Cooking 101: Basic salad greens

Arugula

(sometimes called rocket)

Peppery and slightly bitter. A member of the mustard family. Longer arugula leaves tend to have a stronger taste. Holds up well to bold dressings and tastes great with Parmesan cheese. You can also make pesto from arugula leaves.

Belgian endive

Slightly bitter to taste. When purchasing, look for compact heads with white or yellow leaves. The shape of their leaves (long and like a scoop) make them good for holding ingredients like a chicken or tuna salad mixture.

Bib lettuce

Small, curly, delicate leaves and a sweet, mild flavor. Considered a delicacy among lettuce and can be pricey to purchase.

Boston lettuce

(sometimes called butter lettuce)

Tender, pale green leaves with a compact head and delicate flavor. Great for salads with light dressings.

Curly endive

Pale green and yellow with a slightly bitter taste. This lettuce is very curly and jagged-looking and is often used combined with other lettuce as filler with a fun look.

Iceberg

A traditional salad green with a light color and crispness to it. Low in nutritional value and even flavor.

Radicchio

The typically rounded, red leaves have a slightly bitter taste. Looks similar to cabbage. Great combined with other salad greens.

Romaine

Similar to iceberg lettuce but a bit darker in color. Mild flavor with long leaves. Typically used in Caesar salads and good with all types of dressings. Romaine lettuce has been cultivated for more than 2,000 years.

Spinach

Deep green, tender, slightly rounded leaves. You might only be familiar with cooked spinach, but it makes a great cold salad. Can easily be mixed with other greens or kept on its own.

Spring mix

Originally known as mesclun. A mixture of young, tender salad greens with different colors and flavors. Often found in bagged mixtures in grocery stores. Sometimes bitter or peppery to taste, depending on which varieties are added to it.