Lettuce recipes

Romaine Lettuce: One of the most popular lettuces in the country, romaine lettuce, is crispy and fresh and perfectly mild-mannered. You can buy romaine hearts, which are the tighter-curled and crunchier inner leaves of a head of romaine, or you can buy a whole head of romaine, which includes the larger, fluffier outer leaves.

Hearts stay fresh longer in the fridge, and each leaf has a nice boat shape that makes it fun to dip in hummus or ranch dressing or load up with taco filling. Romaine is the go-to for Ceasar salad.

When sliced in wedges, it can be served as a take on a classic wedge salad. Halved, you can quickly char romaine hearts on the grill and then drizzle with dressing. Thinly sliced, it’s a great plant-based taco or burrito bowl topping.

Cos lettuce: Cos lettuce has an oblong shape with thick leaves and a firm central rib. Its outer leaves are usually slightly bitter and deep green, but the centre is sweet, delicate and paler. The coarse leaves are crunchy and have a sharp flavour that is slightly peppery, making them different from milder lettuce varieties.

The crispiness of Cos makes it ideal for Caesar salads. You can also use it for dipping or loading it with veggie salads. With its crunch and delicate flavour, it can be added to sandwiches and wraps.

Green and Red Leaf Lettuce: Leaf lettuce grows with leaves that branch from a single stalk loosely rather than forming a tight head. It’s got thinner and more tender leaves that ruffle and frill in gorgeous ways.

The taste of green and red leaf lettuce is quite similar: a little bit pleasantly earthy and totally refreshing. And no, it’s not actually red, just sort of reddish-brown.

It plays well in any green salad, and the frilly edges of green leaf lettuce are what you’ll most often see peeking out of a burger or sandwich.

Oak Leaf Lettuce: Oak leaf lettuce is another common variety of leaf lettuce, with leaves shaped like oak leaves. It can be either green or red and is even more delicate and tender than green or red leaf lettuce.

Gently tear the leaves up into any salad—just be careful not to squeeze or overwork them since they can bruise easily.

Mesclun (Spring Mix): “Mesclun” is not a variety of lettuce, though you may see boxes of baby lettuce leaves labelled as such. The word is actually French for “mix” and is sometimes labelled “spring mix” as well.

This lettuce type is an assortment of different kinds of lettuce leaves, picked while still young and small (as they would appear in your garden in the spring). Mesclun makes for an easy way to assemble a salad with a variety of colours and textures.

Just be careful when buying greens in a box; check to make sure there aren’t any wilting leaves because once one leaf spoils, the whole box quickly follows suit.

Are you seeking new and inventive ways to embrace the crisp, refreshing essence of lettuce in your daily meals? Look no further! Let us take you on a culinary journey that goes beyond traditional salads, introducing you to a world of innovative and delicious ways to incorporate lettuce into your diet.

Lettuce as a Burger Bliss: Elevate your burger experience by adding fresh lettuce as an extra layer. The vibrant crunch of lettuce complements the savoury elements of your favourite veggie burger creating a tantalising symphony of flavours and textures.

Wrap It Up with Lettuce: Say goodbye to traditional tortilla wraps and opt for a healthier alternative. Lettuce leaves make for perfect wraps, offering a light and nutritious way to enjoy your favourite fillings without the carb overload.

Whether your children are fussy eaters or they turn their noses up when a piece of lettuce lands on their plate, you need to find creative ways to get them to eat lettuce.

The trick is to transform the experience of eating lettuce into a fun activity. Here are a few ideas to get your kids excited about lettuce.

Involve them in making lettuce recipes: Your children are likely to eat anything you prepare, so involve them in the process of making lettuce recipes. Let them build their salad or even make the salad for the whole family using lettuce.

Set up the kitchen for kids with safe knives and kids' aprons, and let them build their salads. Aside from salads, they can also make lettuce wraps with their favourite fillings.