14 Different Types of Lettuce, Plus How to Serve Them All

• Also known as: rocket, garden rocket, rucola, rugula 
• Use it in: Arugula makes an elegant and very easy side salad when served raw with halved tomatoes, lemon vinaigrette and Parmesan shavings; you can also use in place of basil for a zippy pesto that works wonderfully when spread on sandwiches or drizzled on poultry. 
• Try it: Arugula Salad with Whole-Lemon Vinaigrette; Potato-Chip Crusted Chicken with Arugula Pesto 

Also known as rocket in Europe and Australia, these small, scalloped leaves (three to six inches in length, or smaller if you’re working with baby arugula) are bright green in color and delightfully peppery. With its distinctive bite, arugula can handle tangy dressings and big flavors, so don’t be shy when pairing it with other ingredients. Arugula also makes a great addition to a sandwich or atop pizza when you want an extra kick, or you can wilt it into pasta for a mellower flavor. (Or if you’re like me, you can just eat it plain by the handful because that little kick of spice is just so good.) 

• Also known as: Bibb, Boston, butter lettuce 
• Use it in: Cut this green to use as a gluten-free lettuce bowl that can be filled with a variety of toppings, add the washed leaves to sandwiches for a mild-flavored crunch, or toss the tender leaves with avocado, herbs and a dressing of your choice for a side (or main) salad. 
• Try it: Grilled Thai Chicken Lettuce Wraps; Salmon BLT Salad with Spicy Tomatillo Ranch 

Butterhead lettuce (aka Boston or Bibb) gets its name from its smooth, soft, buttery texture. This delicate type of head lettuce has a mild and (yep, you guessed it) buttery flavor that’s best showcased in salads, but its broad leaves can also work as lettuce wraps or cups and it makes a fine addition to sandwiches as well. You’ll often find it sold in a plastic clamshell in the grocery, root intact. 

• Also known as: Belgian endive, French endive, witloof 
• Use it in: Serve as is on a crudité platter, use as cups for dinner party-worthy appetizers that are filled with ingredients that balance their inherent bitterness, or braise them and serve them as a side dish to soften their flavor. 
• Try it: All-Green Crudités Basket 

Don’t be fooled by their size. These compact heads—which are a type of leaf chicory (as opposed to root chicory)—pack a lot of flavor and crunch. It’s worth noting, though, that there are many varieties of endive that run the gamut from light yellow and green in color to dark purple. Still, it’s easy enough to identify on account of its densely packed torpedo-shaped leaves, which are often described as frilly or curly. Serve them on their own with a punchy dressing or use them as boats for tasty fillings and elegant appetizers—just take into account that the dominant flavor of endive is bitterness, despite being the mildest member of the chicory family, according to lettuceinfo.org. Nevertheless, if you find their taste a little too bitter for your liking, you can always try gently braising them until they’re golden to add some sweetness.

• Also known as: Batavian endive 
• Use it in: Wash and serve raw in salads with a mustard dressing or paired with fruits like peaches, apples and Cara Cara oranges; chop and wilt into soups and stews 
• Try it: Utica Greens, Spiced Lamb Meatball and Escarole Soup, Pistachio-Crusted Pork Tenderloin with Apple and Escarole Salad 

Another member of the chicory clan, this slightly bitter green has a fresh vegetal taste and makes a frequent appearance in Italian cooking. It can be served raw in salads, but also lends itself well to cooked dishes like soups or beans. If you’re looking to tone down the bitterness, cooking is generally your best bet—though I would be remiss not to mention that the lighter-colored leaves closest to the head of the lettuce are milder and sweeter than the darker ones on the outside.

• Also known as: curly endive, chicory endive, curly chicory 
• Use it in: Frisée is delicious in side salads that are paired with rich or fatty ingredients that it can sop up and counterbalance. 
• Try it: Poached Egg with Frisée and Arugula Salad 

A favorite in French bistros, this member of the endive family is slightly milder than its Belgian cousin and has frilly, curled leaves tinted with yellow and green. Its slightly bitter, sharp and peppery flavor makes it an excellent companion to richer ingredients like bacon and egg. 

• Also known as: leaf lettuce, loose-leaf lettuce 
• Use it in: Wash and handle tenderly to avoid bruising; then use for lettuce cups with bold ingredients or toss with more assertive greens for side salads. 
• Try it: Spicy, Crunchy Tuna Salad Lettuce Cups 

Spot this guy by its delicate leaves coming out of a single stalk, rather than a head (handle with care, the leaves bruise easily). With a buttery taste, mild sweetness and subtle hint of earthiness, the experts over at lettuceinfo.com say that this member of the asteraceae family makes a great substitute for romaine and plays nicely with other lettuces in salads blends, too. Top tip: Don’t dress green leaf until just before serving to keep the leaves crunchy. 

