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Modeled after a well-known New York eatery, the groundbreaking method turns usually thrown-out outer lettuce leaves into a luxurious green “mayonnaise”. It’s a brilliant way to minimize leftovers while producing a condiment flavorful and versatile.

The Reason Repurpose Outer Salad Greens?

These external greens serve as the plant’s natural packaging, guarding the tender inside leaves. While recycling vegetable trimmings is a fundamental zero-waste habit, discovering new uses for these parts is even more impactful. Converting excess food into fertile soil prevents landfill buildup, where they can release methane, a powerful environmental concern.

This is quite radical when you consider over it: produce rots and becomes that ideal growing medium to feed more plants, thereby completing this cycle and respecting the cycle of life.

Yet, with over 30% surplus produce being made than required, consuming precious ingredients efficiently is crucial. Minimizing waste not only saves cash but also promotes the more eco-friendly lifestyle.

This Herb-Infused Emulsion Recipe

This versatile recipe works with whatever variety of salad greens and seeds. Through incorporating a entire egg, you eliminate the hassle to repurpose an extra white. This result is a smooth, rich dressing that pairs beautifully with salads, roasted vegetables, seared chicken, noodles, or grains.

Serves 2

For the Herb “Mayonnaise” (Makes approximately 200 grams)

• 100 grams butter
• 50 grams outer salad greens of 2 romaine or butter lettuce, rinsed and thoroughly dried
• 20 grams peeled roasted pistachios – white nuts such as pine nuts assist keep a bright color, but whatever nuts can work
• One medium whole egg

For the Salad

• Two romaine or butter heads, halved lengthways
• Cold-pressed oil, as needed
• Fresh lime juice or white-wine vinegar, as desired
• One generous bunch soft herbs (such as parsley), leaves left whole, stems thinly chopped

Instructions

Begin by preparing the emulsion. Melt the butter in one small saucepan, toss in the external salad leaves, place a lid and cook for about 60 seconds, mixing a couple times, until they’ve softened. Pour the contents into the jug of an immersion blender, include the nuts and egg, then blend until creamy. If needed, incorporate more nuts to get the mayonnaise-like texture. Store in a sealed jar in the fridge for up to three days.

To assemble the salad, drizzle each lettuce half with olive oil and acid, then season liberally. Coat with one zigzag pattern of the herb mayonnaise, then scatter with the greens. Place on two plates and enjoy immediately.