Grilled Romaine

5 from 2 votes

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Grilling firm lettuce, like romaine, is downright delicious and a fun way to "summer up" your salads.

Grilled Romaine on a white dish.

Let’s acknowledge the reality of grilling lettuce – it seems weird, right? As in, lettuce on the whole is a very delicate vegetable, and putting a delicate vegetable with a propensity for wilting over live fire may seem counterintuitive. But slightly smoky grilled romaine is downright delicious – the leaves soften a bit, there is a lovely nutty smoky flavor, and a bit of natural caramelizing and sweetness. It’s a fun thing to introduce to people who have never had it before, and a great way to make use of extra romaine. Think about drizzling it with some Caesar dressing for a whole new twist on Caesar Salad!

You can grill all kinds of lettuce, but firmer heads of lettuce like romaine hold together better and don’t wilt as much. The outside gets a nice chariness and becomes tender, but the inside holds a bit of crunch. Grilled lettuces are popular in Italian cuisine; endive and radicchio are common, but romaine is also very much a thing.

Serve it with Quinoa Salad, Grilled New York Strip Steaks, or Yogurt Marinated Chicken Kebabs. It’s the perfect side dish when you already have the grill going, and it takes just minutes. The romaine can be served warm or at room temperature.

White plate of Grilled Romaine.

Grilled Romaine: Grilling firm lettuces is downright delicious and a fun way to “summer up” your salads.

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Grilled Romaine Ingredients

  • Olive oil – The base for a super simple dressing.
  • Red wine vinegar – I like the complexity of red wine vinegar with the earthy romaine, but other vinegars like apple cider vinegar or rice wine vinegar could also work.
  • Dijon mustard – Adds bite to this dressing, and helps to prevent the oil and vinegar from separating.
  • Shallots – Mince them finely so they can get in between the romaine leaves.
  • Hearts of romaine – You can use large heads instead of hearts, but you may want to cut them in quarters — try and cut them through the core at the bottom so the pieces of romaine will hold together while being grilled.

How to Make Grilled Romaine

  1. Make the dressing: In a small bowl or container, combine the olive oil, vinegar, mustard, shallots, salt, and pepper.
  2. Cut the romaine: Cut the romaine heads in half lengthwise, allowing the base core to keep the leaves together.
Woman slicing a head of Romaine.
  1. Prepare to grill: Heat the grill to medium-high. Brush the cut side of the romaine hearts halves with a few tablespoons of the dressing. Allow the dressing to drip into the layers between the lettuce, which will flavor the whole head beautifully and moisten the inside.
Brushing dressing onto the cut side of a half head of Romaine.
  1. Cook: Place the lettuce, cut side down, on the grill. Cover and cook for about 2 minutes until the lettuce is slightly wilted and has nice grill marks. Turn the lettuce over and grill the other side for another 2 minutes. Make sure the lettuce doesn’t start to burn.
Several Grilled Romaine heads on a white plate.
  1. Finish: Stir or shake the remaining dressing and drizzle over the romaine.

Variations

  • If you like, you can add minced fresh herbs like tarragon, basil, thyme, or oregano to the dressing, about 1 to 2 teaspoons total of any single herb or a mix.
  • You can serve grilled romaine or any grilled lettuce (or any grilled vegetable, for that matter) hot off the grill, slightly warm, or at room temperature. Either slice the romaine and toss it up as a salad (on its own or with other lettuces or vegetables, grilled or raw) or serve the romaine halves whole or halved and let diners cut up their own chunks of lettuce.
  • Grilled romaine could pair well with almost any dressing. Try serving it over a bed of Caesar salad dressing, smothered with a pile of shaved Parmesan. Or try drizzling on some Ranch or Green Goddess dressing over the top.
Knife slicing Grilled Romaine on a plate.

What to Serve With Grilled Romaine

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5 from 2 votes

Grilled Romaine

Grilling firm lettuce, like romaine, is downright delicious and a fun way to "summer up" your salads.
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 10 minutes
Servings: 8 People
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Equipment

Ingredients 

  • cup olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
  • 2 teaspoons grainy Dijon mustard
  • ¼ cup minced shallots
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper (to taste)
  • 4 hearts of romaine (halved lengthwise)

Instructions 

  • In a small bowl or container, combine the olive oil, vinegar, mustard, shallots, salt, and pepper.
  • Heat the grill to medium-high. Brush the cut side of the romaine hearts halves with about a few tablespoons of the dressing, allowing the dressing to drip into the layers between the lettuce
  • Place the romaine halves cut side down on the grill. Cover and cook for about 2 minutes until the lettuce is slightly wilted and has charry nice grill marks. Turn the lettuce over and grill the other side for another 2 minutes.
  • Remove from the grill and place cut side up on a serving platter. Stir or shake the remaining dressing and drizzle over the romaine. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Notes

  • Add minced fresh herbs like tarragon, basil, thyme, or oregano to the dressing. Use about 1 to 2 teaspoons total of any single herb or a mix.
  • Serve grilled romaine hot off the grill, slightly warm, or at room temperature.
  • Either slice the romaine and toss it up as a salad (on its own or with other lettuces or vegetables, grilled or raw) or serve the romaine halves whole or halved and let diners cut up their chunks of lettuce.
  • Grilled romaine pairs well with almost any dressing, creamy or vinaigrette-like. Try serving it over a bed of Caesar salad dressing, smothered with a pile of shaved Parmesan. Or try drizzling on some Ranch or Green Goddess dressing over the top.

Nutrition

Calories: 96kcal, Carbohydrates: 3g, Protein: 1g, Fat: 9g, Saturated Fat: 1g, Sodium: 20mg, Potassium: 168mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 1g, Vitamin A: 4922IU, Vitamin C: 3mg, Calcium: 22mg, Iron: 1mg
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About Katie Workman

Katie Workman is a cook, a writer, a mother of two, an activist in hunger issues, and an enthusiastic advocate for family meals, which is the inspiration behind her two beloved cookbooks, Dinner Solved! and The Mom 100 Cookbook.

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