4 Fresh Ideas for Spring Lettuce

As the weather gets hotter, we need lighter and more refreshing vegetables.

Bibb lettuce has sturdy, broad leaves that can hold a filling, making them ideal for wrapping and folding. Gretchen McKay/Pittsburgh Post-Gazette/TNS

Is there anything more soul-lifting than staring down a big pile of spring leaf lettuce, and imaging all the different things you can do with it?

After a long, brisk winter of settling for root vegetables and heartier leafy greens like cabbage and kale, I don’t think so.

I’m not knocking cold-weather veggies here, because without them, preparing many of the comfort foods associated with winter dining would be a slog.

It’s just that once spring finally shows its sunny face, there’s something incredibly satisfying about digging into a salad made with fresh, seasonal greens like butterhead and baby Romaine.

Not only are these loose, round- and oval-shaped heads wonderfully sweet, with a light, refreshing crunch, but you just know you’re doing your body an incredible favor healthwise by eating it.

Because it’s primarily water, lettuce is extremely low-cal. (One cup has only around 7 calories.) It’s also a good source of vitamins A and K, which promote bone and eye health, and contains antioxidants as well as digestion-boosting fiber.

Thanks to its vibrant shade of green, lettuce is also beautiful heaped in a bowl or spread out on a plate—a definite plus when you eat first with your eyes.

But the real bonus of spring lettuce is that it’s a surprisingly versatile vegetable, and often among the more economical purchases at farmers markets or in the produce section.

Using the leaves as a base for salad or as a vegetal garnish for hamburgers and your favorite sandwiches is just the start. Hardier leaves like Romaine can be grilled, seared, braised, or sauteed. Shredded, lettuce leaves also can be baked into a frittata or stirred into a cheesy, creamy risotto to add ribbons of green.

Because of its high water content, lettuce makes a good addition to soups and juices and can also team up with fruit in a good-for-you smoothie.

Trying to cut down on carbs? Use soft, sturdy Bibb lettuce leaves as cups or wraps instead of bread or a flour or corn tortilla for any number of flavorful fillings. Or simply slice and saute it as you would cabbage, kale or spinach with a little olive or sesame oil for a simple side dish.

The four recipes that follow prove lettuce can be much more exciting to cook with than you might think.

The best part is that all can be prepared fairly quickly, leaving plenty of time and energy for where most of us really want to be spending time come spring—not in the kitchen, but outdoors in the fresh air and sunshine.

Pasta With Lettuce Pesto

PG tested

Serves 4.

Pesto is most commonly made with fresh pesto leaves. Its name comes from the Italian verb pestare, which means “to pound or crush.” But the fresh, pounded sauce can be made with almost any fresh green you happen to have on hand, including lettuce.

In this recipe, I used big handfuls of mixed spring greens (which includes baby lettuces) to make the sauce, with some fresh basil mixed in to round out the flavor. I didn’t have any pine nuts—a classic choice for pesto—so I used toasted almonds instead. For a less garlicky sauce, use fewer garlic cloves.

This sauce is great on pasta but also can be dolloped on pizza, spread onto sandwiches or used as a garnish for grilled meats and roasted vegetables.

• 4 packed cups of lettuce (spring mix, Bibb or Romaine works well)
• Handful (about 1/3 cup) fresh basil
• 3 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
• 1/2 cup toasted almonds or pine nuts
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• A good squeeze of fresh lemon juice
• 1/4 - 1/2 cup olive oil
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 16 ounces cooked pasta

Place lettuce leaves, basil, garlic, nuts, salt, and lemon juice in the bowl of a food processor.

Pulse until well chopped.

With the food processor running, drizzle in 1/4 cup of olive oil and pulse until combined. Add the Parmesan cheese, if using, and pulse to briefly combine. For a smoother pesto, add more olive oil.

Toss with cooked pasta, then serve immediately.

Recipe Gretchen McKay, Post-Gazette

Lettuce Smoothie

PG tested

Makes 2 smoothies.

Kale smoothies are incredibly popular so why not experiment with lettuce? I pureed Romaine with some spinach, apple and a frozen banana to make these vibrant green drinks. It sounds crazy, I know, but it actually tastes incredibly fresh, and healthful.

