IE 11 is not supported. For an optimal experience visit our site on another browser.

Grilled Romaine Hearts with Bacon and Blue Cheese Dressing

Grilled romaine salad
Mark Murphy makes a grilled romaine salad on TODAY April 27, 2015.TODAY
RATE THIS RECIPE
(19)

Chef notes

Grilling romaine imparts a delicious smoky flavor to this updated take on the classic wedge salad with blue cheese dressing.

Ingredients

Blue Cheese Dressing
  • 1 cup mayonnaise
  • 3/4 cup buttermilk
  • 1/2 cup sour cream
  • 3/4 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
  • 1/2 cup blue cheese
  • 3/4 teaspoon mustard powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 2 tablespoons chives, chopped
Grilled Romaine Wedge Salad
  • Extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 cup slab bacon, cut into 1/2-inch lardons
  • 1 red onion, sliced into 1/2-inch rounds
  • 4 romaine hearts, halved
  • 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
  • 1/2 cup blue cheese, crumbled
  • 1/2 cup grilled corn, cut off the cob
  • 1/2 cup parsley, picked
  • Sea salt and black pepper

Preparation

For the Dressing:

Combine all of the ingredients for the dressing except the chives in a blender. Blend until smooth. Fold in the chives and check for seasoning. Refrigerate until needed.

For the Grilled Romaine Wedge Salad:

In a pan on medium high heat, add a little extra-virgin olive oil and fry the bacon lardons until very crispy. Remove the lardons from the pan and drain them on paper towels.

Heat a grill on high. Once very hot, drizzle the red onions with olive oil, salt and pepper and toss gently to keep whole rings intact. Grill the onions until really nicely charred on one side and then flip and grill on the other side. Remove the onions from grill and separate the rings from each other.

When you are ready to serve, drizzle the lettuces with olive oil, salt and pepper. Place cut side down, on the hottest part of the grill for 30-45 seconds until there are nice char marks on the lettuce and then remove from the grill.

Using a large platter to plate, spoon a few tablespoons of the blue cheese dressing onto the plate, followed by the lettuces, a little more dressing, cherry tomatoes, blue cheese crumbles, bacon, grilled corn, red onion and parsley. Finish with a drizzle of olive oil and sea salt.