What Is Butter Lettuce? Plus, a Simple Butter Lettuce Salad Recipe

Butter Lettuce has a softer, buttery texture compared to crisp, almost watery romaine lettuce. The shape of butter lettuce leaves are rounder and petal shaped, while romaine leaves are elongated.

Butter leaf lettuce is brimming with vitamins and nutrients. It is an excellent source of vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin K, calcium, and iron, which help fortify bones and fight off inflammatory diseases.

Butter lettuce is typically divided into two types, green-leaf and red-leaf:

The nine green-leaf varieties of butter lettuce include:

1. 1. Boston bibb
2. 2. Bibb
3. 3. Victoria
4. 4. Divina
5. 5. Tom Thumb
6. 6. Kweik
7. 7. Santoro
8. 8. Butter Babies
9. 9. Buttercrunch

The seven red-leaf varieties of butter lettuce include:

1. 1. Flashy Butter Oak Leaf
2. 2. Carmona
3. 3. Skyphos
4. 4. Blushed Butterhead
5. 5. Speckles
6. 6. Yugoslavian Red
7. 7. Four Seasons

If lettuce comes with the root attached, store lettuce head in its original container or a plastic bag, leaving the roots in tact and moist. If it is without the root, wash and dry the loose leaves, wrap them in paper towels, seal in a plastic bag, and refrigerate for up to 1 week.

When serving as lettuce cups, store submerge leaves in a large bowl of cold water in the refrigerator. This method helps to keep lettuce cold and crisp. Gently dry with a kitchen towel before serving.

1. 1. Avocado and Grapefruit Salad. Torn butter lettuce with grapefruit segments and ripe avocado slices, tossed with white wine vinaigrette.
2. 2. Apple, Walnuts and Gorgonzola Salad. Torn butter lettuce, green apple slices, toasted walnuts, and crumbled blue cheese with a mustard vinaigrette.
3. 3. Smashed Chickpea Salad Wraps. Smashed chickpeas combined with mayo, mustard, red onion, jalapeño, and hot sauce. Served with baby tomatoes and chopped parsley in lettuce cups.
4. 4. Rainbow Veggie Lettuce Wraps. Julienned purple cabbage, carrot, and radish pickled in rice vinegar. Served with soba noodles, edamame hummus, and lettuce cups.
5. 5. Turmeric Tilapia Lettuce Wraps. Inspired by the Vietnamese dish cha ca la vong, toss fried turmeric-seasoned fish with sautéed scallions and fresh dill. Serve with vermicelli noodles, roasted peanuts, dipping sauce, and lettuce cups.
6. 6. Mexican Chipotle Shrimp Lettuce Wraps. Chipotle-spiced grilled shrimp with black beans, avocado, and garlic-lime crema. Served in lettuce cups and eaten-taco style.
7. 7. Chinese Chicken Lettuce Wraps. Ground chicken cooked with ginger, garlic, water chestnuts, and green onions with hoisin sauce. Spoon the chicken mixture into the center of a lettuce leaf.
8. 8. Korean Grilled Beef Lettuce Wraps. Thinly-sliced beef marinated in a sweet and spicy marinade then seared on a grill. Fold a piece of steak, rice, raw julienned vegetables, and herbs inside a bib lettuce leaf.
9. 9. Mediterranean Lamb Meatball Lettuce Wraps. Meatballs with spiced ground lamb, served in lettuce cups with tzatziki sauce and diced tomatoes.