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Inspired by a popular NYC eatery, the creative method turns often-discarded external salad leaves into a luxurious herbaceous emulsion. This is a ingenious approach to reduce kitchen waste while making something delicious and flexible.

The Reason Repurpose Outer Salad Leaves?

These external greens are nature’s natural wrapping, shielding the delicate inner leaves. Although recycling vegetable scraps is one fundamental zero-waste practice, discovering new applications for these parts is additionally impactful. Turning surplus food into fertile soil prevents landfill buildup, where it may release greenhouse gases, which is a powerful climate issue.

It’s rather innovative when you think over it: produce rots and transforms into that ideal soil to nourish more crops, thereby completing this loop and respecting nature’s process of growth.

Yet, given more than 30% extra food getting made compared to needed, consuming valuable ingredients wisely is essential. Reducing leftovers not only saves cash but also promotes the increasingly sustainable way of living.

This Herb-Infused “Mayonnaise” Method

The adaptable formula functions with whatever variety of lettuce and nuts. By incorporating one entire egg, one eliminate the hassle to repurpose the leftover egg white. The result is an creamy, nutty dressing that pairs perfectly with greens, grilled vegetables, seared chicken, noodles, or rice.

Yields two

For the Green “Mayonnaise” (Makes about 200 grams)

• 100 grams butter
• 50g external salad leaves from 2 little gems, washed and dried
• 20 grams shelled salted nuts – white seeds such as cashews assist keep the bright color, though whatever seeds will work
• 1 small entire egg

For the Salad

• Two romaine or butter lettuces, split longwise
• Extra-virgin olive oil, as needed
• Fresh lime juice or apple cider vinegar, to taste
• 1 generous handful soft greens (such as parsley), leaves picked intact, stalks finely chopped

Steps

First making the emulsion. Melt the fat in one medium saucepan, add the external salad leaves, place a lid and cook for about a minute, mixing a couple times, till they have wilted. Transfer the contents into the container of an immersion blender, add the nuts and whole egg, then blend until smooth. If needed, incorporate more seeds to achieve a thick consistency. Store in a sealed jar in the fridge for up to 3 days.

For assemble the dish, sprinkle each lettuce half with oil and lemon juice, then season generously. Dress with a tight pattern of the green emulsion, then scatter with the herbs. Place on 2 dishes and enjoy immediately.