I love salads but especially love them during the summertime! Salads are awesome because they are so customizable and can be savory or sweet! Growing up the only salad I would even debate eating was a Caesar salad but only if it was doused in dressing and Parmesan, you can say I was quite the picky eater, but since my palette has expanded so has my salad adventures!
I will always hold a special place in my heart for all the Caesar salads of the world but this one is definitely at the top of that list. I am perfectly content with a regular Caesar salad but I’ve been seeing the trend of grilling lettuces more and more so wanted to try it out! The grilling aspect of the lettuce added such a nice sweetness to the dish. I definitely enjoyed this little change up when compared to the normal way of making a salad.
I hope you guys try this recipe out and enjoy it as much as I did! Now keep on reading to see how to make this yummy salad😊
Grilled Caesar Salad Ingredients
1 romaine lettuce halved
1/4 cup Homemade Croutons (directions below)
1/3 cup Homemade Caesar dressing (directions below)
3 tablespoons of Parmesan
Sprinkle of salt and pepper
1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) or spray
Homemade Croutons Ingredients
2 pieces of bread
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon garlic power
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) or spray
OPTIONAL:
I added 1 teaspoon of Italian seasoning and a sprinkle of smoked paprika. These are completely up to you but that’s the beauty of homemade breadcrumbs you can play around with the flavor!
Homemade Caesar Dressing
2 tablespoons Mayo
2 tsp Dijon mustard (I used spicy Dijon mustard to add some spice)
2 large cloves of chopped garlic or if you have already pre minced garlic then 2 teaspoons of that
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan-Reggiano
Homemade Croutons Instructions
First, start off by grabbing 2 pieces of bread and a medium size bowl.
Next, take a piece of bread and slowly start tearing off pieces, place the pieces into the a medium size bowl. I like to tear off pieces of bread instead of cutting because I think it adds more depth to the dish and it’s just fun to do!
Then, add the EVOO, onion powder, garlic powder, salt, and pepper to the bowl and mix until everything is coated evenly.
After that is done then there are two different baking options you can use, air frying or oven. For this recipe I used an air fryer but yummy croutons can be achieved with both!
Air Fryer Option: set the air fryer to 400 degrees Fahrenheit, spray the inside with EVOO or any nonstick spray and place bread pieces inside. Set air fryer to 5 minutes checking half way through and giving it a nice shake. Once the 5 minutes are up then voila you are done!
Oven Option: preheat your oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit and place your bread pieces on a lined baking sheet. Place the sheet into the oven for 5 minutes checking half way through and mixing the bread pieces. After the 5 minutes are up then you are good to go!
Once the homemade croutons are made set aside until assembly.
Homemade Caesar Dressing Instructions
In a medium sized bowl whisk together the Mayo, Dijon mustard, garlic, lemon juice, and Worcestershire sauce.
Next, add the salt, pepper, and grated Parmesan-Reggiano and mix until fully combined.
Once combined set the dressing aside and use later in assembly. Note: if you don’t use this dressing entirely put it in an air tight container and the dressing will be good for up to a week in the fridge!
Homemade Caesar Salad Instructions
There are two ways you can grill these either on an actual grill or grill pan just depends on what you have available!
After you decide what way you want to grill the romaine lettuce turn the heat on to allow the grill or pan to start getting hot.
Next, take one bundle of lettuce and cut it in half horizontally.
Then, season the inside of the pieces with some EVOO, salt, and pepper.
Once, the pan feels hot to the touch put the romaine lettuce pieces seasoned side down and cook for 3-5 minutes or until a nice grill mark is achieved (if you don’t want to touch the pan and burn yourself then you can also splash tiny droplets of water on it and if they sizzle/evaporate quickly then you are ready!)
Once the lettuce is ready then it’s time to start playing!
First, put the lettuce pieces seasoned side up then add the homemade dressing, homemade croutons, and finally finish with a generous amount of Parmesan!
Lastly, devour that stuff up!!!
I am so happy I tried grilling my romaine lettuce instead of just chopping and throwing it into a bowl. The heat brings out a sweat flavor to the lettuce that combines magically with the dressing and of course the crunch of the croutons adds the perfect depth and dynamic to the dish! I love Parmesan (seriously will have it with almost anything) so topping the salad with that is the cherry on top of the ice cream sundae for me!!!
If you try this recipe out make sure to tag me on Instagram at @hanshomemadeeats and follow me on Facebook @Han’s Homemade Eats and new to the social media group is my YouTube channel which you can find using this link below!
As always happy cooking and I hope today you do something fun and adventurous!!!!
Love, Han ❤️
P.S I am going to start recommending a new thing to try that I personally love every post! For the first one I recommend follow Molly Baz’s new adventure with her podcast The Sandwich Universe!! I’m so so excited to listen and follow along as she deep dives into different sandwiches!
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