Grilled Romaine Lettuce Wedges

With bonus recipes for quick homemade buttermilk dressing and grilled tomatoes

We hope you are enjoying our salad series. We recently showcased a non-traditional recipe for tomato salad with fennel and apple that was well received. This week we will take a unique spin on salad with our recipe for grilled Romaine salad. We hope you delight in this recipe and make it for years to come.

Grilled romaine

Early inspiration from Chef Danielle

Grilling lettuce is something I’ve personally been doing for a long time. Years ago, grilling lettuce was not a typical practice. My inquisitive nature encouraged me to set tradition aside. The combination of a cooked grilled steak seemed “out of place” with a cold green salad, and I sought something to “connect” the meal. Why not grill the lettuce? I chose romaine as I sought to enhance the salad’s flavor while maintaining a crunchy bite. I simply washed a sturdy head of romaine lettuce, cut it in half but kept the core intact, lightly brushed them with olive oil, and placed the halves on a pre-oiled hot charcoal grill. I lightly grilled the lettuce on each side, just until grill lines appeared, and the lettuce became slightly wilted – but remained largely crisp. Today, grilling lettuce is a widely embraced practice. This method can be repeated on a gas grill, or even on a grill pan on the stovetop. Enjoy!

Recipe for Grilled Romaine lettuce

Serves 4 to 6

Ingredients:

• 2 heads fresh romaine lettuce
• 1 small red onion, peeled and cut into wedges
• 4 Tablespoons olive oil
• Vegetable cooking spray
• ½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• Kosher salt, to taste
• Cracked black pepper, to taste
• Quick homemade buttermilk chive dressing (below)
• Croutons

Directions:

Remove the unappetizing outer leaves of the lettuce. Thoroughly rinse the heads of lettuce and pat dry. If the heads of lettuce are small, they can be grilled whole rather than halved. If not, slice the heads in half lengthwise, being sure to keep the bases intact to keep the leaves together on the grill. Lightly brush the lettuce and onion wedges with olive oil. Meanwhile, spray a cold grill with vegetable cooking spray to prevent sticking. Heat grill to medium. Grill onion first to desired doneness, remove from grill. Next, grill the lettuce halves, cut side down, on grill (with the lid open). Watch carefully. Grill for 2 to 3 minutes until the outside leaves are gently wilted and some grill lines appear. Carefully turn lettuce to repeat grill lines on the other side. Divide the “cooked” lettuce halves evenly among serving platters (or to serve more people, cool and cut lettuce and place lettuce pieces in large bowl). Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese, kosher salt and cracked black pepper, and croutons. Also add the cut onions to the platter. Serve the dressing on the side or drizzle over the lettuce.

Serving suggestions: For a main meal, serve with grilled steak, chicken, or breaded and fried tomatoes.

To make fried tomatoes, slice them thick. Dredge slices in beaten egg and seasoned breadcrumbs or panko. Fry the slices in a lightly oiled frying pan over medium heat. Cook on both sides, turning when golden brown.

Recipe for Quick homemade buttermilk chive dressing

Ingredients:

• ¾ cup buttermilk
• ½ cup mayonnaise
• 2 T. fresh chopped chives
• 1 garlic clove, finely minced
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon ground pepper

Directions:

Whisk ingredients together. Cover and chill until ready to use. Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Serve with the salad or drizzle over top.

We’d love your feedback! If you try this recipe, please tell us how much you like it!