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Grilled Caesar Salad

Grilled Caesar salad
Casey Barber
Cook Time:
15 mins
Prep Time:
10 mins
Servings:
4
RATE THIS RECIPE
(10)

Chef notes

Everyone loves a Caesar salad year-round — there’s a reason you’ll find it on just about every restaurant menu, especially at steakhouses. But Caesar salad is particularly nice during the summer grilling season. Surprised? We thought you might be. Most of the ingredients for this recipe, including the romaine lettuce, lemon halves and baguette slices all take their turn on the grill before being tossed with the rest of the salad. The smoky charred flavor makes this salad stand out from others that you’ve probably tried before. You’ll find yourself coming back to this recipe all summer long. 

Despite adding the extra step of grilling, this salad is still easy enough for any home cook to execute. Whole heads of fresh romaine are brushed lightly with olive oil and grilled just until the leaves develop some color and begin to soften and wilt. The lettuce holds up surprisingly well when grilled, maintaining some of its crisp texture. Baguette slices (which act as the croutons) get the same grill treatment, as do the lemons. Warming up the lemons on the grill helps loosen up all of the flavorful citrus juices, making them a perfect combination of tart and sweet. The caramelized lemon flavor makes the Caesar dressing unique, despite it being made with the usual ingredients — minced garlic, Dijon mustard, olive oil and plenty of Parmesan cheese. 

Once the dressing is ready, all that is left to do is tear up the lettuce and bread into more manageable bites and serve. There’s plenty of Parmesan in the salad dressing, but let your guests sprinkle on some more as they desire. 

Ingredients

  • 2 large lemons, halved
  • 1/2 cup olive oil, plus more for brushing
  • 1 large head romaine lettuce
  • 1/2 baguette, sliced into 2-inch thick pieces
  • 1 medium garlic clove, minced
  • 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
  • 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
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Preparation

1.

With a silicone basting brush, lightly brush the cut sides of the lemons with olive oil and place cut side down on the grill. Cook until the lemons are slightly charred, 3 to 4 minutes. Remove and let cool.

2.

Slice the head of lettuce in half lengthwise and very lightly brush with olive oil on both sides. Place cut-side down on the grill and cook until blackened and wilting in spots, 3 to 5 minutes. Flip and repeat on the other side. Remove and let cool.

3.

Place the baguette slices on the grill and lightly toast on both sides, about 2 minutes per side.

4.

Juice the grilled lemons into a medium bowl; you'll get about 1/4 cup juice. Whisk the lemon juice together with the garlic, mustard, Parmesan, salt, pepper and remaining 1/2 cup olive oil.

5.

Roughly chop the lettuce and place in a serving bowl. Tear the toasted baguette slices into bite-size chunks and add to the bowl.

6.

Serve with the dressing and additional grated cheese for guests to assemble to their tastes.