Is the typical vegetarian a lettuce-munching fiend ?
Well, possibly. I love lettuce.
There are lots of different types.
Here are some from the most common classification
Crisphead (Iceberg)
Really crisp. Not the most flavoursome but surprisingly good stir-fried
Summercrisp (Batavian)
crisp outer leaves with a juicy heart
Butterhead (Boston, Bibb)
One of the most delicate: creamy, light-green leaves, gently sweet, rarely bitter.
Good straight-up as a salad or lightly braised with sweet spices such as nutmeg or fennel. They make lovely soups
Romaine (Cos)
Our personal favourite: big flavour, sweet and bitter notes, big crunch, strongly coloured, highly nutritious and totally versatile.
Great eaten raw with a little salt or a full-on salad dressing.
Or use the whole leaves as a wrapper for Thai Tofu Wraps with a thousand condiments.
Delicious braised or in a soups as the star of the show.
Or prepare as the base for a fresh Korean Kimchi
Nutrition
Lettuce is a rich source of numerous vitamins and minerals, notably
- Vitamins A, K and C
- Folic acid
- Iron, Calcium, Magnesium and Potasium
Benefits
Lettuce helps protect against Alzheimer’s, cardio-vascular disease and stroke.
It’s been used in traditional medicine to induce sleep
There’s so much more to be said about lettuce. But that’s enough for now.
Check out some or favourite ways to eat lettuce in our next post
Manuel