How to Cook Lettuce

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Last Updated: January 23, 2023 References Tested

Stir Fry

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Grilling

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Braising

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Video

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Tips

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Warnings

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Things You'll Need

ARTICLE

VIDEO

If you're sick of always eating your lettuce in salads and on sandwiches, you may be ready for a change of pace. It's a good thing that lettuce is a versatile food that can be cooked many different ways. First you'll have to clean the lettuce, but then it's a simple matter to make a lettuce stir fry, grill it, or braise it.

Method 1

Method 1 of 3:

Stir Fry

1
Gather your ingredients. You could try a lettuce stir fry with many different kinds, but for this recipe, iceberg lettuce is recommended. If you dislike iceberg lettuce, you could also try a similar variety, like romaine.^{[1]
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Research source} Including lettuce, you'll also need:
- Garlic cloves
- Kitchen knife
- Iceberg lettuce (1 head)
- Large frying pan (or wok)
- Pepper
- Rice wine (or dry sherry)
- Salad oil
- Salt
- Sesame oil
- Small bowl (or container; for mixing)
- Soy sauce
- Spoon
- Sugar
- Whisk (optional; recommended)
2
Tear up your lettuce. After washing, it's likely your lettuce will still have some moisture on it. Pat the lettuce dry with a clean dishrag, paper towel, or allow it to air dry. Once the lettuce is dry, tear it into pieces slightly larger than bite-size.^{[2]
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3
Mince garlic, if necessary. You can buy garlic pre-minced at your local grocery store, but fresh garlic often has a richer flavor. Break fresh garlic into pieces (cloves), remove its smooth outer skin, then use a knife to cut it lengthwise and crosswise until it is finely chopped.^{[3]
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Mix your sauce. Take your small bowl and add 1½ teaspoons of soy sauce, 1½ teaspoons of sesame oil, and ¾ of a teaspoon of sugar to it. Use a whisk or other stirring tool, like a spoon, to thoroughly blend the ingredients until the sugar has been absorbed.^{[4]
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- This sauce will be added to the dish after the lettuce has cooked. Set it off to the side for later.^{[5]
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5
Add oil and garlic to a heated pan or wok. For this dish, you'll want a relatively large pan or wok so the food isn't packed in too densely. A crowded pan can be difficult to stir. Heat your pan with a medium heat, then:
- Coat the inside of your pan with salad oil. When the oil heats, tilt the pan back and forth to completely cover its bottom.
- When your pan is coated, add your minced garlic. Stir the garlic regularly over medium heat until it starts to color.^{[6]
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Stir fry your lettuce. Add your lettuce to the pan. Stir it with the oil and minced garlic until all ingredients are thoroughly mixed. Continue to cook the lettuce until it is a little limp, yet still somewhat crisp.^{[7]
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- In most cases, it will take no more than 2 minutes before your lettuce is ready for the sauce to be added.
7
Sauce and season your stir fry. You're in the home stretch. Take your bowl of sauce and drizzle it onto the ingredients in your pan. Continue to stir the ingredients for no more than one minute. Then, use a spoon to toss all ingredients until it is consistent throughout. Allow the food to cool, and after that:
- Sample your creation. If you notice it could use a little salt, pepper, or some other kind of seasoning, add more of this now.
- As soon as the food has cooled, your lettuce stir fry is ready to eat. Serve it and enjoy.^{[8]
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Method 2

Method 2 of 3:

Grilling

1
Collect your grilling supplies. Meatier, crisper, thicker leaves of lettuce will hold up better to the heat of the grill. For this reason, radicchio lettuce is the preferred kind for grilling, though you might also have success grilling comparable varieties, like Belgian endive.^{[9]
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Research source} Along with your lettuce, you'll also need:
- Balsamic vinegar
- Black pepper (fresh ground preferred)
- Cow's Milk Cheese
- Kitchen knife
- Olive oil
- Sea salt
- Serving plate
- Tongs (or spatula)
- Treviso radicchio lettuce (2 heads)
2
Cut your lettuce into quarters. If, after washing your lettuce, some moisture remains on it, use a clean dishrag or paper towel to pat it dry. Then, using a sharp kitchen knife, cut your two heads of lettuce into quarters. Spread the quarters onto a clean serving dish and drizzle each quarter with olive oil to lightly coat each one.
- The olive oil will help your seasoning stick to the lettuce, so this is the perfect time to add salt, pepper, or other seasonings to your lettuce.^{[10]
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Heat your grill. First check your grill to make sure it has gas and that its equipment is hooked up correctly. A loose hose can cause a dangerous gas leak. After that, set your grill to a medium heat and allow 5 to 10 minutes for the grill to heat up.
- To protect against your grill charring your lettuce too much, you may want to cook the lettuce on the grill in a heavy cast iron pan.^{[11]
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4
Grill your lettuce. Add the lettuce to the surface of your grill. While it cooks, turn it often with a spatula or pair of tongs. When the lettuce is somewhat soft, browned, and a little charred, remove it from the grill. This often takes about 12 minutes of grilling.
- While your lettuce is grilling, you might want to take a quick minute to rinse off your serving plate. This way, you can reuse it for serving the lettuce when it's done.^{[12]
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Remove your lettuce and season it. Using a pair of tongs or a spatula, take your lettuce from the grill and return it to your serving plate. Use your kitchen knife to cut 2½ oz (75 g) of your cow's milk cheese, then add the cheese atop the lettuce. Over top this, sprinkle 2 teaspoons of balsamic vinegar.
- The remaining heat in your lettuce should cause the cheese to melt atop it. If your lettuce has cooled too much, you might return it to the grill for a moment or melt the cheese in your microwave.^{[13]
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Allow to cool and enjoy. Following a few minutes of cooling time, your grilled lettuce will be ready to eat. You might want to sample a piece before serving to test the seasoning. If you find the flavor lacking, now's the perfect time to add a dash more of whatever seasoning you've used.^{[14]
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Method 3

