Butterhead Lettuce (Everything You Need To Know )

If you’re looking for a delicious, nutritious, and versatile leafy green to add to your diet, look no further than butterhead lettuce.

This cold-weather crop is an excellent source of fiber, vitamins A and C, and beta carotene. Plus, it’s easy to prepare and use in various dishes. 

Read on to learn more about butterhead lettuce and discover some tasty recipes!

Butterhead Lettuce

Butterhead lettuce is a type of lettuce with a soft texture and a mild flavor. It is named for its butter-like shape. 

This lettuce is mostly used in salads. It is soft and usually has a creamy texture. 

This green veggie can be harvested early for Butterhead salad or later for Butter leaf lettuce. 

Butterhead lettuce is available in both red and green varieties. The Butterhead lettuce is also referred to as Boston, Buttercrunch, and Butter.

This lettuce has a mild flavor and is perfect for making salads or eating plain, out of hand. 

It is available year-round but peaks in the summer months from May through September.

What does Butterhead Lettuce look like? 

Butterhead Lettuce looks similar to the iceberg but has tighter leaves that are more yellowish-green in color, with a milder flavor.

Butterhead Lettuce types have large, loosely formed heads of pale green leaves surrounding tiny, crisp whitish hearts. 

You should use Butterhead lettuce within one day because they do not keep well after harvesting. 

Butterhead Lettuce tastes excellent when it’s fresh – Use them as soon as possible! 

When you first get Butterhead Lettuce home, remove it from its bag and store the unwashed Butter Head Lettuce in a plastic storage bag with a paper towel to absorb moisture. 

Before Cutting Butter Head lettuce, soak it in cold water for half an hour and drain thoroughly.

Varieties of Butterhead Lettuce 

Butterhead lettuce is head lettuce with a smooth, buttery texture. There are three main types of butterhead lettuce: 

• – Bibb lettuce
• – Boston lettuce
• – Butter lettuce

Butterhead lettuce is sometimes called butter lettuce, but Butter lettuce refers explicitly to the Crisphead type. 

The Butterhead Lettuce can also be called Butter lettuce or Bibb Lettuce. Its varieties are considered exceptionally high-end, with Boston Butter even more expensive than the Bibb variety. 

The three types of butterhead lettuce are often confused because they are all similar in shape, coloration, and use. 

However, there are some distinctive differences between them. 

The main difference is that sets these types of butterhead lettuces apart from other leafy greens is their tenderness compared to crisphead lettuces.

Butterhead lettuces are soft and buttery, making them great for use in sandwiches, salads, and other recipes.

This green Lettuce gives a smooth texture to all the dishes it is used in, making it perfect for use on its own or as an ingredient. 

 The butterhead lettuce can also be blended with crunchier types of lettuce for the enhanced taste to enhance the flavor of foods. 

Its sweet flavor and tender texture make it famous for salads and sandwiches.

Bibb lettuce has a more robust flavor than Butterhead (Boston)  lettuce. Making it an excellent choice for use in Cobb Salad with Blue Cheese Dressing.

Butterhead Lettuce Nutrition Facts

Butterhead lettuces are higher in nutrition value than most other lettuces. They contain moderate amounts of folic acid, iron, fiber, potassium, and vitamin A (in the form of carotenoids), as well as sizable amounts of calcium and niacin. 

Most butterhead varieties have less folate than Iceberg, though Butterhead lettuces have more niacin. 

Butterhead lettuce is also very high in vitamin K, containing more than Iceberg and Romaine. 

In the Kitchen, Butterheads are generally milder in flavor than most other types of lettuce. Also, Bibb and Boston have a lighter taste than Buttercrunch lettuces.

Butterhead benefits carotenoid antioxidants such as beta carotene, which can help prevent eye diseases. The leaves are low in calories and balanced with a healthy dose of fiber. Because of these factors and others, the butterhead is a popular component in most diets.

Recipes of Butterhead Lettuce:

Butterhead lettuce is a type of lettuce that has a smooth buttery texture. It’s perfect for salads and wraps. Here are some recipes for butterhead lettuce:

1. Butterhead Lettuce and Bacon Wrap
2. Butterhead Lettuce Salad with Raspberry Vinaigrette
3. Butterhead Lettuce Soup Recipe

Butterhead Lettuce and Bacon Wrap:

Ingredients:

• One head Butterhead Lettuce
• 1/2 cup cooked bacon, chopped
• 1/4 cup crumbled blue cheese
• 1/4 cup ranch dressing

Directions:

1. Remove the leaves from the Butterhead Lettuce and discard the stem.
2. In a mixing bowl, combine the cooked bacon, blue cheese, and ranch dressing.
3. Spoon the mixture into the center of each Butterhead lettuce leaf.
4. Wrap the leaves around the filling and serve immediately.

Butterhead Lettuce Salad with Raspberry Vinaigrette

Ingredients:

•  1/2 pound Butterhead Lettuce, washed and dried
•  1/4 cup raspberries, washed
•  2 tablespoons olive oil
•  2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
•  1 tablespoon honey
•  salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Instructions:

1. Combine the raspberries, olive oil, white wine vinegar, honey, salt, and pepper in a small bowl. Set aside.
2. Tear the Butterhead Lettuce into bite-sized pieces and place in a large serving bowl.
3. Pour the raspberry dressing over the Butterhead Lettuce and toss to coat. Serve immediately.

Butterhead Lettuce Soup Recipe

Ingredients:

• One tablespoon olive oil
• One white onion, diced
• One garlic clove, minced
• 4 cups chicken or vegetable stock
• 3-4 cups chopped butterhead lettuce
• salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions:

1. In a large pot or Dutch oven, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Now put onion and garlic and let it cook until softened, for about 5 mins.
2. Add the stock and bring it to a boil. To taste, add the butterhead lettuce and cook until wilted, about 2 minutes—season with salt and pepper. Serve warm.

Conclusion:

Butterhead Lettuce is one of the most popular lettuce varieties because it has an excellent crunchy and subtle flavor.

The leaves are slightly thicker than other varieties.  But still very tender, which makes Butterhead Lettuce perfect for salads or wraps! If you’re looking for some recipes to try out with your Butterhead Lettuce, check out our blog post on ways to use this delicious vegetable in meals here.

You can also get more information about all things related to butterhead lettuce by checking our blog posts about Butterhead lettuce!