Everyone’s classic favorite takes a gourmet twist with this Grilled Romaine Caesar Salad.
I know this is a little off the beaten track. But grilled romaine has been around for a few years and my culinary curiosity finally got the best of me. Smokey, slightly charred romaine, brushed with homemade Caesar dressing and topped with melting Parmesan. Have I convinced you yet? I enjoyed it as a wedge-style Caesar and as a chopped Chicken Caesar main course salad.
Tips for Grilled Romaine Caesar Salad
The original NYT Cooking recipe gave instructions for using a charcoal grill. My recipe gives simple instructions for heating a gas grill to a medium temperature (350-400 degrees.) This required the spears to grill a little longer – around a minute or so per side.
Because grill temperatures are hard to regulate, plan to gauge the amount of time by sight (see image above.) You want the romaine to get lightly browned with a few grill marks. Check after 20-30 seconds and decided whether to turn or grill a little longer.
You can also follow the NYT recipe if you don’t have a food processor for making the dressing.
Can I make a confession? I was relieved this grilling process was very brief. I kept praying my friendly neighbors wouldn’t wander outside and say “what ‘ya grilling?” Um…lettuce? Hey, not everyone appreciates the gourmet inclinations of their food blogging neighbor.
Prep Chicken Casear In Advance
This salad is best served immediately after the romaine is grilled. With this in mind, I recommend you prep all your ingredients in advance for the chopped Chicken Caesar option. I used warm shredded rotisserie chicken, sliced black olives, and halved cherry tomatoes. I also reserved a little of the dressing to drizzle on top and finished with shaved Parmesan and lemon wedges.
As I always say, it’s a salad, not rocket science, so add whatever else you’d like. I have visions of marinated artichoke hearts or grilled fennel, and red peppers as future embellishments.
What to Serve with Grilled Roamine Caesar Salad
My inspiration for this salad was a casual lunch date with our daughter Stacey. Luring them home with food always seems to work.
To keep it simple, I served the following to round out our menu.
Side dish – Rosemary flatbread – I purchased a pre-baked flatbread, brushed it with olive oil, and scattered it with fresh rosemary leaves and kosher salt. I would have preferred flake sea salt but couldn’t track any down at the last minute. After a brief warm-up in the oven, I served it sliced into wedges alongside the salad.
Dessert – This easy, make-ahead Lemon Custard was the perfect finale for dessert.
Love Salads?
Interested in traditional Salads with a gourmet twist? Give these additional recipes a try.
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Grilled Romaine Caesar Salad
Ingredients
Dressing
- 1 clove garlic peeled and minced
- 6 anchovy fillets rinsed and minced (or 1 tbsp, anchovy paste)
- 1 tablespoon mayonnaise
- 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
- ½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons cider vinegar
- Kosher salt and black pepper to taste
- Salad:
- good quality olive oil cooking spray or 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Basic Salad
- 3 large heads romaine lettuce tops and bottoms trimmed neatly, the heads cut lengthwise into quarters
- ½ cup grated Parmesan
Chicken Caesar Salad Option
- 2 cups cooked, shredded chicken (I used rotisserie chicken)
- 1 cup halved cherry tomatoes
- 1/2 cup sliced black olives
- shaved Parmesan cheese
- lemon wedges
Instructions
- Heat grill to medium temperature.
Dressing
- Dressing: Mash together minced garlic and anchovies in a small bowl or using a mortar and pestle. Transfer this mixture along with the rest of the dressing ingredients to a food processor. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Process until blended. Set aside.
Basic Salad
- Spray all sides of the quartered romaine sections with cooking spray or drizzle with the olive oil. Grill 30 – 60 seconds on each side, just until starting to color. Brush dressing over the cut-side of the lettuce, making sure the dressing gets between the leaves. (Note – if desired, reserve a little dressing to drizzle onto the finished salad.) Sprinkle the lettuce with Parmesan and cover the grill for 1 or 2 minutes to allow the cheese to melt and the lettuce to soften further. Remove lettuce to a platter and serve.
Chicken Caesar Salad Option
- Place spears on a cutting board and coarsely chop. Then arrange on plates and scatter with shredded chicken, tomatoes, olives, and shaved Parmesan. Drizzle with any remaining dressing and serve with lemon wedges.
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