Pickled Lettuce – Two Ways
8
servings10
minutes2
hours21
kcal7
grams2
grams0
grams1
gramI enjoy pickling vegetables, but I had never thought to pickle lettuce. But when you think about it, this is sort of like a super-quick kimchi or sauerkraut. You can use these recipes in any instance where you’d use a pickle, most obviously on sandwiches or in wraps.
In the video, I pickle both iceberg lettuce and Romaine. Iceberg gets pretty wilty, whereas the Romaine retains more crunch. You could use either of these brines on anything you’d like to pickle, but if you want to stick with the lettuce theme, I think Napa cabbage would be great at retaining its crispness.
Finally, the carbs listed in the nutritional information are for the sweet/sour/dill brine (which has the higher carbs of the two brines). I believe that these numbers are over-stated, as the lettuce doesn’t fully absorb the brine. The reason that the total carbs appears high is due to the allulose.
Ingredients
- Savory Brine
1 cup water (240mL)
1/2 cup red wine vinegar (120mL)
1 tsp minced garlic (approximately 2 cloves)
1 TB sweetener, such as allulose
1 TB fennel seeds
1 TB whole dried organo
1 tsp smoked paprika
2 tsp kosher salt
- Sweet & Sour Dill Brine
1 cup water (240mL)
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar (120mL)
1 tsp minced garlic (approximately 2 cloves)
2 TB sweetener, such as allulose
2 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
1/4 cup unsweetened dried cranberries (10g) *optional
- Lettuce
1 head lettuce (Romaine or iceberg)
1/2 cup fresh dill, stems removed (10g) *For sweet/sour/dill brine
Directions
- In a small saucepan, combine the ingredient of the brine of your choice. Bring to a boil over high heat, then remove from the heat and allow it to cool to room temperature.
- Prepare you lettuce by coring it, breaking it into leaves and removing any large spines. If using iceberg lettuce, you will place the leaves into a large bowl one at a time, pouring a little of the brine over each leaf.
If using Romaine, cut the leaves into 3/4 inch (2cm) strips. Roughly chop the dill and using your hands, toss the two together into a large bowl and pour your cooled brine on top. - Weight the lettuce down with a heavy plate or bowl. Let rest at room temperature for 2 hours, giving the lettuce a little toss every 30 minutes to ensure even coating by the brine.
- After two hours, transfer your lettuce to a mason jar or zip-lock bag. If using a jar, pour the remaining brine over the lettuce. If using a bag, save the brine. It can be used for another batch of pickles, it can be used to brine/marinate chicken, or it can be the acidic base for homemade mayo.
- Add the pickled lettuce to a sandwich, burger, wrap or charcuterie tray.
Recipe Video
Notes
- Nutritional information is based on a serving size of 1/4 cup.
- The lettuce will keep in the fridge for at least a couple of weeks due to the acidity from the vinegar.
Thanks so much. Trying it today.
Hello, I made the pickled romaine today. Do I wait for 7 days to let it completely pickle or it’s only good up to 7 days in the frig? Kathie in Colorado
About 2 hours to pickle and good for 7 days in the fridge.