Simple lettuce salads are economical and healthy.
There are many varieties of lettuce and salad kits that include prewashed lettuce and other salad ingredients in one package available in your supermarket. Making simple lettuce salads is fast and easy, and you can dress them up or down at your discretion with salad dressings and different ingredients. Add this to my Recipe Box.
Basic Salad
In a medium size bowl, mix 1/4 cup of olive oil, a clove of crushed garlic, 1 tbsp. dried oregano, 1 tbsp. water, 3 tbsp. wine vinegar and a dash each of salt and pepper. Let the flavors steep for about one hour at room temperature. Stir the dressing and add 3 cups to 4 cups of lettuce. Toss, taste and adjust seasonings.
Salad Variations
To add texture and flavor to a simple lettuce salad, slice a cucumber, celery, radish or bell pepper and add to the bowl. Chunks of tomatoes, onions, cheese and hard-boiled eggs enhance the salad's taste. Lacy greens, such as arugula, chicory, watercress and mezzuna provide tang and visual appeal. Pieces of meat, fish or poultry transform a simple lettuce salad into a meal. For additional crunch and nutrition, sprinkle nuts or seeds on top. A handful of diced apples, pears, pineapple or bananas provides sweetness that plays well against the earthy lettuce tastes.
Salad Dressings
If you prefer more exotic tastes than a simple oil and vinegar dressing provides, dress the lettuce with a more heavily flavored dressing. There are many kinds of bottled dressings ranging from simple to exotic flavors with thin to thick consistencies. Many brands offer low calorie and fat-free salad dressing options.
Lettuce Types
Simple lettuce salads can contain one type of lettuce or a mixture of lettuce types. Romaine lettuce has long, dark green leaves that grow up to 12 inches long. It is crisp and has a distinctive taste. Hearts of romaine, the inner most part of the plant, are prized for their extra crispness and lighter color, and are frequently used to form a lettuce bowl to hold additional ingredients. Iceberg is a ball-shaped, crisp head lettuce, so named for its crunchy texture and high water content. It has a mild taste and light-green leaves that fade to white at the root of the head. Butterhead lettuce has loosely packed green leaves that form small heads. Its sweet taste and tender texture make it great to top sandwiches or use as a salad base. Bibb and Boston are two prominent butterhead varieties. Leaf lettuce comes in red and green colors, has curly long leaves and a medium-crisp texture.
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