• 1 cup chopped Romaine lettuce
• 1 cup baby spinach
• 1/2 apple, chopped
• 1 frozen banana, broken into chunks
• Juice of 1 lemon
• 1 cup water
• 1 tablespoon chia seeds, optional

Add lettuce, baby spinach, apple, banana, lemon juice, and water to a high-speed blender. For a thicker smoothie, also add chia seeds.

Blend on high until smooth, then pour into two glasses and serve.

Recipe adapted from realfoodwholelife.com

Lettuce Risotto

PG tested

Serves 3 as a main dish, 6 as a side.

You almost won’t notice the shredded Bibb lettuce in this creamy risotto, which was adapted from a recipe by Lidia Bastianich. It wilts into thin thread-like strands. But it’s a great way to avoid waste when you’ve tired of salad, or bought too many greens to use right away.

You can serve this risotto either as a main dish with a simple salad and crusty bread or as a side dish.

• 7 cups or more hot chicken stock, preferably homemade
• Kosher salt
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 shallots, finely chopped
• 2 cups Arborio rice
• 1 cup white wine
• 8 ounces outer lettuce leaves (Romaine, Bibb, etc.), shredded
• 2 tablespoons butter, cubed
• Finely grated zest of 1/2 small lemon
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan or Grana Padano

Bring chicken stock to a simmer in a medium saucepan and season with salt.

Heat olive oil in a large, shallow, straight-sided pot over medium heat. Once the oil is hot, add shallots, sauté for 1 minute, then ladle in 1/2 cup hot stock to soften the vegetables.

Cook until the vegetables are tender and stock has evaporated, about 5 minutes. Raise the heat to medium-high.

Add rice all at once, and stir continuously until the grains are toasted but not colored, about 2 minutes. Add wine and cook until the liquid is almost absorbed.

Add shredded lettuce and cook until wilted, about 2-3 minutes.

Ladle in about 2 cups of the stock, stir and cook until almost absorbed, about 5 minutes. Ladle in 1 more cup of the stock, and again simmer until the liquid is almost absorbed.

Continue cooking and adding stock in this manner until the rice is cooked al dente but still with texture, about 15-20 minutes in all.

When the risotto is creamy, turn off the heat. Beat in the butter, stir in the lemon zest and cheese, season with salt if necessary and serve.

Recipe adapted from lidiasitaly.com

Chicken Lettuce Wraps

PG tested

Serves 4.

Lettuce wraps are easy to make, and a fun spin on the humble taco. I used ground chicken but ground turkey also works beautifully. If you don’t love carrots or water chestnuts, experiment with other crunchy veggies such as bell peppers.

You'll definitely want to use a butterhead lettuce like Boston or Bibb, as they have tender, sturdy leaves that will easily fold around the filling without tearing.

I added chili crisp for some extra spice, but you could also use sweet chili sauce or sriracha to add some gentle heat.

When serving as lettuce cups, submerge leaves in a large bowl of cold water in the refrigerator. (It will keep the lettuce cold and crisp.) Gently dry with a paper towel before serving.

• 4 tablespoons teriyaki sauce or hoisin sauce
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
• 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
• 1 tablespoon chili crisp
• 1 teaspoon cornstarch
• 2 teaspoons vegetable oil
• 1 pound ground chicken
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon peeled and minced fresh ginger
• 3 green onions, finely diced and divided
• 1/2 cup grated or finely diced carrots
• 1 (8-ounce) can chopped water chestnuts, drained
• 2 small heads Bibb or butter lettuce
• Chopped roasted peanuts or cashews, for garnish
• Sriracha sauce, optional

Place teriyaki sauce, soy sauce, rice vinegar, sesame oil, and chili crisp in a small bowl. Whisk to combine, then stir in cornstarch and set aside.

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat until it shimmers. Add ground chicken, minced garlic, and ginger and cook, breaking the meat into small pieces with a wooden spoon until it starts to brown.

Stir in half of the chopped green onions, carrots, and water chestnuts, and continue cooking until chicken is no longer pink and fully cooked, another 3-4 minutes.

Add sauce and cook, stirring occasionally, until bubbling and the sauce is warmed through, 30-60 seconds.

Separate the lettuce leaves, rinse under cold water and pat dry with a paper towel. Pile them onto a large platter or divide among 4 plates.

Transfer the hot chicken mixture to a serving bowl or spoon directly into the lettuce leaves.

Serve with remaining scallions and chopped nuts as a garnish, and eat immediately.

Recipe by Gretchen McKay, Post-Gazette

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