Crisp romaine lettuce quickly stir-fried with garlic, onion, and a hint of sesame oil creates a simple, savory side dish that's ready in minutes. This Chinese-style recipe transforms everyday lettuce into something warm, flavorful, and surprisingly delicious.
Photos taken by Hannah Kaminsky.
Have you ever made the mistake of buying a big head of lettuce when you already had another whole head in the fridge? This easy stir-fry is a deliciously simple way to use up extra lettuce!
It's best to use a crisp lettuce like romaine for this recipe. The leaves become slightly tender and the midribs stay nice and crisp when prepared this way.
Helpful Tips
Use high heat: Stir-frying lettuce works best over high heat so it wilts very quickly without becoming soggy. Lettuce only needs a minute or two in the pan-you want it just wilted but still slightly crisp.
Dry the lettuce well: Excess water can make the dish watery, so make sure the leaves are thoroughly dried after washing.
Cut lettuce into large pieces: Big chunks hold their texture better and make the dish look more appealing.
Serve immediately: Stir-fried lettuce tastes best right away while it's still bright, tender, and slightly crunchy. This is not a recipe that keeps well for later.
And if you love Asian stir fries as much as I do, be sure to check out all my favorite vegan stir fry recipes here!
Recipe
Chinese Stir-Fried Lettuce
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon safflower oil or other neutral vegetable oil
- 1 medium onion peeled and finely chopped
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 head of romaine lettuce
- ½ teaspoon sugar
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 ½ teaspoons dark sesame oil adjust to taste
- red pepper flakes optional, to taste, for spice
- 2 scallions thinly sliced, optional garnish
- 2 teaspoons sesame seeds optional garnish
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a stir-fry pan or wide skillet. Add the onion and garlic and sauté until golden.
- Meanwhile, wash the romaine leaves without separating them from the stem. Shake out the excess water, then lay on a cutting board. Cut crosswise into ½-inch wide shreds.
- Add the lettuce to the stir-fry pan and cover just until it wilts down a bit, about 2 minutes. Then uncover, sprinkle in the sugar and stir-fry for another minute or so.
- Season to taste with salt and pepper, and stir in the sesame oil for extra flavor. Embellish with any or all of the optional ingredients, then serve at once.
Patsy says
WOW who would of thought this would be soo good.. Lettuce ,its just not for salad anymore. =) I made this just awhile ago, I used 2 romaine's instead of one, and I have 4 adults and 1 child and its all gone.. that's how good it is.. but I am going to make a big batch of this with dinner ,but I am going to add some fresh broccoli and maybe some fresh green beans.. I think I will cook the green beans and broccoli with the garlic and onion so they will soften up before the lettuce. I also did use some garlic salt with parsley for seasoning, instead of just salt and pepper .. yumm this is a great recipe, thank you for coming up with it. =)
Heidi says
Made this today. We had three heads of lettuce from our CSA share and were tired of salads. We stir fried two heads of lettuce along with broccoli, peppers, onion, and mushrooms. It turned out great!
Nava says
I'm glad you found this useful, and adding all those other colorful veggies is a great idea. Next time you have a surplus of lettuce, try our cold Coconut Cream of Lettuce soup. So refreshing ...