Grace Young's Stir-Fried Iceberg Lettuce Recipe on Food52 (2024)

One-Pot Wonders

by: Genius Recipes

April8,2014

4.5

4 Ratings

  • Serves 4

Jump to Recipe

Author Notes

A near-instant springy green vegetable before the springy greens. (And, yes, you can cook lettuce -- here's why you should.) Note: You can use this technique on many other vegetables in season, including romaine lettuce, spinach, watercress, baby bok choy, asparagus (fat spears sliced 1/4-inch thick on the bias; pencil spears in 2-inch lengths), snow peas and snap peas. Adapted slightly from The Wisdom of the Chinese Kitchen (Simon & Schuster, 1999) and Saveur MagazineGenius Recipes

  • Test Kitchen-Approved

What You'll Need

Ingredients
  • 1 teaspoonsoy sauce
  • 1 teaspoonsesame oil
  • 1 teaspoonrice wine or dry sherry
  • 3/4 teaspoonsugar
  • 1/2 teaspoonfreshly ground white or black pepper
  • 1 1/2 tablespoonspeanut oil or other neutral oil
  • 4 scallions, cut on the diagonal into 1-inch pieces
  • 3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced or smashed
  • 1/2 medium head iceberg lettuce, cored, outermost leaves discarded, inner leaves torn into 4-inch wide pieces (or substitute 12 ounces of other greens -- see headnote)
  • Kosher salt, to taste
Directions
  1. In a small bowl, combine soy sauce, sesame oil, rice wine or sherry, sugar, and pepper; set sauce aside.
  2. Heat a wok or 12-inch skillet over high heat. Add peanut oil, half of the scallions (including all of the white and light green pieces), and garlic and cook until garlic is golden, about 5 seconds. Add lettuce and stir-fry until lettuce softens slightly, about 1 minute. Drizzle in sauce and cook until lettuce is just coated with the sauce, about 1 minute. Season with salt, divide between 4 bowls while lettuce is just tender and still bright green, and garnish with remaining scallions.

Tags:

  • American
  • Lettuce
  • Sesame Oil
  • Sherry
  • Soy Sauce
  • Vegetable
  • Green Onion/Scallion
  • One-Pot Wonders
  • Stir-Fry
  • Fall
  • Summer
  • Winter

See what other Food52ers are saying.

  • Sugartoast

  • drbabs

  • Winniecooks

  • AntoniaJames

  • student epicure

Recipe by: Genius Recipes

Popular on Food52

11 Reviews

jeacooking February 13, 2023

I read several other recipes for stir fried iceberg lettuce before selecting this one because of the simple dressing. However, I was surprised it did not have fresh ginger in it which I noticed is in other recipes. So, I added a tablespoon of grated fresh ginger a minute before adding the lettuce and I doubled the dressing. It was a super nice side dish for some Asian-inspired chicken thighs. I will make it again, with the ginger, and a big pinch of red pepper flakes.

Hadley April 1, 2019

I made this yesterday-so easy and delicious. Had mine with a fried egg on top and rice.

FS September 19, 2018

I remember this dish from long, long ago. Thanks for featuring this recipe, it's a great one.

Sugartoast April 1, 2016

My mother made this all the time when I was little - it was homestyle cooking at its best. Thanks for reminding me of this dish!

drbabs December 21, 2014

I also added bok choy to the lettuce. What a fabulous recipe--I served it with foxeslovelemons' Spicy Orange-Ginger Chicken.

Winniecooks April 10, 2014

Gotta try this tonight. And, of course, there is nothing better than grilled romaine! Lettuce really can be a marvel!

AntoniaJames April 10, 2014

Made this last night. What a revelation! I had to hunt a bit for iceberg lettuce, as it doesn't seem to be in demand at the places I typically shop for produce. I added a dozen teeny tiny bok choy, sliced lengthwise. Served with the Genius fish (recipe posted last week), over my not-recipe quinoa, plus some roast carrots -- put in the oven to roast when I turned it on to heat it for the fish. Active time, all told, for the entire dinner: about 15 minutes, if that much. A keeper! ;o)

koc April 9, 2014

I just made this as written tonight for dinner and it was delicious! Excellent flavor!

barbara April 9, 2014

Love it! I omitted the sesame and peanut oils and replaced with just a tablespoon of grape seed oil. I know sesame would add great flavor, but I am cutting calories. Still awesome.

