Things to do with Lettuce

Pantry/Crisper Essentials

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Lettuce was first cultivated in ancient Egypt in the third millennium BCE for the production of oil from its seeds, but over time was selectively bred into a plant grown for its edible leaves. From the Egyptians, lettuce cultivation was passed onto the Greeks and by them onto the Romans, who, in their turn, spread it through Europe. Around 50 AD, Roman agriculturalist Columella described several lettuce varieties – some of which may have been the ancestors of today’s lettuces.

iceberg lettuceLettuce is usually eaten raw in salads, but it can be cooked, though some varieties tend to be bitter. A wide range of lettuce varieties are available in supermarkets and green grocers, and are sold either as whole heads, as loose leaves or packaged in salad mixes. As a vegetable that grows easily and quickly, lettuce is a popular plant with the home gardener.

However, most lettuce varieties have a short shelf-life and have to be grown close to their markets. This limitation prompted the development in the early 20th century of hardier varieties that could be refrigerated and transported over long distances, as well as having a longer shelf-life. The most recognizable of these varieties is the iceberg lettuce which grows into a large, round head with pale, closely packed leaves. As well as being sold as a head, the leaves of the iceberg lettuce can be separated, torn and packaged on their own or mixed with other lettuce varieties.

cos_lettuceThe cos, or romaine, lettuce, which was developed in Italy and France in the seventeenth century, is a variety of lettuce that grows as a tall head of sturdy dark green leaves with firm ribs down their centres. Cos lettuces are usually sold as whole heads, as “hearts” that have had the outer leaves removed and are often packaged in pairs, as loose leaves, or torn and packaged with other salad greens.

Tasty and colourful in their own right, most lettuce varieties can be eaten as simple green salads with, perhaps, the addition of a few slices of cucumber and tomato. As such, even the most basic cook doesn’t need to follow a recipe to make the most of them.

The following recipes are for iceberg and/or cos lettuce varieties, chosen for their longer shelf-life and mild taste which can form the basis of a more complex salad, or be cooked, especially when they begin to wilt a little. As such, cos and iceberg lettuce are listed as a Crisper Essential, while all the remaining ingredients are Pantry Essentials.

Lettuce also features in the entry Cold Salads from the Pantry.

Alternatively, enter ‘lettuce’ in ‘Search’ to find all recipes using lettuce.

 

Recipes:

Garden Salad

Easy Caesar Salad

Bacon, Lettuce and Tomato (BLT) Salad

Gado Gado Salad

Tuna and Lettuce Salad

Braised Peas and Lettuce

Stir Fried Lettuce with Mushrooms

Egg Foo Young

Chicken and Lettuce Noodle Soup

Lettuce and Potato Soup

 

Garden Salad

  • 1 cup cos or iceberg lettuce leaves, torn
  • ½ Lebanese cucumber (or ¼ Granny Smith apple), sliced
  • 3–4 cherry tomatoes, halved
  • ¼ cup red capsicum (or red onion) and/or carrot, sliced
  • 2–3 mushrooms, sliced (optional)
  • 1 tbsp. olive oil
  • 2 tsp. lemon juice
  • Garlic and parsley

 

  1. Toss together the lettuce and the rest of the vegetables
  2. Whisk lemon juice, garlic and parsley into olive oil
  3. Drizzle over salad and toss

Variation: substitute sliced celery for some or all of the cucumber, apple, capsicum or carrot

 

Easy Caesar Salad

  • 1½ cups cos or iceberg lettuce leaves, torn
  • 1 egg
  • 2 tbsp. diced bacon
  • 1 slice wholegrain bread, toasted
  • 1 tbsp. shredded Parmesan cheese
  • 1 tbsp. mayonnaise
  • 1 tsp. lemon juice
  • ½ tsp. soy (or fish) sauce

 

  1. Lightly poach the egg (see below)
  2. Whisk the lemon juice and soy sauce into the mayonnaise
  3. Cut the toast into small squares
  4. In a 1 litre bowl, toss together the torn lettuce with the diced bacon, toasted squares and shredded Parmesan cheese
  5. Top with the poached egg
  6. Cut up egg, drizzle with dressing and toss salad lightly

Variation: substitute chopped cooked chicken or turkey for the diced bacon

Tip: for Step 1, you can poach the egg either On the Stovetop or In the Microwave.

 

Bacon, Lettuce and Tomato (BLT) Salad

  • 1½ cups cos or iceberg lettuce leaves, torn
  • 2 tbsp. diced bacon
  • 1 slice wholegrain bread, toasted
  • 4–6 cherry tomatoes, halved
  • 1 tbsp. mayonnaise
  • 1 tbsp. olive oil
  • 2 tsp. lemon juice
  • Chives, pepper and garlic granules

 

  1. Whisk the lemon juice into the mayonnaise, then drizzle in olive oil and whisk
  2. Stir in chives, pepper and garlic
  3. Cut the toast into small squares
  4. In a 1 litre bowl, toss together the torn lettuce with the diced bacon, toasted squares and cherry tomatoes
  5. Drizzle salad with dressing and toss lightly

Variation: substitute chopped cooked chicken or turkey for the diced bacon

 

Gado Gado Salad

  • 1 tbsp. peanut butter
  • 1 tsp. soy sauce
  • 2 tsp. lime or lemon juice
  • Mild curry powder and coriander
  • 1 hard-boiled egg, sliced (see Easy Boiled Egg)
  • ½ cup canned potatoes, sliced
  • ½ Lebanese cucumber (or ¼ Granny Smith apple), sliced
  • ¾ cup cos or iceberg lettuce leaves, torn

 

