Butterhead lettuce
Butterhead lettuce forms a loose, rounded head of soft, juicy leaves with a mild flavor.
- Head shape
- Loose and rounded
- Leaf texture
- Soft and juicy
- Flavor
- Mild
Try it in the kitchen
Keep the leaves broad in a salad with cucumber and a light olive-oil dressing. Or use a few leaves to hold a spoonful of cooked beans; their soft texture will not make a rigid wrapper.
For Il Cucchiaio d’Argento’s minestrone di lattuga, cut butterhead lettuce into large pieces and cook it with diced vegetables and broth. Serve the grated Parmesan separately.
Choose for softness
For this butterhead type, look for soft leaves and a relatively open, rounded head. The leaf texture is a more useful guide than assuming every lettuce sold as a head has the same structure.
