Lettuce has always been the staple of salad recipes, given that they are versatile and crisp. However, today we are discussing a type of lettuce in Singapore that is also a household name to many.
Nope, it’s not iceberg lettuce; nor is it romaine lettuce! That’s right – it’s butterhead lettuce!
Crisp, refreshing, sweet, and buttery, this gorgeous lettuce is all of the things and hits all of the spots. Butterhead lettuce is one of those underrated, overlooked ingredients that feels completely ignored. Let me just correct that mindset for you!
Butterhead lettuce may seem totally overlooked but did you know that it’s actually one of the priciest lettuce out there (along with romaine lettuce)? It feels completely luxurious – it’s called butterhead lettuce – and that we highly recommend incorporating into your everyday.
You might be asking: How can I have iceberg lettuce that often?
It’s understood that lettuces, regardless of the variety, are repulsive to many because it’s claimed to be watery and bland. However, I can assure you that with this butterhead lettuce recipe, your perception of these leafy greens will change!
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The Perfect Filling Butterhead Lettuce Recipe for Every Occasion.
This particular salad recipe was actually created with the goal to make an average butterhead lettuce salad more filling and satiating. Tuna flakes are added to this salad recipe for their complementary taste and flavor to the overall dish.
What’s more; tuna is a great source of vitamin B6 and protein, which both are needed for the promotion of good neurological functions and brain health.
Shallots are added to the dish too, to provide depth and sharpness to the naturally bland profile of a salad bowl. But that’s not all; shallots are also high in vitamin C and other flavonoid and phenol antioxidants that can help fight off oxidative stress and slow down the growth of cancerous cells!
Finally, our main star of the recipe – butterhead lettuce. This leafy green is one of our favorite salad lettuces, so making the swap with iceberg lettuce is a no-brainer. That delicate, rich sweetness is why we love it so much for this salad – it makes for a perfect complement to all of the sharp, savory things that get tossed into this salad recipe!
Butterhead Lettuce Wrap with Tuna Flakes: Key Ingredients
As expected, salad recipes are simple to make, using minimal ingredients which you could find easily at your local market in Singapore. That’s not all; what makes this salad recipe different from your average is the yellow sauce – the mustard dressing! (We will cover that later)
Here are the main stars of the recipe:
- Butterhead Lettuce
- Tuna Flakes
Creamy Mustard Dressing Ingredients
Almost every salad recipe comes with a section about how to make the salad dressing because let’s be honest – a salad just wouldn’t be complete without a dressing that complements the salad.
In this case, the salad dressing which we are going with is a creamy mustard dressing.
You might be thinking – why is it creamy?
To find out why we are turning this dressing into a creamy one, we should review what’s inside the creamy mustard dressing!
- English Mustard Sauce: We all know the health benefits of English mustard. Being one of the most potent condiments in your pantry, English mustard gives the salad a spicy and vinegary depth that could just make you savor every bite!
- Greek yogurt: Apart from considering whether Greek yogurt is good for you, much consideration was also given to its taste profile – creaminess, tang, and also its viscosity. By combining Greek yogurt with English mustard, not only does the heat get taken away slightly from the mustard, but the overall dressing gets more “body”.
- White Wine Vinegar: We all know an “acid” component is necessary to be added to salad dressings. This is done so as to cut through the richness of the Greek yogurt. There are also health benefits to white wine vinegar which made me choose this “acid” over the rest.
How to Make Butterhead Lettuce Wrap with Tuna Flakes
Firstly, let’s get started with this salad recipe by making the mustard dressing – combine the wet ingredients needed and set aside.
What I’d recommend you to do next would be to slice and chop some of the complementary ingredients, such as the cherry tomatoes, shallots, and spring onions.
The cutting methods for these ingredients differ; slice cherry tomatoes into halves and finely chop and dice the shallots and spring onions.
After that, remove the lettuce leaves from the stem and give each leaf a good rinse under running water. Then plate the butterhead lettuces nicely in a circular pattern on a plate, sprinkling the finely chopped shallots and cherry tomatoes all over the leafy greens.
By plating the butterhead lettuces in that manner, you’d have left an empty spot in the middle where you could place the tuna chunks or flakes! Right on top of the tuna flakes is where the finely chopped spring onions will be placed!
Using the creamy mustard dressing, lightly drizzle it all over the salad and here we go – a colorful and appetizing salad recipe!
This salad recipe encapsulates all of the freshness and crispness of the ingredients used, which sets itself apart from the average. Full of vitamins and minerals; but most importantly protein, this salad recipe is definitely recommended to be taken more often than normal!
Butterhead Lettuce Wrap with Tuna Flakes Recipe
This recipe isn’t your usual bland and boring salad bowl. This salad recipe is anything but – having hearty, crunchy, heaty, and satisfying elements that add to your taste palate.
In fact, this salad has become our go-to lettuce recipe because of its great combination of flavors and contrasting textures to elevate a flat usual salad that even kids can’t stop eating! Here’s how you do it:
Total time: 10 mins
Diet: High protein and healthy fat diet
Dry Ingredients
- 1 Butterhead Lettuce (bulb)
- 1 Medium-sized Shallot (finely chopped)
- 1 Stalk Spring Onion (finely chopped)
- 10 Cherry Tomatoes (halved)
- 60g Tuna Flakes
Wet Ingredients
- English Mustard (1 tsp)
- Greek Yogurt (1 tbsp)
- White Wine Vinegar (1/2 tsp)
Instructions
- Mix the wet ingredients together in a small bowl to form a creamy mustard dressing. Set aside.
- After which, finely chop and dice 1 medium-sized shallot and 1 stalk of spring onion. These will be used for the sprinkling process later on!
- Slice the cherry tomatoes into halves as well for a better presentation!
- Next, remove the butterhead lettuce leaves from the stem and transfer them to a colander.
- Here comes the washing process: rinse the lettuces under running water to remove the dirt and impurities. Then dry them using a salad spinner to remove excess moisture and water. Note: Use paper towels to pat dry if there’s no salad spinner at home!
- Once the lettuces are dried, plate them nicely on a plate in a circular pattern and transfer the tuna flakes over to the plate, placing them in the middle of all the lettuces
- Sprinkle the chopped shallots and halved cherry tomatoes all over the butterhead lettuces.
- For the chopped spring onions, place them on top of the tuna flakes to give a high contrasting color palette.
- Finally, using a spoon of any size, drizzle the creamy mustard dressing over the salad.
- Serve!
Pao Food Medicine 