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Grilled lettuce… have you tried it yet? If not, now’s the time to fire up the grill and make this Southwestern Inspired Grilled Romaine Salad. You’ll love the smokey, grilled flavor this salad has to offer.
First time I tried grilling romaine lettuce I was worried it would burn up or wilt! While it does get nice and charred, and, yes a little wilted (don’t leave it on the grill too long!), it develops such a nice smokey flavor that’s so delicious. From there you can turn it into a typical grilled Caesars salad or make it more of a substantial meal like I did this time around by adding some of my favorite “Southwestern” inspired ingredients. Really, anything goes but I highly recommend grilled shrimp and grilled corn. All that grilled, smokey flavor is awesome!
But don’t stop there, add other yummy ingredients you like. I used grape tomatoes, some sliced black olives, crumbled queso fresco and topped it off with some pepitas and tortilla strips for a little crunch. To dress the grilled romaine I used this tasty Avocado Cilantro Lime Sauce. It’s fantastic… you guys really need to whip up a batch. It’s delicious on so many things!
I have to admit I was a little worried my dad would think this salad was weird. He sometimes takes a little time to warm up to “different” kinds of food and grilling romaine lettuce definitely was not on his radar! However, I’m happy to report he loved it! I can pretty much guarantee you’ll love this Southwestern Inspired Grilled Romaine Salad too!
Southwestern Inspired Grilled Romaine Salad
Ingredients
- Romaine lettuce, sliced in half lengthwise (one half per person)
- Shrimp (a few shrimps per person)
- Corn on the cob
- Queso Fresco
- Grape Tomatoes
- Black olives
- Pepitas
- Tortilla strips
- Avocado Cilantro Lime Sauce
Instructions
- Grill the Lettuce: Slice romaine lettuce in half lengthwise. Be sure to keep the “stem” so the leaves will all stay in place. Brush with olive oil, sprinkle with a little salt & pepper and place on BBQ grill or cast iron grill pan to char (both sides).
- Grill the Shrimp: Toss shrimp with a little olive oil, salt & pepper (I also like to use a little chipotle pepper) and grill until just cooked, remove and set aside.
- Grill the Corn: Brush corn with a little olive oil, salt & pepper and grill until nicely charred on all sides. Set aside to cool, then slice kernels off the cob.
- Assemble Salad: Top grilled romaine with some of the avocado dressing, shrimp, corn, tomatoes, cheese, sliced olives, pepitas, and any other toppings you desire!
Equipment
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Notes
Plan on one half of a head of romaine lettuce per person. The rest of the toppings are really up to you and how much of each you like!
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