Grilled Romaine Lettuce Recipe

Name: Grilled Romaine Lettuce
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 20 min
Yield: 4
Ingredients: 3 to 4 romaine hearts; 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil; 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar (or cider vinegar); 2 teaspoons chopped fresh herbs such as rosemary, thyme, oregano (or 1 teaspoon dried mixed herbs); 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt; Pinch freshly ground black pepper

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One of the great things about being a food blogger is that it compels you to be somewhat adventurous in your food.

If you had told me a few years ago that I would not only be happily eating grilled romaine lettuce but encouraging others to do the same, I would have thought you were nuts.

Why Grill Romaine Lettuce?

Why in the world would anyone want to grill lettuce? Lettuce just isn't part of the grilling food group people! You know, burgers, ribs, beer can chicken.

Grilled lettuce? Why that's just... just pretentious, that's what.

Well the joke's on me, and anyone who loves salad and also loves grilled things but hasn't tried to put them together. Lettuce is a vegetable, or at least we eat it like one. We do grill vegetables. They are good.

It stands to reason that the vegetable we call lettuce, if endowed with enough structure, which romaine has, would also be good grilled. And it is!

That said, as much as I like it, my mom likes it, and my friends like it, you may not. But I do encourage you to try it, especially if you have some romaine hearts around.

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How To Serve Grilled Romaine

When you're done with the grilling, you can either serve them whole (one romaine heart per person), or slice them crosswise, and toss them in a bowl for a grilled salad.

How Long Should the Lettuce Be on the Grill?

Because the temperatures of grills can vary greatly, you'll need to keep an eye on the lettuce to determine when it's done. It should take fewer than 8 minutes. Take the romaine off the grill when all sides are lightly charred.

What to Serve With Grilled Romaine Lettuce

Grilled Chicken With South Carolina Barbecue Sauce
Grilled Salmon With Dill Butter
Grilled Chicken Caesar Salad (use the grilled romaine in the recipe)
Thousand Island Dressing
Ranch Dressing

Grilled Romaine Lettuce

Prep Time 10 mins

Cook Time 10 mins

Total Time 20 mins

Servings 3 to 4 servings

You can buy either packaged hearts or whole heads of romaine. If you buy whole heads, remove the outer layer of leaves and you'll easily find the heart, which is a little lighter in color with leaves somewhat tightly packed together.

3 to 4 romaine hearts
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar (or cider vinegar)
2 teaspoons chopped fresh herbs such as rosemary, thyme, oregano (or 1 teaspoon dried mixed herbs)
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
Pinch freshly ground black pepper

Prep the romaine hearts:

Pull off any old leaves. Chop off the top 1 or 2 inches of the lettuce head, and shave off the browned part of the root end, leaving the root end intact so that the lettuce head stays together.

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Prepare your grill:

Turn your gas grill to high or get your charcoal coal grill very hot.
Prepare the vinaigrette:

Put the oil, vinegar, herbs, salt and pepper in a small bowl and whisk with a fork to combine. Paint the lettuce hearts all over with the vinaigrette.

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Grill the lettuce:

Grill the romaine hearts until lightly browned on all sides, turning every minute or two until done.

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Serve immediately:

Serve immediately. You can either serve the hearts whole, or chop them and toss them for a salad.

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Nutrition Facts (per serving)
130	Calories
11g	Fat
8g	Carbs
3g	Protein

Nutrition Facts
Servings: 3 to 4
Amount per serving
Calories	130
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 11g	14%
Saturated Fat 1g	7%
Cholesterol 0mg	0%
Sodium 98mg	4%
Total Carbohydrate 8g	3%
Dietary Fiber 5g	17%
Total Sugars 3g
Protein 3g
Vitamin C 9mg	47%
Calcium 78mg	6%
Iron 2mg	13%
Potassium 572mg	12%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.

Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate. In cases where multiple ingredient alternatives are given, the first listed is calculated for nutrition. Garnishes and optional ingredients are not included.