Barb168 April 9, 2014

Yummy! I was introduced to stir-fried lettuce when I lived with Chinese housemates, and it is delicious. Sometimes they also added fried eggs and chopped tomatoes to the lettuce (don't know the name of that dish, though).

student E. April 9, 2014

yum! i love stir-fried lettuce! i also make a version with fermented tofu and shaoxing wine.

Grace Young's Stir-Fried Iceberg Lettuce Recipe on Food52 (2024)

FAQs

How do you use a lot of iceberg lettuce? ›

It can be eaten as a salad, in sandwiches or wraps, or added to smoothies. Grilled: Grilling iceberg lettuce can add a nice smoky flavor and keep most of its nutritional value. Cut the lettuce into wedges and brush with a little olive oil and seasonings before grilling.

How do you use frozen lettuce? ›

Frozen lettuce has its place in the kitchen. You can add it to soup or stock, quiche, casseroles, and stir fries. You can substitute frozen lettuce in any recipe that calls for spinach. Whole frozen lettuce leaves work well as wraps; thaw them in the refrigerator overnight before using.

What to do with lettuce? ›

Lettuce recipes
  1. Chicken caesar salad.
  2. Charred lettuce with ranch dressing.
  3. Pork and lemongrass meatballs in lettuce cups.
  4. Wedge salad with blue cheese dressing.
  5. Coronation chicken.
  6. Niçoise salad.
  7. Sweet potato burgers.
  8. Jerk chicken skewers with mango salad.

How do you make iceberg lettuce taste better? ›

Iceberg lettuce needs to be part of a salad to taste good, so, add chopped tomatoes, cucumber, red onion, spring onion, radishes, plenty of lemon juice and good quality olive oil. Some mayonnaise and/or chopped hard boiled eggs will make it a super salad…

Is too much iceberg lettuce bad for you? ›

As iceberg lettuce is mostly made up of water, harm to your health can only be caused if you consume a lot of it. Excessive consumption of this vegetable can lead to carotenodermia as it contains beta-carotene.

How do you defrost lettuce without it getting soggy? ›

However, you'll want to defrost the lettuce in a bowl or container as leaving it directly on the worktop will cause a mess since there'll be a lot of excess water from thawed lettuce. Even if you don't use all the lettuce after you have defrosted it, you'll be able to keep it in the fridge for about seven days.

What can I do with frozen lettuce in the fridge? ›

The nature of the lettuce has changed, but it's not inedible. Try adding it to an omelet, soup, or stir-fry.

Does freezing lettuce keep it fresh? ›

Fresh lettuce can be stored in the freezer for up to 6 months. This tip works best with sturdy-leafed greens, such as romaine and butterhead. Wash and dry the lettuce, separate the leaves from the head, and freeze in airtight bags.

Can lettuce be cooked and eaten? ›

it is safe to eat cooked lettuce leaves, as cooking can help reduce the risk of foodborne illness. However, it is important to ensure that the lettuce is thoroughly washed and properly cooked to minimize the risk of contamination.

What not to store with lettuce? ›

Separate Ethylene Producers and Ethylene Sensitive Produce
Ethylene ProducersEthylene Sensitive
Peaches and NectarinesLeafy Greens
PeppersLettuce
PotatoesOnions
TomatoesSquash
7 more rows
Aug 5, 2022

Can you freeze iceberg lettuce? ›

Certain types of lettuce, such as iceberg lettuce, do not freeze well because they have a thinner leaf and a high water content. Not to mention, other types of darker lettuce are much higher in nutrients than iceberg lettuce.

What can I do with a bag of lettuce? ›

Crisp it Up

Dunk it in an ice bath for 10-20 minutes, and then drain and pat dry or spin it in a salad spinner to dry out the lettuce. The bagged lettuce will absorb extra moisture, and be more toothsome in every bite. This works with add-ins as well, including cabbage, radish, carrot, and more.

What can I do with lettuce besides salad? ›

9 ways to use lettuce other than in salads
  1. 01/10Interesting lettuce recipes. Think of lettuce leaves and the first thing that comes to mind is-'salad'. ...
  2. 02/10Wrap. ...
  3. 03/10Lettuce cups. ...
  4. 04/10Spring roll. ...
  5. 05/10Sautéed. ...
  6. 06/10Soup. ...
  7. 07/10Juice/Smoothie. ...
  8. 08/10Grilled lettuce platter.
Mar 21, 2018

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