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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 salad is perfect as a Memorial Day recipe, July 4, and any 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.
Grill the avocados:
- Halve and rub with oil: Cut the avocado in half and remove the pit (see the video for safe pit removal!). Rub the cut side with olive oil and sprinkle with kosher salt.
- Grill: Grill face down on the grates for about 4 to 6 minutes until grill marks form.
How to make the best Caesar dressing
What brings this grilled Caesar salad together: our “famous” Caesar dressing. It’s very easy to make and tastes so creamy and savory, you’ll never buy it again! This healthy Caesar dressing is made with Greek yogurt, which adds tang and helps to cut back the calories a bit. Here’s what you’ll need to get big flavor:
- Greek yogurt: Yogurt replaces some of the mayo for a healthy spin! It lightens it up and brings in some of those healthy probiotics from yogurt. (We also use this tactic in our Healthy Ranch.)
- Mayo: Brings big savory creaminess, like the standard Caesar dressing recipe.
- Lemon juice: Fresh lemon juice brings in that signature tang.
- Parmesan cheese: Parmesan brings in a savory saltiness.
- Garlic & Dijon mustard: These round out the super savory flavor in this Caesar dressing recipe. No anchovies necessary!
Want vegan instead? Try our vegan Caesar salad with vegan Caesar dressing: just swap in the grilled romaine!
How to serve grilled Caesar salad
This grilled Caesar salad is absolutely perfect for cookouts all season long! Here are a few more side dishes to serve alongside:
- Watermelon Salad with Feta Summer in a bowl.
- Frose (Frozen Rosé) Because why not drink your rose…frozen?
- Elote (Mexican Grilled Corn) The very best way to eat corn…period.
- Greek Grilled Portobello Burger A great meatless option.
- Cucumber Tomato Avocado Salad Refreshing and full of healthy veggies.
- Perfect Grilled Shrimp The grill loves shrimp.
- Easy Bean Salad What’s more summery than bean salad?
- Creamy Cucumber Salad Oh that’s right: cucumber salad.
- Classic Strawberry Crumble or Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp And for dessert, a crisp.
- Classic Strawberry Shortcake Or strawberry shortcake.
This grilled Caesar salad recipe is…
Vegetarian and gluten-free. For vegan, use Vegan Caesar Dressing.
Grilled Caesar Salad
Grilled Caesar salad is the best summer salad idea! Smoky grilled romaine lettuce with creamy homemade Caesar dressing is pure gold.
- Prep Time: 13 minutes
- Cook Time: 7 minutes
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: 4 1x
- Category: Salad
- Method: Grilled
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
For the Caesar dressing (makes 1 cup; this recipe uses about half)
- ¼ cup Parmesan cheese, finely grated, plus additional for serving
- 1 medium garlic clove
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice (1/2 lemon)
- ¼ cup mayonnaise
- ½ cup Greek yogurt
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 ½ teaspoons Dijon mustard
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
For the Grilled Caesar Salad
- 4 romaine hearts
- 2 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!
Last updated: April 2020
I made this for our 4th of July cookout, and it was a hit. I served it with radishes rather than tomatoes because that’s what I had, and they were a nice, crisp companion to the grilled lettuce and avacado. The dressing was also really delicious. I tweaked it just a bit – instead of adding the salt I used about a 1/2 teaspoon on anchovy paste. I know, no longer vegetarian, but anchovies are my favorite part of a traditional Caesar salad, so I just had to sneak them in somewhere. It was SO GOOD. Thanks ACC for your always reliable, delectable, different recipes!
Hi Joy, thank you so much! These products are all available at ALDI !
Hi Sonya and Alex, love your recipes and how to’s! Also love your cookbook. Can you tell us where you get the Burman products? Thanks.