lettuce
A leafy vegetable eaten mostly raw, ranging from crisp varieties like iceberg and romaine to tender ones like butter and leaf lettuce; the base of most salads and a common sandwich or taco topping.
Buying guidance
Look for crisp, vividly colored leaves with no slimy or dark wet patches, which spread quickly to the rest of a head once they appear. Choose the variety for the texture wanted: iceberg and romaine hold up to dressing and stay crunchy, while butter and leaf lettuce are more delicate and bruise easily.
Substitutions
- Romaine for iceberg -- more flavor and nutrition, still plenty of crunch.
- Cabbage, shredded -- much sturdier and crunchier; good in wraps or slaws where lettuce would wilt.
- Baby spinach or arugula -- more tender and flavorful than mild lettuce; brings a peppery or earthy note in its place.
Tips & common mistakes
Dressing or salting lettuce well ahead of serving draws water out of the leaves and wilts them, so add dressing right before serving rather than letting dressed leaves sit.
Storage
A whole, unwashed head keeps noticeably longer than pre-cut or bagged salad mix, which is already damaged at the cut edges and browns or sours faster; store it dried and wrapped loosely with a paper towel in a bag, since trapped moisture is what turns leaves slimy.