Why Professional Chefs Order Hot Sandwiches Sans Lettuce

Grabbing a hot sandwich from your local restaurant can mark the difference between a sad desk lunch and a quick, satisfying meal break. Whether you're craving a hearty French dip or a melty croque monsieur, the world of toasty sandwiches can be marvelous — if only you know how to traverse it.

For a better hot sandwich, always opt for high-quality proteins, like peppered deli turkey or oil-packed tuna; cheese that melts well, like cheddar or provolone; and crusty bread that can stand up to a tower of hot toppings. While fluffy Wonder bread is great for a simple PB&J or grilled cheese, for example, it might fall apart when used as a base for a chicken parm creation. 

One important element that many of the best sandwiches in the U.S. have in common is a balance between rich, warm ingredients and fresh, cool additions — like creamy cabbage slaw on a buttermilk fried chicken sandwich or cilantro, basil, and mint on a bahn mi. Oftentimes, this balance is best achieved with vegetables, which can add a welcome crunch and refreshing flavor to just about any hot sandwich. While slapping a leaf of lettuce on the dish might seem like an obvious solution, though, it's not the one preferred by chefs.

According to culinary coach Matt Dailey, any hot sandwich that has lettuce should be a cause for alarm. "There are few things more disappointing than soggy, wilted lettuce on an otherwise delicious sandwich," he tells Eat This, Not That, adding, "If the sandwich sounds too good to pass up, I ask for it without lettuce and add a side salad to forego any guilt about missing out on a veggie." He has a point: Lettuce is delicate and normally eaten fresh in cool salads, so it can easily become soggy and unappealing when eaten in a hot sandwich. 

If you don't want to order a side salad but still want veggies on your sandwich, just opt for something hardier than lettuce, like sliced cucumber, shredded cabbage, or cooked add-ons like grilled peppers or sauteed mushrooms — anything that won't wilt on contact with hot foods and doesn't look like it's spent too long in the deli case. Not only will these foods stay in better shape than lettuce, but they'll also add much more flavor. The next time a sandwich tickles your fancy, prioritize produce that will enhance its quality rather than undercut it.