The internet was first introduced to "life-changing lettuce" by Baked by Melissa, and since then it has racked up 496,000 likes. Now, TikTok is awash with users trying the super-simple recipe for themselves. There appears to be two camps – one that says, 'Oh yes, this really is game-changing salad' and another that believes it's just basic salad dressing, nothing to write home about.
One user said: "Italians have been making salad like this forever. Congrats for discovering how to make salad," while another defended the recipe, writing: "I don't understand the hate. I wouldn’t have thought of putting these ingredients together. I saved it, tried it and IT IS DELICIOUS OMG. I love it."
I thought I'd just have to make it and decide for myself…
Life-changing lettuce recipe:
- Iceberg lettuce
- Lemon
- Olive oil
- White vinegar
- Garlic
- Salt
- Pepper
Life-changing lettuce steps:
- Chop up the lettuce into shredded pieces
- Add the juice of one lemon
- Add two circles of olive oil (Melissa is keen to stress no real measuring should be done here, just hit and hope)
- A dash of white vinegar
- One clove of garlic
- Half a teaspoon of salt
- Pepper to taste
I'm no culinary whizz so I have to admit, it was the ease of this dish that drew me in. I've got a toddler and a busy life, so I don't have time to be whipping up extravagant dishes from scratch, so a throw it altogether kind of salad had me sold. I also love the fact that the ingredients are all things you probably already have in your house, no venturing to a niche supermarket for some obscure spice or ultra-rare leaf.
As you can see from the video, it was easy-peasy as advertised – the only real task being the big mix up at the end. So, did it live up to the hype?
The verdict
Am I shouting it from the rooftops? No, unlikely. Will I be trying it again? Absolutely. It's the sort of no-fuss recipe that can totally trick your mother-in-law into thinking you're a domesticated queen and also impress your pals during a bring-a-bowl evening. It's one you'll be glad to have in the locker for a multitude of occasions. I will say, thanks to the amount of liquid, it doesn't keep very well so use it the same day or it will go soggy. But, overall, it's a yes from me.
