Grilled Caesar salad is the best summer salad idea! Smoky grilled romaine lettuce with creamy homemade Caesar dressing is pure gold.
Are you ready for the best summer salad idea to hit your plate? Grilled Caesar salad. Wait, grilled lettuce? Yes, grilled romaine has a smoky undertone that makes it is irresistible. Think about how good Caesar salad is. OK, now imagine it grilled: it takes it to a whole new level! This recipe uses all ingredients from ALDI: our go-to for affordable, super high quality and organic ingredients for the summer. This salad is perfect for Memorial Day, July 4, and cookout in between.
How to make grilled Caesar salad
Just how to make a grilled Caesar salad? We’re glad you asked. The first time Alex and I tried grilling romaine lettuce, we were absolutely blown away by the smoky flavor. It’s truly something worth trying out: especially if you have the grill fired up for your grilled dinner.
Grill the romaine lettuce:
- Preheat: Preheat a grill to medium high.
- Season: Slice the romaine in half. Drizzle with olive oil, balsamic vinegar (optional), and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
- Grill: Grill right on the grates for about 2 to 3 minutes on each side, until lightly charred.
That’s it! In this recipe we’ve also added grilled avocado to make it even more fun. Just like grilling romaine, grilled avocado has an irresistible smoky flavor. It also adds a richness to the salad, and makes it more filling.
This grilled Caesar salad recipe is…
Vegetarian and gluten-free. For vegan, use Vegan Caesar Dressing.
Ingredients
For the Caesar dressing (makes 1 cup; this recipe uses about half)
- ¼ cup Priano Parmesan Italian Cheese, finely grated, plus additional for serving
- 1 medium garlic clove
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice (1/2 lemon)
- ¼ cup Burman’s Mayonnaise
- ½ cup Friendly Farms Greek Yogurt
- 1 tablespoon Specially Selected Premium Italian Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 1 ½ teaspoons Burman’s Dijon mustard
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
For the Grilled Caesar Salad
- 4 romaine hearts
- 2 organic avocados
- ½ cup chopped cherry tomatoes
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Balsamic vinegar (optional)
- Kosher salt & pepper
Instructions
- Preheat a grill to medium high.
- Make the dressing: Grate the Parmesan cheese as finely as possible (it’s helpful to use a microplane or the finest holes in a grater). Grate the garlic, or finely mince it. Juice the lemon. Whisk together all the dressing ingredients in a bowl. Store refrigerated (keeps at least 1 week).
- Prep the romaine and avocado: Wash and dry the romaine. Cut each romaine heart in half lengthwise. Drizzle each side liberally with olive oil. To the top, drizzle with balsamic vinegar, and add several pinches kosher salt and plenty of fresh ground black pepper.
- Slice the avocados in half and remove the pits (see the video for safe pit removal). Season the cut sides of the avocado halves lightly with kosher salt and lightly drizzle with olive oil.
- Grill the romaine and avocado: Place the romaine hearts on the grill, and grill for about 3 minutes on each side, until slightly charred. Grill the avocado halves cut sides down for 4 to 6 minutes total, until grill marks form.
- To serve, place romaine halves on individual plates or a serving platter. Garnish with Caesar dressing, chopped cherry tomatoes, dollops of avocado, and Parmesan shavings. Serve with steak knives to make it easy to cut!