Butter Lettuce
Butter lettuce (also called Boston or Bibb lettuce) forms loose, tender heads with a mild, slightly sweet flavor and a smooth, buttery texture that makes it a favorite for delicate salads and lettuce wraps.
How to buy
Look for loosely furled heads with soft, supple leaves that aren't bruised, slimy, or browning at the edges. The leaves should feel delicate but not limp, and the head should feel light rather than tightly packed like iceberg.
How to store
Store unwashed in a perforated bag or wrapped loosely in a damp paper towel in the crisper drawer. It's more delicate than firmer lettuces and bruises easily, so it's best used within 4-5 days.
Culinary profile
- Flavor
- Mild and faintly sweet with almost no bitterness, much softer in flavor than romaine or arugula. Its delicate taste makes it a good backdrop for stronger dressings, herbs, or fillings.
- Texture
- Soft, tender, and faintly buttery, with leaves that cup naturally -- useful for holding fillings in wraps. It bruises and wilts faster than sturdier lettuces.
- Aroma
- A very mild, faintly sweet, green smell with little else distinctive about it.
How to prepare
- Whole leaves as wraps — Used as a tender, cupped wrapper for grilled meats, rice, or minced fillings.
- Torn for salads — Hand-torn rather than cut, to avoid bruising the delicate leaves.
- Dressed lightly — Tossed with a light vinaigrette that won't overwhelm its mild flavor.
- Used as a garnish base — Lined under other ingredients on a plate or in a sandwich for a soft bed.
Classic dishes
American
- Crab Louie salad — A San Francisco classic of crab meat served over butter lettuce with Louie dressing.
- Wedge-style salad with butter lettuce — A composed salad of lettuce wedges topped with bacon, tomato, and blue cheese dressing.
- Butter lettuce salad with buttermilk dressing — Tender leaves dressed in a tangy, creamy buttermilk dressing.
- Butter lettuce with citrus and avocado — A bright salad pairing mild lettuce with citrus segments and creamy avocado.
Mexican
- Butter lettuce tacos — Lettuce leaves used as a low-carb wrap in place of a tortilla for taco fillings.
Chinese
- San choy bau — Seasoned minced pork or chicken spooned into crisp lettuce cups.
- Lettuce cup shrimp appetizer — Stir-fried, diced shrimp served in lettuce cups as a light starter.
French
- Salade verte — A simple French green salad dressed with a light mustard vinaigrette.
- Butter lettuce and herb salad with champagne vinaigrette — A bistro-style salad pairing tender lettuce with fresh herbs and a light, acidic dressing.
Thai
- Larb lettuce cups — Spicy minced meat salad served in lettuce cups for scooping.
Mediterranean
- Grilled lettuce salad — Lightly charred lettuce halves dressed with olive oil and lemon.
Korean
- Bo ssam lettuce wraps — Tender lettuce leaves used to wrap slow-cooked pork belly with rice and condiments.
- Korean BBQ ssam — Grilled meat, rice, and sauce wrapped together in a cupped lettuce leaf.
Vietnamese
- Bún thịt nướng lettuce wraps — Grilled pork and herbs wrapped in tender lettuce leaves alongside rice noodles.
British & Irish
- Butter lettuce and pea salad — A spring salad combining tender lettuce with fresh peas and a light dressing.
Substitutions
- Romaine Lettuce — Sturdier and crunchier with more bitterness; works for wraps but holds up better to heavier dressings.