When greens are at their peak, even our favorite go-to salads can get boring. But by taking advantage of greens’ wide array of textures, flavors and colors, then adding our favorite fruits and veggies, we can create an almost limitless number of yummy meal combinations. Try the classics such as mushrooms, radishes, tomatoes and onions; the flavorful burst of whole berries or peas; the bold taste of roasted beets, marinated artichokes or olives; or the garden touch of freshly picked herbs or edible flowers. For a heartier meal, add shredded or crumbled cheese, sliced avocado, hard-boiled eggs, grilled chicken, smoked fish, beans, edamame, or toasted nuts and seeds. Understanding the differences in greens will help you build a foundation for limitless taste combinations.
Greens Glossary
Our guide ranges from common lettuces to wild-harvested bitter greens. You will find many of these options at farmer’s markets, and most are easy to grow.
Arugula: Tender, bitter, peppery
Beet Tops: Best when young; sweet, juicy, purple-splashed leaves
Bladder Campion: Silvery-green shoots with tiny pods (bladders); nutty flavor; wild-harvested
Butterhead: Bibb and Boston lettuce; sweet and buttery leaves
Cabbage: Green or red/purple heads; crunchy and sweet
Claytonia: Also known as “miner’s lettuce”; small, sweet and succulent; usually wild-harvested
Dandelion: Narrow, jagged, bitter greens; small, young leaves best
Endive: Narrow heads with crisp, curved leaves; mildly sweet to slightly bitter; the paler the leaf, the milder the flavor
Escarole: Frilly, crunchy, wide leaves with mild flavor
Frisée: Curly, green, slightly peppery “leaves”
Green/Red Leaf: Flavorful green, red-tipped or red-speckled leaves
Iceberg: The least nutritious of all greens; pale leaves with mild flavor
Kale: Crinkled, deep green to purple leaves; mild cabbage flavor
Lollo Rosso: Ruffled leaves with red edges; mild but flavorful
Mâche/Corn Salad: Succulent leaves; tremendous nutty flavor; ‘Golden’ variety among the best
Mizuna: Tender Japanese mustard green; peppery and spicy
Mustard: Large, ruffled greens with a bold flavor
Napa Cabbage: Narrow green and white leaves; crunchy, sweet
Nasturtium: Pretty round leaves with peppery bite
Oakleaf: Sweet green or red leaves with slightly crunchy stems
Pea Shoots: Crisp tendrils harvested from growing peas; available only briefly; bright pea flavor
Purslane: Succulent, nutritious leaves with lemony flavor
Radicchio: Crunchy, dark red and white leaves with bitter bite; ‘Treviso’ has sweet undertones
Radish Tops: Tiny greens with radish flavor; best eaten young
Red Orach: Pointed deep red/purple leaves with spinach flavor
Romaine: Crunchy, ruffled green leaves; slightly bitter
Sorrel: Juicy, tender leaves with a bold, slightly sour lemon flavor
Spinach: Tender leaves with an earthy, buttery-to-bitter flavor
Tatsoi/Bok Choy: Juicy leaves with crisp stems; peppery
Turnip Tops: Tender greens with turnip flavor; best when young
Watercress: Juicy, long stems; dark green with peppery bite
Choose Your Own Greens Adventure
Greens by Texture
Tender: arugula, beet tops, butterhead, claytonia, dandelion, kale (without stems), green/red leaf lettuce, lollo rosso, mâche, mizuna, mustard, nasturtium, oakleaf, radish tops, red orach, sorrel, spinach, turnip tops
Crisp/Crunchy: bladder campion, cabbage, endive, escarole, frisée, iceberg, kale, Napa cabbage, pea shoots, purslane, radicchio, romaine, tatsoi, watercress
Greens by Flavor
Mild/Nutty/Sweet: bladder campion, butterhead, beet tops, cabbage, claytonia, endive (paler), escarole, green/red leaf lettuce, iceberg, kale, lollo rosso, mâche, Napa cabbage, oakleaf, pea shoots, purslane, red orach
Bitter/Peppery/Sour: arugula, dandelion, endive (darker), frisée, mizuna, mustard, nasturtium, radicchio, radish tops, romaine, sorrel, spinach, tatsoi, turnip tops, watercress
Greens by Color
Partly White to LIght Green: butterhead, cabbage, endive, escarole, frisée, iceberg, Napa cabbage, romaine, tatsoi
Bright or dark green: arugula, bladder campion, claytonia, dandelion, green leaf, kale, mâche, mizuna, mustard, nasturtium, oakleaf, pea shoots, purslane, radish tops, sorrel, spinach, turnip tops, watercress
Red/Purple: beet tops, cabbage, kale, lollo rosso, oakleaf, radicchio, red orach, red leaf
Nutrient Salad
Eating a wide variety of salad greens–among the most concentrated sources of food nutrition–will pump you full of antioxidants, minerals (calcium, iron, magnesium, manganese, phosphorus and potassium), vitamins (A, C, E, K and many of the Bs), phytonutrients (beta-carotene, lutein and zeaxanthin), plus fiber, folate, omega-3 fatty acids and many trace nutrients.
Dress up your salads with delicious homemade dressings! See the article, “Dressed to Impress: Homemade Salad Dressings.”