20 Types of Lettuce To Elevate Your Salads and Meals

• Group: Butterhead

Bibb lettuce, aka limestone or Boston bibb, is a variety of butterhead lettuce. These lettuces can be characterized as head lettuces with soft leaves similar to butter.

Compared to other types of butterhead lettuce, such as mignonette and buttercrunch, bibb is the most expensive and is usually sold wrapped in a plastic container to protect the soft leaves.

The characteristics of butter come from the soft and delicate texture of bibb lettuce, not their taste. They have a mild flavor and are lighter in color. You can use them in salads or as a wrap.

• Group: Looseleaf

Lollo bionda is a popular variety of coral lettuce that has a bright green color and an appealing appearance. They come in an open rosette with deeply engraved, soft leaves.

They have a bold, bitter, and earthy flavor that goes well with different varieties of lettuce. It is a rich source of vitamins A, C, and E.

• Group: Crisphead

Also known as Reine de glance or igloo, iceberg lettuce belongs to the category of crisphead lettuces that have a round head made up of closely packed, crunchy, pale-green leaves. With its high water content and zero fat content, this lettuce makes an excellent addition to different meals.

This lettuce can be a great alternative food for people who eat less green vegetables, as it has a mild, sweet, and crunchy flavor. Their broad, cup-shaped leaves make an excellent wrap.

• Category: Romaine

Also known by the name sucrine or sugar cos, Little Gem is a small variety of romaine lettuce. This lettuce has a sweeter taste than most of the widely consumed lettuce. They are distinguished by a pale green color and a crispy center.

While they are packed with vitamins A, C, and K, this buttery lettuce is an excellent source of folate. 100g of little gem lettuce delivers 60mg of folate, which amounts to 30% of the recommended daily value.

• Category: Looseleaf

Red-leaf lettuce is a popular variety of loose-leaf lettuce. Although they look similar to romaine lettuce, they can be distinguished by the red or purple tint on the tip of their leaf. They have a light flavor and are very flexible, despite their crunchy stem. Their disorganized, tangled surface adds layers and beautiful color to the salad.

You might want to tear up the leaves into small pieces for salad. Try out a vegetarian salad recipe. Make a roasted cauliflower salad with leafy greens and red-leaf lettuce. The salad turns out to be vibrant and nutritional at the same time.

• Category: Butterhead

The name oakleaf is derived from the similar shape of oakleaf lettuce and oak tree. Without close attention, one might mistake oak leaf lettuce for red leaf and green loose leaf lettuce.

However, a close view is enough to clear up the difference. Oakleaf lettuce has shorter and more crouched leaves than the above two lettuces.

Furthermore, the tips of their leaves are soft. They have a mild, slightly bitter, and nutty flavor. Red oakleaf lettuce carries the highest amount of iron compared to other lettuces. Iron-rich food supports body functions in many ways.

• Category: Romaine

Cos lettuce, or romaine lettuce, is a nutritious food due to its high water volume and low-calorie content. It is the most popular lettuce used in salads. They have a large leaf that is stiffer than most other lettuce, and a central rib provides actual crunch. The ribs have a slight bitter taste.

Considering its nutritional profile, it is a highly rich source of vitamin A in the form of beta-carotene and carotenes, vitamin K, folate, and molybdenum. Beta-carotene health benefits cover the eyes, immune system, skin, mucus membranes, and other parts of the body.

• Category: Butterhead

Speckled lettuce is a legacy of Dutch lettuce. It is a combination of a green butterhead and the German Forellenschluss, commonly known as trout-back romaine. Speckled lettuce is known for its large rosettes that are round in shape and apple-green in color.

Their leaves are highly spattered with burgundy speckles, which can highlight the place. Red Speckled Boston lettuce is medium-large in shape with loose, wavy leaves. Their leaves are tender, and they possess a mild, sweet flavor.

• Category: Looseleaf

Celtuce or celery lettuce, asparagus lettuce, Chinese lettuce, or stalk lettuce are the types of stem lettuce that belong to the looseleaf category. This type of lettuce is easy to grow from the seeds. They are grown for their thick stems that are associated with asparagus, but they can also be consumed as leaf lettuce when small.

The leaves have a bitter taste like an escarole, but the stem has a nutty, cucumber-like taste. The leaves can be used in any salad or soup, like standard lettuce. However, the stem has to be peeled and can be stir-fried, braised, or cooked like a curry.

• Category: Looseleaf

Admirers of crisp, wanting to grow lettuce in a harsh, hot climate will surely become Batavia lettuce fans. Aka, French lettuce, or summer crisp lettuce, Batavia lettuce is known as the predecessor of iceberg lettuce. The leaves of this lettuce type are notably wrinkled. They may seem like regular loose-leaf lettuce, but close inspection highlights their dense core.

