What Is Boston lettuce and How Can I Use It?
Here's everything worth knowing about boston lettuce and how to pick it, what it is, how to store it, and what to use instead, plus 30 recipes to cook tonight.
Key Points
- Boston is a butterhead: soft, sweet, cup-shaped leaves that peel off into natural bowls.
- Tender leaves are made for lettuce wraps and gentle salads, not heavy dressings.
- Boston, Bibb, and butter lettuce are one type; they differ mainly in size.
- Dress lightly at the last moment; thick or acidic dressing wilts the leaves in minutes.
- Fragile and short-lived: keeps only three to five days unwashed in the crisper.
What is boston lettuce?
Boston lettuce is a butterhead: a loose, open head of soft, cup-shaped leaves that feel almost silky and taste faintly sweet.
It is the gentle one. Where iceberg snaps and romaine crunches, Boston gives way the moment you bite it. The leaves loosen from a pale yellow heart out to floppy green outer leaves, and they peel off whole in natural bowls.
That cupping shape is the reason this lettuce gets used the way it does.
Boston, Bibb, and butter lettuce are all the same type of butterhead. They differ mostly in size, so this page covers the type as a whole.
Putting Butterhead to Work
The tender leaves are made for lettuce wraps and cups. Spoon a warm, savory filling into each leaf and eat with your hands, the way Thai Lion's Head Meatballs uses them to wrap rich pork meatballs.
In salads, treat it gently. The leaves bruise and wilt under anything heavy, so reach for a light vinaigrette or a thin creamy dressing and toss at the very end.
It carries soft, sweet partners well in a Refreshing Cobb Salad or an Apple, Celery and Cranberry Salad with Creamy Lemon Vinaigrette.
Whole leaves also line a plate as a soft bed under seafood or a composed salad.
Pairing and Common Mistakes
Butterhead leans sweet and buttery, so it plays best with delicate things: avocado, fresh herbs, citrus, mild cheeses, shrimp, crab, and a gentle oil-based dressing.
Sharp, heavy dressings flatten it.
The common mistake is dressing it too soon. A thick or acidic dressing wilts these leaves in minutes, turning a pretty salad into a slumped one, so dress lightly and serve right away.
The second mistake is rough washing. Spinning butterhead too aggressively shreds the soft leaf edges, so swish it gently in cold water and spin on the lightest setting.
What to Use Instead
For wraps or cups, romaine hearts or the inner leaves of iceberg both stand in, trading softness for more crunch and a sturdier hold. They will not collapse around a warm filling the way butterhead does, but they carry more.
In a salad, red leaf or green leaf lettuce is the closest match for that soft, mild texture. Bibb lettuce is simply a smaller, sweeter butterhead and swaps in one for one.
Avoid iceberg as a salad substitute here. It gives you crunch and water but none of the sweet, yielding character that makes butterhead worth choosing.
Buying and Storing Boston Lettuce
Look for a head that feels light and loose with no slimy or blackened spots near the base. Limp outer leaves are normal and peel away; a slimy heart means it is past it.
Butterhead is fragile and short-lived. Stored unwashed in a loosely closed bag in the crisper, it holds three to five days, noticeably less than a dense iceberg head.
Do not wash until you are ready to use it, since trapped water speeds the rot. If the leaves go limp, a short soak in ice water revives them; see the parent lettuce page for the full crisping method.
Nutrition
Nutrition Facts
Serving Size 1 NLEA serving (85g)Quick facts
Where to find boston lettuce: Boston lettuce is usually found in the produce section or aisle of the grocery store or supermarket.
Food group: Boston lettuce is a member of the Vegetables and Vegetable Products US Department of Agriculture nutritional food group.
- In Chinese
- 波士顿生菜
- British (UK) term
- Boston lettuce
- en français
- laitue Boston
- en español
- boston lechuga
How much does boston lettuce weigh?
| Amount | Weight |
|---|---|
| 1 cup, shredded or chopped | 55 grams |
| 1 head (5" dia) | 163 grams |
| 1 leaf, large | 15 grams |
| 1 leaf, medium | 7 grams |
| 1 leaf, small | 5 grams |
| 1 NLEA serving | 85 grams |
Related
Vegetables and Vegetable Products
Recipes using boston lettuce
There are 30 recipes that contain this ingredient.
Cold Minted Pea Soup
Chilled minted pea soup with Boston lettuce and fresh mint, pureed silky and served cold. A vegetarian summer starter that takes 15 minutes on the stove.
Zesty Meatball Sandwiches- Crock Pot
Try something different for lunch with this scrumptious dish you can use to make amazing sandwiches.
Thai Lion's Head Meatballs
Ginger-spiked pork meatballs browned until golden, then simmered in curried coconut milk sauce and served on crisp lettuce with fresh basil and lemon zest. A Thai twist on the Chinese classic.
Refreshing Cobb Salad
Classic Cobb salad with chicken, bacon, avocado, egg, and Roquefort dressing. Composed salad with rows of colorful toppings over crisp lettuce, perfect for elegant lunches.
Bacalhau 'a Bras
A traditional Portuguese recipe. Salt cod (bacalhau) and potatoes fried to perfection. FANTASTIC!
