Quick Savory Sesame Stem Lettuce
Welcome to your new favorite quick side dish! This Refreshing Stem Lettuce Salad with Tangy Sesame Dressing comes together in a mere 10 minutes, making it perfect for a weeknight meal or an impressive appetizer. Its simplicity belies its complex flavors. The star ingredient, stem lettuce (also known as celtuce), offers a wonderfully crisp yet tender bite, quite different from its leafy cousins. This dish is incredibly easy to prepare, requiring just a few steps. Welcome to your new favorite quick side dish! This Refreshing Stem Lettuce Salad with Tangy Sesame Dressing comes together in a mere 10 minutes, making it perfect for a weeknight meal or an impressive appetizer. Its simplicity belies its complex flavors. The star ingredient, stem lettuce (also known as celtuce), offers a wonderfully crisp yet tender bite, quite different from its leafy cousins. This dish is incredibly easy to prepare, requiring just a few steps, and the resulting savory-tangy profile is utterly delightful, guaranteed to tantalize your taste buds. Let’s talk about what you’ll need to create this culinary gem. The main component is stem lettuce (about 1 to 2 medium stalks, depending on size). Stem lettuce is a variety of lettuce grown primarily for its thick, edible stalk, which has a crisp texture and a subtle, refreshing flavor, often compared to a cross between asparagus and cucumber. If you can’t find stem lettuce, don’t worry! You can substitute it with thick-cut cucumber (peeled and seeded if desired) or even blanched celery for a different kind of crunch. For the dressing, you’ll need: sesame paste (about 2-3 tablespoons). This is a staple in many cuisines, crucial for adding richness and a nutty depth; tahini is a readily available Western substitute. We’ll also use soy sauce (about 1-2 tablespoons) for that umami kick – use tamari…