Grilled Romaine Wedge

While spring and summer is the time my mind turns to grilling (although we have been known to grill in the snow), have you ever thought about grilling your lettuce? Hear me out. It’s not as weird a concept as you think. Grilling lettuce brings out a natural sweetness as well as adding smoky depth, making your salads anything but boring.

Grilled Romaine Wedge is my go-to for a summer salad on the grill. This lettuce variety is hearty enough to be placed on the grill, with the heat caramelizing the outer leaves creating a slightly charred taste, while the inner leaves stay crisp and cool. We’ve kept this recipe simple with a light creamy dressing but added depth of flavor by grilling ciabatta bread rubbed with garlic for homemade croutons. If you want even more flavor, you can add some bacon to the top of the wedge or tomatoes. Whatever your preference is.

Prepping the Ingredients

Start by finely chopping the shallot with the 5″ Petite Santoku. If you’ve not worked with shallots before, follow our easy How To Cut Shallots tutorial.

Using a 7-5/8″ Petite Chef, chop the fresh basil.

For the ciabatta bread, use a 9-3/4″ Slicer to cut thick slices. Use the same knife to cut the romaine hearts, halved lengthwise.

Making the Salad

Did I mention that this salad is super easy? Start by whisking the shallots, grated pecorino Romano, yogurt, oil, lemon juice, mustard, soy sauce and basil in a bowl. Once the ingredients are combined, add salt and pepper to taste.

If using a gas grill, turn it to medium-high heat and allow to preheat. You can also use a charcoal grill. Brush both sides of the bread slices with avocado oil and brush the cut sides of the romaine with oil as well. You can also use an oil mister to coat the bread and lettuce if you prefer. Season both with salt and pepper.

Grill the bread slices until char marks are on both sides of the slices, approximately one to two minutes per side. Transfer the bread to a plate and, using the garlic clove, rub one side of each slice of bread with garlic. Cut the grilled bread into half-inch pieces and set aside.

On the same grill at the same temperature, grill the romaine cut side down for approximately one to two minutes, or until the outer leaves are charred and there are grill marks on the lettuce.

On a serving platter, brush some of the dressing onto the platter. Top the dressing with the grilled romaine halves, cut side up. Drizzle the romaine with the prepared dressing and top with grilled bread and shaved pecorino Romano. Serve immediately.

The mix of smoky, crispy, creamy and savory elements are what make this Grilled Romaine Wedge so hard to resist. It’s also something a little different to your standard cold salad, because grilling lettuce isn’t something we do every day, and that makes me ask why not, because it’s so delicious. Make this recipe your own by adding bacon, tomatoes or even avocado. Grilled Romaine Wedge is a twist on a classic salad, and one that you’ll try repeatedly.