As spring and summer approach, I can’t help but get excited about finding celtuce. I introduced it in my post about celtuce stir fry and included very detailed information on where to buy, what to avoid, and how to use celtuce. In this post, I want to share with you some more ways to use this healthy, nourishing, and delicious vegetable. Eating seasonally is the best for us, for our immunity and health. We should go with what’s readily available, plus it’s fresher so it just tastes better.
Lettuce substitute
If you find celtuce at your local Asian market or the farmer’s market, you’ll want to keep the leaves, too. These leaves are even more nutritious than the stem that you’ll use for my celtuce stir fry. You can make this celtuce leaves salad for a change of pace. Even people that love salads get tired of eating the same thing every time. Celtuce leaves salad will give you a new salad to look forward to each spring and summer when celtuce is available. The leaves are very tender, just like lettuce, but they have more flavor.
How to cook with celtuce leaves
I love eating them raw but the leaves are great cooked, too. You can:
Add them into soups, such as egg drop soup, noodle soup, or miso soup.Make a very simple stir fry by sauteing the leaves in oil with a clove of minced garlic and a pinch of salt.Use the lettuce leaves to replace other Chinese greens when making fried noodles
TIP: Always add celtuce leaves at the end of the cooking because they cook quickly, just like spinach does. And of course, you can use celtuce leaves to make a simple salad. With this recipe for celtuce leaves salad, I’ve got a rich and delightful sesame sauce that you’re going to love. It’s so refreshing and makes an ideal first course for any meal. You’ll want this sesame sauce on everything, so get ready! Want to learn more about Chinese Cooking? Sign up my newsletter to receive the 5-Day Chinese Cooking Crash Course and ongoing recipe updates! If you give this recipe a try, let us know! Leave a comment, rate it (once you’ve tried it), and take a picture and tag it @omnivorescookbook on Instagram! I’d love to see what you come up with.
More delicious Chinese veggie recipes
Bean Sprout Stir FryChinese Napa Cabbage with Glass NoodlesEasy Chinese Cucumber SaladChinese Yellow Chives and Eggs Stir FryStir Fried Water Spinach – Two Ways
