Where to use it: In salads with heavy dressings, dishes that call for shredded lettuce, sandwiches and overnight layered salads. These lettuces, which come in red or green, are not quite as crisp as something like romaine, but are great for those who want an earthier taste. 36 Best Pumpkin Farms to Visit This Autumn, 30 Best Fall Flowers and Plants for Your Yard, 10 Charming Country Products by Black-Owned Brands, This content is created and maintained by a third party, and imported onto this page to help users provide their email addresses. The name suits its overall appearance. The main varieties are Boston and bibb (which is smaller and more pricey). Kale is actually a part of the cabbage family. Do not forget to drizzle them with blue cheese dressing. Its a good thing to keep in your crisper though because it tastes more mild and almost sweet when you grill it. Many blossoms are toxic and some flowers have pesticides that can be harmful if ingested. Romaine is sturdy and holds its own on the grill—or mixed with crunchy apples, pears and nuts in this Holiday Lettuce Salad. It’s known as both a salad green and a herb. They also wilt easily. Given its seasonal name, the green- and red-tinted lettuce fairs especially well in warm weather and won’t wilt like many other lettuces might in this midst of hot, humid weather. Boston lettuce and bibb lettuce are among the most popular types of lettuce known as butterleaf lettuces. With 15 years of experience working in restaurants, resorts, and a fully Red Seal Certified chef, The Culinary Cook shares tips, tricks, and recipes for everyone to enjoy. Taste of Home is America's #1 cooking magazine. Let’s have a look at each of them. The other type of butter lettuce is Boston lettuce. Iceberg has virtually no calories and is mostly water (90%) so it’s not packed with nutrients. There are many other types of salad greens out there that you can incorporate into your salads. You can also use them for salads and only dress them when you serve the dishes. Its best to purch… You can find it in green or purple and both kinds stay crunchy for a long time in the fridge. And yes, they really are the leaves off that ever-present plant so they're generally pretty cheap and hearty. It’s popular in a variety of salads. In fact, we grow a variety of different types of lettuce and salad greens in our year-round greenhouse / kitchen garden as well as in one of our outdoor gardens each year. And what are dandelion greens anyway? If you prefer something sweet, choose baby spinach instead. They’re similar to radicchio, which you’ll learn about below. These types of salad is a very sturdy green and are often mixed with other greens for texture. Get shopping! When used as a decoration for your salad menu, it makes a nice contrast to the milder green ones. You'll mainly see this lettuce as a burger topping or even as a low-carb substitute for a bun. Of course, when it comes to lettuce varieties, you must also pay attention. There are two types of leaf lettuce here based on their color: green leaf lettuce and red leaf lettuce… Much like arugula, dandelion greens are a little bitter but very delicious. Use of this green is rarely done alone due to its strong flavor, and it should be used in conjunction with other greens. A popular method of preparing this green is using a dressing of hot bacon fat and pouring it over the spinach which will wilt it slightly. Individual leaves are plucked and washed before serving. It's got a refreshing bite and a delightfully curly appearance which is bound to make anything you pair it with look fancier. They are excellent for creating cups for holding other foods and provide great presentation appeal. When she's not wielding her red pen, she can be found tending her flower gardens, remodeling her house, creating one-of-a-kind jewelry or dancing to "Uptown Funk.". If you’ve ever had a Caesar salad, you’ve had romaine, also known as cos lettuce. The other type of butter lettuce is Boston lettuce. While most people are familiar with the green ones, there are actually many other types of lettuce. It has soft leaves that work especially well for creating lettuce cups and wraps. Where to use it: In salads with rich, creamy dressings or spicy, pungent vinaigrettes, or on the grill, as in this Grilled Romaine Toss. It is perfect for all kinds of salads. Becoming a good cook involves having a wide range of flexibility when it comes to... You have entered an incorrect email address! 5 Dandelion Greens Handle this lettuce with care; the leaves are quite tender and bruise easily. Look for a head with crisp, dark green leaves free of blemishes or yellowing. It's full of minerals like vitamin C and vitamin A and is also very high in iron. Who says spinach is not one of the types of lettuce? When you decide to eat it too, you can taste its mildly bitter flavor. Big Time Foodie. It has soft leaves that work especially well for creating lettuce cups and wraps. Arugula pairs well with punchy vinaigrettes like this Lemon Parmesan Dressing from epicurious. It has a much-loved sweet taste and is popular in it’s native Europe both cooked and raw. Fancy yourself a red leaf lettuce lover? Based on their shapes, sizes, and colors, you get to know them one by one here. I like the smoke bacon we make right here in the Kitchen Authority Test Kitchen. 9 Common Types of Salad Greens Beef & Spinach Quesadillas with Smoky Ranch-Dressed Salad Green Leaf or Red Leaf Lettuce These two types of lettuce are packed with bright leafy flavor. Arugula (sometimes you'll hear it called rocket) is a spicy and peppery leafy green that is certainly an acquired taste. While tasting is the best method to fully acquaint yourself with them, this guide will help you get a good head start into learning about the various types of lettuce and their flavor. How to use it: Iceberg lettuce is the gold-standard for a chopped salad or wedge salad. The simple but magical Wedge Salad. For example, arugula stands up to a bold salad dressing. Branching from the stalk, the leaves have a much darker shade at their ends. Now that you know about the four main types of lettuce, make them extra tasty with your own homemade salad dressings. Watercress gets it’s name from it’s semi-acquatic growing environment. Sometimes referred to as sourgrass, this salad green has leaves that look similar to spinach in color and shape. Privacy Policy. It comes in both red and green variety and is easily damageable. This bright plant is actually a leaf chicory. Many people prefer iceberg due to these qualities and mix well with almost anything. Store fresh lettuce away from ethylene-emitting produce such as apples, plums and grapes because, while harmless to consume, ethylene can cause lettuce to wilt. For us, if it's in a bowl mixed with some delicious veggies and dressing, it deserved a spot on the list. They are quite heavy despite the size. Use only specially-grown flowers grown to be eaten from reputable sellers. Lettuce is a cool-weather crop and easy to grow yourself, but most types are available year-round at the local grocer. Probably the most popular types of lettuce in restaurants and food chains in the world, iceberg lettuce is inexpensive and neutral in flavor. Arugula can also vary in flavor strength – wild-harvested arugula is more pungent and really pops in a salad. With bright green leaves it grows in large buches that need to be carefully washed. Mache is known variously as corn lettuce or rapunzel or lamb’s lettuce. Finish it off with some chopped tomato and a bit of red onion, the bacon and then someone additional crumbled blue cheese if you’ve got it. You can identify this type of salad by its tiny penny-sized leaves and substantial stem. Also, because of its large leaf surface, lettuce often retains pesticides. It’s a staple in Japan and can be found in a variety of Japanese soups, stir-fries and hot pots. Good quality spinach should be deep green and fairly crisp. Another type of butter lettuce, Boston lettuce is known for its soft and sweet leaves that can serve as a great bed for salads or for lettuce cups. Its ends are green while its core is a pale yellow and white. It has a nice crunch and can be eaten raw or cooked with a full-flavored salad dressing. ), loose-leaf varieties should be thoroughly washed with clean water and dried before storing. At a quick glance, this looks like the dead ringer of The Butterhead Boston Lettuce. Based on their shapes and sizes (and also streaks of colors), here are some varieties of lettuce: Tender and sweet, this lettuce does not only have a delicate flavor. When chopped up, they make for a hearty base that features satisfying crunch and a slightly bitter flavor. You can certainly use it to create a salad but it's also fantastic on top of things like pizza and burgers.