirty percent surplus food being produced compared to required, using valuable resources wisely becomes crucial. Minimizing waste not only conserves cash but also supports a increasingly sustainable way of living.

This Green “Mayonnaise” Recipe

This adaptable formula works with any type of lettuce and nuts. By using a entire egg, one eliminate the need to repurpose the leftover egg white. The result is an creamy, nutty dressing that pairs perfectly with greens, roasted veggies, seared chicken, pasta, or rice.

Serves two

For the Herb “Mayonnaise” (Yields approximately 200g)

• 100 grams unsalted butter
• 50g external lettuce greens of two romaine or butter lettuce, rinsed and dried
• 20g peeled salted nuts – white nuts such as blanched almonds help keep the vivid green, though any nuts will work
• One medium whole egg

To Make the Side

• Two little gem lettuces, split lengthways
• Extra-virgin olive oil, to taste
• Fresh lime juice or apple cider vinegar, to taste
• One generous bunch soft herbs (such as parsley), sprigs picked whole, stalks finely minced

Instructions

First making the emulsion. Melt the butter in a medium saucepan, toss in the external salad leaves, place a lid and cook for about 60 seconds, stirring once or twice, until they have softened. Transfer this mixture into the container of an stick processor, add the pistachios and egg, then blend until smooth. If needed, incorporate more seeds to achieve the mayonnaise-like texture. Keep in a airtight container in the refrigerator for up to three days.

To assemble the dish, drizzle each lettuce half with olive oil and acid, then season generously. Coat with a zigzag drizzle of the herb mayonnaise, then top with the herbs. Arrange on 2 dishes and enjoy right away.