  1. In the small cup of a bullet blender, blend together peanut butter, soy sauce, lime juice, curry powder and coriander with 2 tbsp. water
  2. Arrange vegetables in a wide bowl
  3. Top with egg slices
  4. Drizzle peanut sauce over salad

 

Tuna and Lettuce Salad

  • 1 cup cos or iceberg lettuce leaves, torn
  • 3–4 cherry tomatoes, halved
  • ½ Lebanese cucumber (or ¼ Granny Smith apple), sliced
  • 1 x 95gm can tuna in oil
  • 2 tsp. lemon juice
  • Garlic granules, oregano and parsley

 

  1. In a 1 litre bowl, toss together the torn lettuce leaves, tomatoes and cucumber
  2. Drain oil from tuna into a cup and whisk in lemon juice and herbs
  3. Top lettuce with tuna
  4. Drizzle with oil mixture

Variation: substitute sliced celery for some or all of the cucumber or carrot

 

Braised Peas and Lettuce

  • ½ cup frozen peas
  • 2 tbsp. chopped onion
  • ½–1 cup cos or iceberg lettuce leaves, torn
  • 1 tbsp. diced bacon (optional)
  • ½ tsp. chicken stock powder
  • Pepper and parsley
  • Olive oil

 

  1. In a small saucepan sauté onion with pepper
  2. Add diced bacon and sauté (optional)
  3. Add peas and sauté to heat through
  4. Add ¼ cup boiling water with parsley and stock powder
  5. Simmer until peas are just tender (10–15 minutes) adding a little more water as necessary
  6. Add lettuce and sauté until lettuce just begins to wilt

Variation: substitute sliced celery for some of the peas

 

Stir Fried Lettuce with Mushrooms

  • 1½ cups cos or iceberg lettuce leaves, torn
  • 2 tbsp. chopped onion
  • 3–4 mushrooms, sliced
  • 1 tbsp. diced bacon (optional)
  • 2 tsp. soy sauce (or oyster sauce)
  • ½ tsp. chicken stock powder
  • ½ tsp. cornflour
  • Chinese 5 spices
  • Garlic
  • Canola oil

 

  1. Dissolve cornflour in ¼ cup cold water with soy sauce, stock powder and Chinese 5 spices
  2. Stir fry onion with garlic in a wok
  3. Add diced bacon and stir fry (optional)
  4. Add mushrooms and stir fry until beginning to brown
  5. Add lettuce and stir fry until wilted
  6. Add sauce and stir fry until sauce thickens

Variation: substitute sliced celery for some of the lettuce and add after Step 3

 

Egg Foo Young

  • 1 egg
  • 1 tbsp. diced bacon
  • ½ cup cos or iceberg lettuce, sliced finely
  • 1 tbsp. chopped onion
  • ½ tsp. chicken stock powder
  • 1½ tsp. soy sauce (or oyster sauce)
  • Chinese 5 spice (or cinnamon) and pepper
  • 3 tsp. cornflour
  • Canola oil

 

  1. To make sauce, dissolve stock powder, 5 spices, 1 tsp. soy (or oyster) sauce and 2 tsp. cornflour in ½ cup cold water
  2. Microwave on high in 30 second bursts and stir until thickened
  3. Dissolve 1 tsp. cornflour in 1 tbsp. cold water
  4. Whisk in the egg with ½ tsp. soy (or oyster) sauce, pepper and 1 tsp. canola oil
  5. Sauté onion and diced bacon in a frying pan or wok
  6. Add lettuce and stir until wilted
  7. Pour in egg and use a spatula to push the edge towards the centre and let uncooked egg flow underneath
  8. When underside is cooked fold egg and remove pan from heat
  9. Place omelette on plate and pour sauce over

Serving suggestion: Place omelette on a heated serve of microwave rice

 

Chicken and Lettuce Noodle Soup

  • 1 portion instant noodles
  • 1 x 85gm can shredded chicken in water
  • ¾ cup cos or iceberg lettuce leaves
  • 1 tbsp. carrot, grated
  • 1½ tsp. chicken stock powder
  • 1 tsp. soy sauce
  • 2 tsp. lemon juice
  • 2 tsp. sweet chilli sauce (optional)
  • Dried onion and garlic granules
  • Ginger and coriander
  • Chives

 

  1. In a small saucepan bring 1½ cups water to the boil with chicken stock powder
  2. Stir in soy sauce, lemon juice, sweet chilli sauce (optional) and spices
  3. Add shredded chicken
  4. Add noddles, simmer for 2–3 minutes and tease to loosen
  5. Add vegetables and simmer for a further 3 minutes
  6. Sprinkle with chives

Variation: substitute sliced cooked chicken for the canned chicken

 

Lettuce and Potato Soup

  • 1–2 cups cos or iceberg lettuce leaves, torn
  • 1 medium potato, peeled and diced
  • 1 tbsp. chopped onion
  • Garlic and pepper
  • Coriander, chives and parsley
  • 1 tsp. chicken stock powder
  • 1 tsp. lemon juice
  • Olive or canola oil
  • Natural yoghurt (optional)

 

  1. In a small saucepan sauté onion with garlic and pepper
  2. Add potato and sauté
  3. Add lettuce with 1 cup water, stock powder, coriander, chives and parsley
  4. Simmer covered for 20–25 minutes until potato is quite soft
  5. Allow to cool, empty saucepan into large cup of a bullet blender and liquidise
  6. Return to saucepan with an additional ¼ cup water and gently reheat
  7. Stir in lemon juice
  8. Remove from heat and stir in yoghurt (optional)

Variations:

  • substitute spinach leaves or other greens for some of the lettuce
  • substitute sliced celery for some of the lettuce
  • add a portion of frozen spinach at Step 3
  • substitute ½ cup frozen peas for the potato
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