Roast Your Lettuce For A Salad Upgrade That Sounds Weird But Works Great

Lettuce is one of the most common ingredients in salads. Thanks to its crispy texture and mild flavor, it's the perfect canvas for the rest of the ingredients to stand on. While you absolutely don't need lettuce to make a salad, it's an undeniable staple for the classics. If you're in the mood to switch things up, Helene Henderson, chef and owner of Malibu Farm New York, gave us an exclusive tip on how to upgrade your lettuce salad — roasting the lettuce first.

The best part is you can do this in your oven. "To roast lettuce in the oven, I preheat a skillet with a little oil then add the lettuce cut side down and transfer the whole pan to a 375 degree Fahrenheit oven for just a few minutes. This gives the edges a light char while keeping the interior crisp-tender."

Not only is this the perfect way to give your salad a unique, smoky flavor, but any charred pieces will add a layer of crunchy texture. Roasting (or grilling) lettuce requires little time, but Henderson warned us not to over-do it. "When you roast in the oven too long, the lettuce can quickly turn to mush which isn't ideal."

Not every type of lettuce roasts well, so luckily Henderson gave us her expertise on which kind to use. "You want sturdy lettuce that can hold shape and texture under heat, like romaine, iceberg, and radicchio. These varieties roast pretty well without turning to mush." Roasting radicchio is also a great way to tame any overly bitter notes, bringing out more of its sweetness. Whichever type of lettuce you roast, always make sure it's completely dry since any extra moisture will make things soggy.

Henderson also shared a few seasonal salad ideas to pair with charred lettuce. "A BBQ romaine salad with salsa dressing is a summer favorite (you'll find it in the first Malibu Farm cookbook). Charred iceberg lettuce with ranch or grilled radicchio with burrata and purple plums are also go-tos in warm weather." If you're wanting to add a unique twist to one of the classics, roast the romaine lettuce in your next Caesar salad or char some iceberg lettuce before adding it to a taco salad. Whichever dish you pick, it'll get the best crunchy, charred upgrade.