The greatest thing about a decent sandwich is the combination of textures and flavors. Whether it is the soft bread, the salty tang of the pork or turkey, or the fruitiness of the tomato. There are so many things to enjoy in a good sandwich, but one of the most often overlooked ingredients is the lettuce.
Getting the right lettuce for your sandwich is always difficult. It’ll need to have that crunchy freshness and really add some bite to your sandwich and you really won’t want it to be limp and flavorless.
Well, there are many different types of lettuce that are available and which one you choose will depend on your preference. So, we’ve done some of the trawling through the internet, so that you don’t have to. So ‘lettuce’ take a look at some of the best leaves for your sandwich.
Iceberg Lettuce
I think we can all agree that iceberg lettuce is one of the best lettuce for your sandwich. Not only does it have that cold and crispy crunch, but it has a subtle trace of flavor that will be a great counterpoint to any meat like turkey or salted pork.
This comes in various sizes and shapes, which is great if you are looking for decent lettuce for a larger sandwich like a sub.
Artisan Lettuce
If you are looking for a little luxury in your sandwich, then you can’t go wrong with artisan lettuce. This is generally much smaller than other varieties of lettuce and it comes with a smaller head with leaves that are very loose and open.
This leaf is also a great source of vitamins, which is perfect if you are looking to boost your immune system or fight off colds and infections. Artisan lettuce is full of vitamin C and iron, both of which are great for building bones and repairing muscle tissue.
Romaine Lettuce
This is a very durable lettuce leaf, which is great if you are going to be stuffing your sandwiches with it for a long journey. This will retain their crunch, even after you have slathered them in butter or mayonnaise.
You can even use one of these leaves as a substitute for bread, which is very useful if you are gluten intolerant, or you are just trying to shred those precious few calories. This is a very tasty lettuce leaf, having a hint of bitterness that the other lettuces don’t have.
Loose-Leaf Lettuce
This is a slightly looser lettuce that you might find more commonly in salads, but if you are not a fan of crunch in your sandwiches, then you can always use them for filling. If you have very crusty bread, then having a softer leaf like this will create a much more diverse texture palate.
You’ll need to make sure that you consume loose-leaf lettuce very quickly, as it won’t hold its integrity when you are keeping them in the fridge. It will also break up when you put mayonnaise and butter on them, so make sure you wolf them down quickly.
Arugula Lettuce
Now if you want to add some taste to your sandwich without having to slather it with sauces and seasonings, then you can add some peppery arugula leaf. This has the stronger flavor of any of the salad leaves that we have on this list and goes perfectly with milder fillings like cheese and onion.
This leaf is spicy and not usually sold as a head, rather coming in a bag of mixed leaves. You can have this in a salad with milder leaves, so there’s no reason why you can’t have a similar blend of lettuce in your sandwich.
Can You Swap Out Bread For Lettuce?
Yes, you can switch out your bread for lettuce, although you’ll have to make sure that the lettuce is sturdy enough to hold the entire contents of your sandwich. You’ll also need plenty of leaves which will help you to support the weight of your fillings.
We would recommend that you use iceberg or romaine lettuce in place of bread, as they have a hard stalk that will better hold your sandwich together. You can wrap anything in lettuce, including cold meats, cheese and other vegetables.
One of the main reasons why you might want to exchange bread for lettuce is if you are gluten intolerant. Bread is also very high in calories and carbs, so if you are trying to cut down, then you might opt for lettuce instead.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why Do We Put Lettuce In Sandwiches?
There are a few reasons for this, one of the main ones being texture. Lettuce will often give a sandwich that little bit of crunch to counter the soft bread. It also enhances the nutrient level of the sandwich.
What Nutrients Are In Lettuce?
You can find lots of vitamins in lettuce, including vitamin K, vitamin C, calcium and iron.
Conclusion
We hope that our guide to the best lettuce for a sandwich has given you some inspiration for your next green-leafed salad filling.
Have you ever made something so delicious that you wished you could savor it forever?
Only to find that the recipe has now mysteriously vanished from your phone and the entirety of the internet. Yep, there’s not much more painful than that.
Hi, my name is Mark Williams and I have been infatuated with cooking since I was young. I would beg my mother to pull a chair up to the counter so I could watch what she was doing.
