This is the lettuce everyone should be making salads with

Did you know that lettuce is the third most-eaten vegetable in the Netherlands, after tomatoes and carrots? You can find that information, and much more interesting stuff, on the platform Wat eet Nederland. And although a good, hearty salad doesn’t have to contain any lettuce leaves at all (think of a delicious coleslaw with cashew crunch), lettuce is often the starting point. So how can the leafy variety described below not be hugely popular yet?!

Because as mentioned, you can also make a fantastic salad with cabbage varieties such as red cabbage or cavolo nero, or something completely different, such as papaya in a Thai salad! At the same time, iceberg lettuce seems to have been losing popularity for years. People are increasingly willing to try new varieties, such as lollo rosso or lamb’s lettuce. And today, we’re championing the type of lettuce most people only know from the classic Caesar’s Salad: Romaine lettuce!

Lovely and sturdy

Also known as Romana in the Netherlands, this type of lettuce has beautiful, large, sturdy leaves. The leaves have a slight bitterness that balances nicely with a fresh, tangy vinaigrette or the saltiness of the anchovies in a Caesar’s. It contains considerable amounts of vitamins and minerals, including vitamins A and C, potassium, calcium, and iron.

That quiet but cool cousin

So why don’t we eat more of it? It also stands up to heat quite well, so if you perk up your salad with, for example, freshly baked bacon bits or roasted cherry tomatoes from the oven, the leaves are less likely than butter lettuce to wilt right before your eyes. You can also fill the leaves with, for example, Mexican-seasoned chicken, black beans, and sour cream, then roll them up like a kind of healthy burrito.

It contains more nutrients than iceberg lettuce, has a deliciously savory flavor, and is sturdier than round-head lettuce. Thanks to its smooth texture, you can fill and roll it up easily (unlike lollo lettuce). In short, I can only see advantages! Everyone, get on board with Romaine! You can find it at many supermarkets, but the finest, most flavorful specimens are usually at Turkish or Moroccan greengrocers.

Also read:

• 14 mistakes you should stop making if you want a delicious salad
• Stop it! Salad does not belong in a jar
• These 5 mistakes should be avoided if you want a delicious pasta salad