Method 3 of 3:

Braising

1
Assemble the necessaries for braising. This particular recipe involves placing your braised lettuce on a toasted piece of bread. This means that a larger kind of leaf, like those found in romaine lettuce, the fuller the topping for the bread. You can also substitute similar kinds of lettuce to romaine, like iceberg or butterhead lettuce.^{[15]
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- Black pepper (cracked)
- Bread knife (optional)
- Chicken stock (or vegetable broth)
- Ciabatta bread (or peasant style bread)
- Frying pan (large preferred)
- Olive oil
- Romaine lettuce (one head)
- Sea salt (coarse)
2
Dry your lettuce. Your lettuce will likely have excess water on it after you wash it. Take a clean dishrag or paper towel and pat the lettuce dry. From your lettuce, choose a several leaves that are firm and green. Depending on the size of your bread and leaves of lettuce, you may want to halve your leaves.^{[16]
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- Each leaf of romaine that you braise will top your ciabatta or peasant bread. Leaves that are too large might not fit easily atop your bread.
3
Slice and toast your bread, if necessary. You may have bought your ciabatta or peasant bread pre-toasted, in which case you won't need to slice or toast it. Otherwise, you'll need to cut the bread with a kitchen knife and toast it either in a toaster or toaster oven.^{[17]
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Coat a hot pan in olive oil. Put your pan on the cook top and set the temperature to medium-high. Coat the bottom of the pan in olive oil by tilting the pan back and forth after the oil has heated.^{[18]
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- Your oil may not spread easily to some parts of your pan. In this case, you can use a spatula or spoon to spread the oil.
5
Braise the lettuce. Add your lettuce to the pan. Use a kitchen utensil, like a spatula or spoon, to apply pressure to the stalks in the center of the leaves. The more contact between the leaves and your pan, the better the braising will be.
- Braise lettuce leaves at 1 - 2 minute intervals and flip the leaves with a spatula after each interval.
- After your first flip is the ideal time to season your leaves. Have your salt and pepper on hand so you're ready to season.^{[19]
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6
Add your chicken stock or broth to the pan. But first, use your spatula or a spoon to remove the lettuce from your pan and set it on a spare plate. Add ¼ cup of chicken stock or vegetable broth to the pan, and bring it to a boil.
- To make a richer braising mixture, you could also add to it: ¼ cup white wine, ¼ teaspoon of garlic powder, ¼ teaspoon of red pepper flakes, ¼ teaspoon of dried oregano, and ¼ teaspoon of pepper.^{[20]
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7
Finish braising in the heated broth. Lower heat until the chicken stock/broth is at a simmer. Add your lettuce to the pan, cover it with a lid, and allow it to cook for about 7 minutes. After that, remove the lid and flip each with a spatula or spoon. Return the lid to the pan, and cook it for another 3 minutes.
- If your lettuce leaves have turned a dark green color, your braised lettuce is ready! Remove it from a pan with your spatula or spoon.
- You can turn leftover stock/broth into a sauce for your lettuce. Simply boil it for a few minutes until it thickens, then add it over top the lettuce after the dish is served.^{[21]
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8
Drain the oil, cool, and layer cheese on the lettuce. When the lettuce is done, transfer it to some paper towel to cool and absorb excess oil. Spread your cheese over the top of your toasted pieces of bread. Then fold each leaf in half and top each piece of bread with a leaf. Your braised lettuce is ready to eat.^{[22]
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wikiHow Video: How to Cook Lettuce

Warnings

Be aware of hot surfaces when cooking, grilling, or braising. Food and cooking implements (like baking sheets and utensils) can become hot quickly. Use an oven mitt or potholders to prevent burns to yourself or damage to your counter tops.

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