This commonly found lettuce is not only a great choice because it lasts a bit of time in the fridge but it also adds a refreshing crunch and mild flavor to your dishes.
Iceberg lettuce has had a reputation of being just blah but it is far from it. This crispy and refreshing round goodness has a delightful mild sweetness underneath its moist crunch. The inner yellower leaver and getting closer to its core you can detect a slight bitterness that makes it more complex.
As the inner leaves grow, they fold and turn onto themselves creating a perfect labyrinth for dressing and other goodness to cradle. Iceberg's structural firmness is what helps this lettuce retain its crunchiness even under extreme conditions.
Despite its reputation for bringing zero to your nutritional intake, iceberg lettuce does provide some amounts of vitamins A, K and C, calcium, magnesium and folate which is a B vitamin specially important during pregnancy.
Since iceberg lettuce has a high-water content is perfectly refreshing during the hot summer months. One of my favorite ways to use iceberg lettuce is for making lettuce cups as the hardiness of the leaves make for a perfect cup. I slice it into soups for another level of texture and sweetness. Perfect addition to eggrolls and wraps for an additional unexpected crunch.
One of my go-to easy iceberg salads combines quinoa, colorful veggies, dill and lemon for a refreshing vegan lunch or side dish.
Iceberg and Quinoa Salad
1/2 large iceberg lettuce torn onto bite size pieces
1 1/2 cup of cooled cooked quinoa – I season it with seasoned salt, garlic powder and turmeric when cooking.
1 cup finely sliced red cabbage
1 Persian cucumber thinly sliced
1/2 small red onion thinly sliced
1 cup shredded carrot
1/4 cup lightly packed fresh dill weed
4 red radishes sliced thing
Dressing
3 Tbs white balsamic vinegar
5 Tbs extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp agave nectar
1 tsp whole grain mustard
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp paprika
Salt and pepper to taste.
Instructions
In a screw top jar add all of the dressing ingredients together and shake until well combined.
Add all of the veggies into a large bowl and toss to combine.
Drizzle dressing and toss well (I used half of the dressing and save the rest for another use). Let it sit for about 20-30 minutes tossing a few times before serving.
Serve at room temperature with fresh bread or warm pita bread.
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