Learning how to shred lettuce like a master chef comes with a number of surprising and satisfying advantages.
Easy prep turns out a fresh, crunchy ingredient in just a few minutes. DIY shredded lettuce is usually more cost-efficient than bagged pre-shredded lettuce. Best of all, you get exactly what you want.
Whether you work with butterhead, romaine or baby iceberg lettuce, you enjoy the personal satisfaction and fun that comes from expanding your culinary skills.
Keep reading for insider tips on how to shred lettuce like a professional chef. You'll love our recipe ideas too.
Before You Shred: Lettuce Prep + Kitchen Pro Tips
Get Off to a Fresh Start
The best lettuce prep starts at the produce section. Take a close look before you buy. Pass on heads that show any signs of wilting or discoloration.
Pull back a few outer leaves, and take a sniff. Healthy lettuce has a pleasantly clean fragrance.
Kitchen Pro Tip: Make sure you're buying fresh produce supplied by trusted growers, like Hitchcock Farms.
Remove the Core
Removing the core from the lettuce head makes it much easier to shred the leaves.
Start by giving the bottom of the head a solid whack against the kitchen counter. Loosen the core by wiggling the stem end, and then smack it on the counter again. The core should pull out, leaving the rest of the head intact.
If you're prepping romaine lettuce heads, cut around the bottom of the stem with a paring knife. Angle the blade up and around the core in a complete circle. Ease the core out by twisting and pulling the stem.
Kitchen Pro Tip: Packaged romaine hearts are already trimmed down to their inner leaves, and that saves prep time.
Check, Wash and Drain
Once the lettuce core is out, ruffle back the leaves, and check for damage or debris. When the head passes your inspection, immerse it in a bowl of cold water. Gently swish, and then let it soak for 10 minutes.
Place the clean head in a colander, cover with a dish towel, and shake the lettuce until it's dry.
Kitchen Pro Tip: Save lettuce-drying time by letting a salad spinner do the work.
3 Easy Ways to Shred Lettuce
Now that your lettuce is properly prepped, it's ready to become a star ingredient in a variety of delicious recipes. Make the most of the crispy veggie with one of these three easy ways to shred lettuce.
1. Slice With a Sharp Knife
Lay a dish towel under your cutting board to keep it in place.
Use a long chef's knife with a freshly sharpened blade.
Position the head on your cutting board, stem side down.
Slice the lettuce head in half, and then into quarters.
Lay each quarter cut-side down, and slice into shreds.
Keep shredded widths uniform, between 1/8 and 1/4 inch.
Kitchen Pro Tip: Compact baby iceberg heads only need to be cut into halves before slicing.
2. Sliver With a Box Grater
Cut the lettuce head in half, and then into quarters.
Make sure the lettuce is completely dry before shredding with the grater.
Hold the grater over a large bowl or cutting board secured to the counter.
Position the grater so that you have access to the side with the large holes.
Rub the lettuce downward against the grater, using a gentle but firm pressure.
Kitchen Pro Tip: The box grater works best with large-leaf lettuce, such as iceberg or butterhead.
3. Shred With a Food Processor
Set up your food processor by positioning the drive adapter inside the work bowl.
Place the shredding blade face up onto the adapter, and close the lid.
Slide a single lettuce quarter into the processor, using the pusher tool.
As the lettuce moves into the feed tube, turn the processor on, and run at low speed.
Kitchen Pro Tip: After your first pass, check the lettuce texture, and adjust the processor speed as needed.
How to Store Shredded Lettuce
You plan on using that freshly shredded lettuce right away, but your schedule suddenly changes directions. What's the best way to store shredded lettuce so that it lasts?
While it won't keep as long in the fridge as whole lettuce heads, you can still preserve the crunch in those thin slices for a few more days. Here's how:
Make sure the lettuce is dry by blotting it with paper towels.
Place it in a zip-lock plastic storage bag lined with a paper towel.
Leave a small opening in the zip lock for air circulation.
Store the shredded lettuce in the refrigerator crisper drawer.
Kitchen Pro Tip: You can also store shredded lettuce in the fridge by rolling it up in a clean dish towel and securing the roll with rubber bands.
5 Tasty Recipes With Shredded Lettuce
Crisp, shredded lettuce adds so much taste and texture to so many different dishes. From salads and slaw to fattoush, it's a deliciously key ingredient in these five recipes.
1. Romaine Heart Caesar Salad
Trade out chopped lettuce for thin-sliced romaine hearts. Mix in roasted pepitas and shaved parmesan. Finish this unique Caesar salad with a fiery jalapeno and cilantro dressing.
Make It Yours: Make every seed of a fall pumpkin count by baking your own yummy pepitas.
2. Iceberg Lettuce Coleslaw
Iceberg lettuce delivers a sweetly tender crunch that transforms traditional coleslaw into a lighter dish. Customize the clas with your own mix of favorite veggies, thinly sliced and tossed with the shredded lettuce.
Make It Yours: Think past the mayo by drizzling lettuce slaw with a buttermilk or sour cream dressing.
3. Baby Iceberg Steakhouse Salad
Start with a small wedge of baby iceberg lettuce. Slice it thin, and top the crispy veggie shreds with bacon bits and pecans. Turn the dish into a classic steakhouse salad with a generous drizzle of homemade roquefort.
Make It Yours: Thin-sliced romaine hearts are also an excellent fit in this elegant dinner salad.
4. Romaine and Cucumber Salad
The slightly sweet flavors of romaine and cucumber create culinary harmony in a very healthy salad. Christen with a yogurt dressing, crown with toasted walnuts, and enjoy the salad as a meal or a side.
Make It Yours: Romaine and cucumber salad pairs especially well with roasted pork tenderloin or grilled chicken.
5. Heart of Romaine Fattoush
If you love the benefits of a Mediterranean diet, put this romaine heart fattoush at the top of your salad list. The flavor medley includes Persian cucumbers, sliced red onion and crumbled feta.
Make It Yours: Try trading out the recipe's pita bread with chapati, naan or even toasted flour tortillas.
From Our Family Fields to Your Table
We know you enjoy adding new tricks to your culinary skill set. It's even more satisfying when you can perfect your techniques and prep meals like a professional chef.
Whether you're shredding baby iceberg lettuce or slicing romaine hearts, we're proud to be a part of your culinary adventures. We're also proud of our family operations here at Hitchcock Farms, growing and supplying the finest premium produce available.
From our family fields to your table, you have our commitment to always serving you with our very best.
FAQs
How many cups are in a head of lettuce?
A typical head of iceberg weighs 1 pound and yields approximately 12 cups of shredded lettuce. An average head of romaine lettuce yields 4 to 6 cups of shredded lettuce.
Is it better to cut or tear lettuce?
If your recipe calls for shreds or thin slices, working with a knife produces a better ingredient. If you want to garnish a hamburger with lettuce leaves, tear them to size so that they fit the bun.
Should you wash lettuce after shredding or before?
Always wash and dry your lettuce before shredding it. This helps spot any overlooked wilting or blemishes on leaves. It also ensures the lettuce is clean before using it in your recipe.