Apple, Celery & Cranberry Salad with Creamy Lemon Vinaigrette
Crunchy sweet apples and savory celery with bits of sweet dried cranberry and toasted walnuts are tossed with a refreshing and tasty lemon dressing.
French Mushroom Salad
French mushroom salad a la Grecque with whole caps simmered in olive oil, white wine, tomato, coriander seeds, and thyme, then chilled and served cold.
Curry Chicken Salad
Tender chicken breast tossed with curry mayo, mango chutney, crunchy celery, and roasted nuts. A luncheon classic that's ready to chill and serve.
Grilled Salmon Sandwich
Grilled salmon sandwich on pumpernickel with a garlic-lemon-dill sauce, tarragon-seasoned fillets, Boston lettuce, and Roma tomatoes. Light, bright, and low calorie.
Scallops & Mussels with Mustard Vinaigrette
Bay scallops and steamed mussels tossed in a from-scratch Dijon mustard vinaigrette, served over asparagus and Boston lettuce. An elegant seafood appetizer or light main.
Giglio's Fruit Salad [T]
Fruit salad with plums, peaches, bananas, and grapes dressed in hot pepper-infused champagne and rice milk. A dairy-free salad with unexpected heat and elegance.
Scallops & Mussels with Vinaigrette
Scallops and mussels with Dijon mustard vinaigrette, served over al dente asparagus on a bed of Boston lettuce. Lemon-marinated bay scallops and steamed mussels in a herb-rich dressing.
Mushroom Salad
Mushroom salad tosses crisp iceberg and Boston lettuce with cucumbers, green beans, and raw sliced mushrooms in French dressing. Light, vegetarian, diabetic-friendly side.
Loaded Vegetable Shrimp Rolls
Loaded vegetable shrimp rolls baked until golden, packed with sweet shrimp, crisp mung bean sprouts and bright pineapple. A lighter, oven-baked take on the classic fried appetizer roll.
Warm Leftover Turkey, Pears, Veggies & Nuts Salad
Warm leftover turkey salad with browned pears, radicchio, fennel, walnuts, and sherry vinegar dressing. A low-carb, elegant way to use up Thanksgiving turkey.
Maude's Green Salad
Five-green salad with iceberg, Boston lettuce, romaine, chicory, and spinach, each dressed separately in Italian dressing and arranged in strips with Parmesan.
Fruit Salad with Dried Cherry Vinaigrette
Three-greens fruit salad with Granny Smith apple, orange, cashews, dried cherries, and a homemade dried cherry vinaigrette. Gluten-free and ready for spring.
Chinese Salad
Chinese salad with Bibb and Boston lettuce, napa cabbage, water chestnuts, bamboo shoots, and bean sprouts tossed in soy French dressing. Crisp and light.
Braised Lettuces
Braised lettuces with escarole, Belgian endive, and Boston lettuce seared golden then oven-braised with garlic, herbs, and white wine vinegar. Finished with a cream reduction sauce.
Crispy Wonton & Goat Cheese Salad
Crispy wonton stack with herbed goat cheese, mixed greens, hearts of palm, and cherry tomatoes tossed in Dijon vinaigrette. Restaurant-style composed salad starter.
Nuoc Cham with Shredded Carrots & Daikon
Nuoc cham with shredded carrots and daikon: the Vietnamese fish sauce-lime-chili dipping sauce with pickled carrot and daikon slaw, served with fresh herbs and lettuce wraps.
Curried Apple-Walnut Salad
Crisp apple and walnut salad with a light curry-lemon dressing served on Boston lettuce. A no-cook, refreshing side that mixes Red Delicious and Granny Smith for sweet-tart contrast.
Asparagus & Crabmeat Salad
Asparagus and crabmeat salad layers crisp-tender spears over butter lettuce, crowned with sweet lump crab folded into a tomato-Dijon mayonnaise. Elegant cold appetizer or light lunch that comes together in minutes with make-ahead dressing.
Fiskesalat Med Pepperrotsaus (Fish Salad with Horseradish Sauce)
Norwegian fish salad (fiskesalat) with cold boiled halibut in a creamy horseradish-sour cream-dill sauce, served on lettuce with sliced eggs and tomato wedges.
Pasta with Peas Asparagus Butter Lettuce & Prosciutto
Pasta with Peas Asparagus Butter Lettuce and Prosciutto recipe
Best Oysters Rockefeller
Classic Oysters Rockefeller baked on the half shell under a buttery spinach topping spiked with Pernod and anchovy, layered with crisp bacon and a browned breadcrumb crust. The New Orleans appetizer, done right at home.
Avocados with Roquefort
Ripe avocado halves stuffed with a bold Roquefort cheese, olive oil, and parsley mixture, garnished with sliced olives on a bed of Boston lettuce. A 5-minute French-inspired appetizer.
Achot (Garlicky Farmer's Cheese with Walnuts)
Armenian garlic cheese ball with farmer's cheese, walnuts, fresh dill and parsley, blended smooth and rolled in crunchy walnut pieces. A no-cook appetizer served with toasted pita.
