Grilled Romaine

Grilled romaine lettuce is easy to make and adds a delightfully smoky flavor to any salad. Top with Parmesan for a simple appetizer or side dish!

OK, grilled lettuce might sound a bit strange, right? Alex and I started out pretty skeptical, too. But after trying it, somehow grilling romaine lettuce brings out an unexpectedly beautiful smoky flavor in this leafy green! I’m not quite sure how to describe it, but it is hands down one of the best things I’ve tasted lately. Grilled romaine is easy to make, and topped with a little Parmesan cheese, it’s an easy appetizer or side dish. You can even make it into grilled Caesar salad with our best Caesar dressing! Ready to fire up the grill?

Tips for how to make grilled romaine lettuce

How to get those perfect grilled char marks on your romaine lettuce? Here are a few tips on how to make grilled romaine:

• Slice each romaine heart in half. Slice each heart in half and drizzle with a bit of olive oil. Slicing the romaine hearts in half makes it easier to flip them, and prevents them from rolling off the grill.
• Season well! Be sure to season the lettuce with balsamic vinegar, salt, and pepper prior to grilling so that the flavors all meld together during the grilling process.
• Grill a few minutes per side, until charred but mostly green. Leave it on the grill for about three minutes on each side (remember, you’re grilling lettuce, not a steak!). You want each side to be slightly charred, but still mostly green. Grilling for too long results in brown, soggy romaine.

Ways to serve grilled romaine

With a little freshly grated Parmesan, this grilled romaine is the perfect way to start a summer meal al fresco. We served it alongside pasta recently, and it was an excellent complement. Whatever way you serve this grilled romaine, give it a try and experience the magic of grilled salad! Here are a few ways you could add extra flavor to this grilled romaine:

• Serve it as grilled Caesar. Add Caesar dressing, cherry tomatoes and grilled avocado, and you’ve got grilled Caesar salad!
• Add more grilled veggies. Play up the grilled flavors and throw on any other veggies you threw on the grill.
• Top with croutons. Add Homemade Croutons Recipe or Cornbread Croutons for a little crunch.

Make it a meal! Main dishes to pair

Lastly, what grilled dinner ideas go well with grilled romaine? Since you’ve already got your grill fired up, here a few that we’d recommend to make it a meal:

• Easy Cedar Plank Salmon Grilling fish on a plank of wood infuses a smoky flavor that is to die for.
• Perfect Grilled Shrimp This easy grilled shrimp is full of serious flavor, with zesty flavors of lemon and garlic. Add quinoa and make it a meal.
• Best Veggie Burger This mouthwatering veggie burger recipe is slathered with barbecue sauce and doesn’t fall apart on the grill!
• Grilled Eggplant This grilled eggplant is topped with feta and dill herbed quinoa, and colorful ripe cherry tomatoes, perfect for summer.

More romaine lettuce recipes

Have lots of romaine? Here are a few more romaine lettuce recipes to use it:

• Vegan Italian Pasta Salad
• Homemade Sopes
• Kale Caesar Salad with Cornbread Bits
• Radish and Blue Cheese Chopped Salad Recipe

This grilled romaine recipe is…

Vegetarian and gluten-free. For vegan, use vegan cheese or try sprinkling with vegan Parmesan.

Print

Looking for more grilled & side dish recipes?

Here are a few more grilled and healthy side dish recipes to add to your repertoire:

• Tomato and Grilled Eggplant Stacked Sandwich
• Grilled Buffalo Cauliflower Sandwich
• Grilled Eggplant Salad with Yogurt
• Greek Grilled Veggie Skewers with Pesto Quinoa
• Quinoa Stuffed Grilled Zucchini
• Crispy Sweet Potato Fries
• Perfectly Creamy Polenta Recipe
• Strawberry Salad with Balsamic Vinaigrette
• Best Popovers Recipe
• Apple Manchego Salad
• Classic Greek Salad

Last updated: April 2020