Grilled Romaine Lettuce Recipe with Tomatoes and Basil

Grilled Romaine Lettuce on a platter topped with Tomatoes and Basil and Balsamic

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5 from 1 vote

Grilled Romaine Lettuce Recipe with Tomatoes and Basil

How to grill romaine lettuce, along with an easy tomato, basil, and balsamic topping.

Prep Time10

Cook Time5

Total Time15

Course: Salad, Side Dish

Cuisine: bbq, grilling, vegetarian

Servings: servings

Author: Mary Cressler

Cost: $8

Ingredients

For the Grilled Romaine:

2 romaine hearts, halved lengthwise (Rinsed and dried. It's important that the romaine be dry.)
extra virgin olive oil
salt and pepper, (about ½ teaspoon each per half)
2 lemons, cut in half

For the topping:

2 large beefsteak tomatoes, diced (Roma tomatoes work well too, but use 4-5 if using Roma)
3 tablespoons basil, sliced thinly
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
2 cloves garlic, finely diced
½ tablespoon aged balsamic vinegar
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
¼ teaspoon fresh ground pepper

Instructions

For the Tomato Basil Salad:

Place together tomatoes, basil, olive oil, garlic, balsamic, salt and pepper, into a small bowl and toss together. Do this as the grill is warming up.

For the Grilled Romaine:

Preparation: Prepare grill for direct grilling targeting 500 degrees F in the cooking chamber using lump charcoal. Brush both sides of romaine with olive oil, and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
Grill: Grill the romaine hearts on each side until lightly browned on both sides (about 2 minutes each side). While the romaine is grilling place the lemon halves on the grill about 4 minutes (until you see grill marks).
Serve: Remove from heat, and top with the tomato basil mixture and a squeeze of fresh grilled lemon and a drizzle of aged balsamic.

Notes

Important: To avoid wilting the salad the grill grates must be hot. Be sure that the romaine hearts are dry before seasoning them. Water will cause them to steam and wilt versus with olive oil. So they need to be dry.

Nutrition