Seasonality
Fall-Spring
Quick Tips
How to use lettuce
Most commonly used raw as a salad, base, there are many different varieties that take well to roasting and grilling.
How to buy lettuce
Look for healthy, crisp looking greens. They should be void of browning or wilting, and look fresh.
How to store lettuce
Place unwashed leaves in a glass container lined with paper towels. Seal and store in the refrigerator, changing out paper towels every few days. Fresh lettuce should stay crisp for over a week. Do not wash or cut lettuce until ready to use. When ready, wash and dry leaves thoroughly before using (a salad spinner is a handy kitchen tool if you use a lot of lettuce).
Varieties
Looseleaf
Romaine/Cos
Crisphead
Butterhead
Summercrisp
About
There’s a part of me that was hesitant to have a page on lettuce, but over the years I’ve learned that not all lettuce is created equal. Different varieties of lettuce have different flavor profiles that work well for mixing together, eating alone, and experimenting with flavor combinations. While there are popular varieties in grocery stores, such as iceberg, romaine, or spring greens, the real gems are often found at the farmers market. You’ll find some with deeply colored leaves, which have more nutrients (and why I rarely recommend iceberg).
Looseleaf lettuce is just that, lettuce not grown in large heads. Romaine is taller, with long crisp leaves, while crisphead lettuce is where iceberg lands. Butterheads are creamier, have less compact leaves. And summercrisp looks like a stockier romaine head that has been opened.
I recommend checking out Johnny’s Seeds, which has a long list of lettuce varieties (and you can buy seeds to grow your own). I tend to always fall in love with butterhead lettuce because of the soft, rich leaves. While lettuce is of course a wonderful salad green, I love using lightly dressed greens to top a pizza or use in wraps.
All Vegetarian Lettuce Recipes
Avocado Romaine Wedge Salad with Pickled Radish
Avocado Salad with Chickpeas
Beet Salad with Broiled Feta and Sesame Sunflower Seeds
Black Bean Burrito with Guacamole
Black Bean Tostadas with Avocado Salad
Broccoli Salad with Tahini Dressing
Buffalo Chickpea Salad with Homemade Ranch
Buffalo Lentil "Meatball" Sandwich
Chipotle Sweet Potato Taco Salad
Coriander Cauliflower Amaranth Salad
Curried Cauliflower and Quinoa Salad
Curried Chickpea Salad Lettuce Wraps
Garlicky Halloumi Tacos
Grilled Beet, Quinoa, and Feta Salad (+ Summer Veg Grilling Inspirations)
Harissa Roasted Cauliflower Salad Lemon-Avocado Dressing
Heirloom Tomato, Olive Tapenade, and Goat Cheese Sandwich (+Limantour Beach)
Mediterranean Kale Salad
Pear Salad with Gorgonzola
Roasted Beets, Blue Cheese Orzo, & Walnut Salad
Roasted Cherry, Barley, and Goat Cheese Salad
Spring Sorghum Salad with Radish and Roasted Asparagus
Sumac Cauliflower Salad with Lentils
Sweet Potato and Quinoa Salad with Soft-Boiled Eggs
Sweet Potato Salad with Butter-Hazelnut Dressing
Tahini Kale Caesar Salad with Whole-Grain Croutons
Vegan Tacos with Chipotle Lentils
White Bean and Butternut Squash Salad