• Also known as: crisphead 
• Use it in: Enjoy iceberg lettuce sliced in wedges for a classic wedge salad; sauteed with oyster sauce and sesame oil and added to Asian-inspired stir-fries; shredded and added to sandwiches for extra crunch 
• Try it: Greek Wedge Salad; Warm Sesame Noodle Salad 

Crisp, juicy and refreshing with the mild and neutral taste of spring water, this dense head of lettuce is the go-to if you want your greens to stay crunchy in the fridge for a while (hey, no judgment). Unwashed iceberg lettuce that’s stored in a plastic bag will keep two weeks in the refrigerator—twice as long as most other types of lettuce. It’s a classic component of the wedge salad, but can also be shredded into fine strips (aka shredduce) and added to sandwiches or burgers.

• Also known as: baby gem, Sucrine, Sugar Cos 
• Use it in: Cut lettuce heads in half and toss on the grill for a nice char, and then serve with blue cheese or an herbaceous ranch dressing; for a less fussy side, simply serve raw with a dressing of your choice. 
• Try it: Little Gem Salad with Dilly Ranch Dressing 

If you’ve ever seen this type of lettuce on a restaurant menu and wondered what, exactly, Little Gem is (me too), here’s the answer: It’s an heirloom varietal made by cross-breeding romaine and butterhead lettuce. The crisp, sweet leaves, which come in small heads that are ready to be tossed into salads once separated, boast a mild, grassy flavor with just a hint of nuttiness. This one can be tough to track down in grocery stores, so check for it at the farmers market.

• Also known as: lamb’s lettuce, cornsalad 
• Use it in: Serve as a fresh side salad with yogurt sauce when pairing with rich meats (like lamb) or dress with oil and vinegar and toss with any ingredients of your choice. 
• Try it: Lamb’s Lettuce Salad with Feta and Tomatoes 

Also known as lamb’s lettuce, mâche has dark green leaves in bunches of four or five attached to one root. With a sweet and creamy flavor that boasts a mild nuttiness and hint of tang, this type of lettuce is lovely served on its own and lightly dressed with oil and vinegar. In France, it’s often paired with beets.

• Also known as: spring mix, baby lettuce mix 
• Use it in: Serve with a zingy or boldly flavored dressing that can really bring this lettuce mix shine. 
• Try it: Simple Green Salad 

Technically not a type of lettuce so much as a mix of baby lettuce leaves, mesclun is usually packaged and sold as “spring mix” (even though, yeah, you can buy it year-round). TBH, I think of this one as a last-resort salad base because it’s pretty plain, but it can be a good way to showcase a punchy dressing. As for its flavor profile, mesclun really runs the gamut on account of the fact that it’s a lettuce blend; generally speaking, you can expect a balanced mix of subdued peppery notes and mild sweetness.

• Also known as: red chicory, Italian chicory 
• Use it in: Coarsely chop and add to soups, stews and pasta dishes for a milder flavor; serve raw in a bitter greens salad with a creamy dressing and other ingredients that balance the bitterness. 
• Try it: White Bean Stew with Marinated Radicchio; Pork Scallopini with Lemon, Capers and Radicchio; Radicchio, Lentil and Apple Salad with Vegan Cashew Dressing; Bitter Greens Salad with Herby Ranch dressing; Purple Salad 

Pronounced “ruh-DEE-kee-yo” or “ruh-DIK-ee-yo,” this bitter type of lettuce (which is related to endive) also goes by red chicory and is easy to spot from its vibrant purple color. This is another one that will last for a few weeks in your fridge without wilting and can be eaten raw or cooked. It’s also best when tossed with other lettuce in a salad blend—namely because its sharp, bitter and more aggressive flavor makes it a good candidate for playing well with other milder-tasting lettuce—or served grilled or wilted into pastas and stews if you prefer.

• Also known as: leaf lettuce, loose-leaf lettuce 
• Use it in: Chop and add to any type of salad for a pop of color or trim leaves from the head to use as lettuce cups for a wide range of fillings 
• Try it: Ultimate Dinner Salad 

Red leaf lettuce is actually just like its green sibling, but with pretty red tips that make it an excellent choice for your Insta-worthy dinner party salad. (It has the same mild and buttery taste as green leaf and can be used interchangeably.)

• Also known as: cos lettuce 
• Use it in: Chop and use as a base for Caesar or Cobb salad; add to sandwiches for a pleasant crunch; roast or grill it for an elegant side dish 
• Try it: One-Pan Roasted Salmon with Potatoes and Romaine; Fall Cobb Salad with Maple Vinaigrette 

With long and stiff leaves and a mild and slightly bittersweet flavor, you likely know Romaine best in a classic Caesar salad. But that sturdy texture means it can withstand heat, so it’s also delicious when grilled or roasted.

• Also known as: cress, curly cress 
• Use it in: Serve lightly dressed alongside rich dishes like eggs benedict, quiche or salmon 
• Try it: Spring Panzanella Salad 

Watercress features delicate, dark green leaves with tough stems that can be bitter. Its small leaves, however, are bright and peppery with a mustard-like flavor, so it pairs beautifully with rich flavors (such as salmon or eggs). Look for it at farmers markets in the springtime and don’t be surprised to find it sold with its roots intact; expert sources at FoodPrint, a non-profit organization dedicated to research and education on food production practices, say that this is because watercress tends to wilt quickly, which means you’re going to want to make use of it within a day or two of buying it (or you can attempt to prolong its life by storing it in a mug filled with a couple inches of water).