In terms of taste, they are truly sweet, without any bitterness. Batavia comes in different varieties, such as Muir, Fusion, and Cherokee. Their crisp texture and sweet flavor are ideal for any salad.

• Category: Romaine

The Little Ceaser lettuce is a tall romaine lettuce whose leaves are bright green on the outside and yellow on the inside. Their sweet, crunchy flavor makes them a popular sandwich or salad ingredient. This type of lettuce does not require much labor and can grow easily even in a small garden.

Little Caesar lettuce should be planted in early spring or in the fall. They grow best in a cool atmosphere. You can incorporate this lettuce into healthy vegetarian lunch recipes, such as strawberry salad dressing, bean burritos, and others.

• Category: Looseleaf

Another type of coral lettuce has curly and tangy leaves ranging from light green to deep maroon-red. They grow to small sizes and have a tight, compact rosette-shaped body. They are soft, crispy, and chewy, with a bitter and nutty flavor. They are also termed baby leaf varieties, which go well in any type of salad recipe.

They are easy to grow in the home garden. Lollo Rosso's close varieties are lollo biando, which is white or pale green in color, and lollo verde, which is mostly green in color.

• Category: Butterhead

Lamb's lettuce is known by different names in different countries. It is known as valeriana in Italy, corn salad in the USA, and macha in France. These lettuces have round, dark leaves with a notable tangy flavor.

The name lamb comes from the small leaves that look similar to a lamb's tongue. They are delicious greens that go well with carrots, red beets, tomatoes, nuts, and duck breasts.

• Category: Butterhead

Green mignonettes are another popular type of butterhead lettuce that has free, loose hearts of pale green leaves. They have soft leaves with minimal bitterness.

The term mignonette means 'small and sweet' in French. Just like other butterhead lettuces, they have delicate leaves, which is why they are found wrapped inside and contained in supermarkets and local stores.

• Category: Looseleaf

Black Seeded Simpson lettuce belongs to the group of looseleaf lettuce with big, vibrant green, curly, soft leaves. They have a crunchy taste that adds a delicate touch to sandwiches, salads, and burgers. This type of lettuce is popularly found in restaurants and commercial shops.

They are resistant to heat and cold climates and suitable for cultivation in any climate. They are easy to grow as long as enough water and soil nutrients are provided. They are a type of cut-and-come-again lettuce that grows again when you cut them.

• Category: Butterhead

Tom Thumb lettuce is a mini-sized bibb-type lettuce with amazing flavor. They are characterized by slightly savory, vibrant green lettuce with small, tight heads, crumpled leaves, and a delicious flavor. One head might suffice for a salad for two, but it is great for an individual salad.

Try making a cute, appealing salad with this mini lettuce. Begin by rinsing the head properly, then chop off the core from the end. Place the leaves properly on the plate and top it with some fruits, nuts, and dressing.

• Category: Looseleaf

Salad Bowl Lettuce is another variety of loose-leaf and cut-and-come-again lettuce. You may pluck individual leaves, and the lettuce will keep growing. They are available in two types: green and red. They have a crispy and tender texture with a mellow and sweet taste.

They are the perfect and most common lettuce type for home cultivation. The green ones have lime-green rosettes. They work well with salads, sandwiches, and wraps. Their leaf is similar to oak leaf lettuce. The leaves grow on a loose, free head compared to closely tightened heads of lettuce.

• Category: Butterhead

Marvel of the Four Seasons is a classic French butterhead variety. Also known as 'Merveille de Quatre Saisons,' these lettuces can survive in diverse climatic temperatures throughout the year with proper cultivation techniques. They have ruffled, deep ruby-red leaves covered by soft, juicy green hearts saturated with red.

These lettuces grow large with solid heads and hard, curly leaves. Harvests from spring to autumn are the best. This leaf of lettuce ranges in bronze, gold, red, and green.

• Category: Looseleaf

Green ice is a crispy and crunchy loose-leaf lettuce that grows well in hot weather. This variety of lettuce produces many curly, loose leaves that are deep to light green. Green ice lettuce can last well in the summer due to its heat-resistant capacity.

This lettuce is often used in fast-food burgers and salads. It has a plain taste and a refreshing crunch. Despite being low in nutrients as compared to other lettuce, they provide a significant amount of vitamin A and K. Vitamin A-rich food is essential for well-being in many ways.

• Category: Looseleaf

Red snail belongs to the category of red leaf lettuce, similar to lollo rossa, new red fire lettuce, redina lettuce, and others. They are loose-leaf lettuce that creates shining bronze-red, tousled, and extremely nodded leaves. They start slightly bitter, but once paired with other ingredients, they make a tasty salad.

They are highly heat-tolerant and can grow well in warm weather. Red snail provides a higher amount of vitamins A and C than store-bought lettuce.