Recipe
Grilled Caesar Salad
The first time I had a grilled Caesar salad was at the Bistro on the Biltmore Estate in Asheville. I had never heard of a salad made with charred lettuce and was intrigued by the idea. Well, it was incredible. Served with homemade croutons, diced tomatoes, and pickled onions, it was one of the best salads I had ever tasted. I determined then and there that I would learn how to pickle onions and learn how to make that salad.
If you keep homemade croutons and pickled onions on hand, this salad is a snap to put together. Just make the dressing, grill the lettuce and get ready for some serious deliciousness.
Romaine lettuces come in many different sizes. When using smaller heads, I use a whole head per serving. For large heads (as in the video) half a head makes a nice serving alongside a protein. For a one dish meal, serve one large head per person and add chopped, boiled egg.
Serves 2
If you keep homemade croutons and pickled onions on hand, this salad is a snap to put together. Just make the dressing, grill the lettuce and get ready for some serious deliciousness.
Ingredients
Romaine lettuce
Diced tomatoes
Olive oil
Instructions
Step 1
Wash the romaine and pat each head dry with a clean towel. Carefully split each head lengthwise through the core at the bottom. Try to follow the center rib of a leaf all the way down the head so you don’t lose too many loose bits with your cut.
Step 2
Brush the heads with olive oil. Some people like to salt and pepper them, but I prefer mine desnudo.
Step 3
Place each lettuce on a very hot, clean grill. Grill for about 2 minutes on each side, gently turning the heads with tongs to char them on all sides.
Step 4
Remove to a plate and serve immediately or place uncovered in the fridge until ready to use. (I don’t cover them until they are cold so they don’t get soggy.)
Step 5
To plate, spread on the dressing, top with tomatoes and pickled onions, and a add nice handful of homemade croutons. Yum!
Grilled Caesar Salad
Ingredients
- Romaine lettuce
- Diced tomatoes
- Caesar dressing
- Homemade croutons
- Pickled onions
- Olive oil
Instructions
- Wash the romaine and pat each head dry with a clean towel. Carefully split each head lengthwise through the core at the bottom. Try to follow the center rib of a leaf all the way down the head so you don’t lose too many loose bits with your cut.
- Brush the heads with olive oil. Some people like to salt and pepper them, but I prefer mine desnudo.
- Place each lettuce on a very hot, clean grill. Grill for about 2 minutes on each side, gently turning the heads with tongs to char them on all sides.
- Remove to a plate and serve immediately or place uncovered in the fridge until ready to use. (I don’t cover them until they are cold so they don’t get soggy.)
- To plate, spread on the dressing, top with tomatoes and pickled onions, and a add nice handful of homemade croutons. Yum!