Grilled Caesar Salad is the best summer salad idea! The smoked grilled romaine lettuce with a creamy homemade Caesar dressing is pure gold.
This position was created in collaboration with ALDI. All opinions are ours.
Are you ready to get the best summer salad idea on your plate? grilled caesar salad. Wait, grilled salad? Yes, grilled romaine has a smoky undertone that makes it irresistible. Think of the quality of the Caesar salad. OK, now imagine it Goal: It takes it to a whole new level! This recipe uses all the ingredients from ALDI: our go-to place for affordable, super-quality, organic summer ingredients. This salad is perfect for Memorial Day, July 4th, and BBQ in between.
Video: Watch us make a Grilled Caesar Salad!
Here I show you all of our comfort food tips and tricks for Grilled Caesar Salad. Do you know the trick to safely removing an avocado pit? Or how to make the creamiest homemade Caesar dressing? We’ll show you how.
How to Make a Grilled Caesar Salad
How Do You Make a Grilled Caesar Salad? We’re glad you asked. When Alex and I first tried grilling romaine lettuce, we were absolutely blown away by the smoky flavor. It’s really worth trying: especially if you have the grill on for your BBQ dinner.
Grill romaine lettuce:
- Preheat: Preheat grill to medium heat.
- Season: Halve the romaine. Drizzle with olive oil and balsamic vinegar (optional) and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
- Grill: Grill directly on the grates until lightly charred, about 2-3 minutes per side.
That’s it! We’ve also added grilled avocado in this recipe to make it even more fun. Similar to grilled romaine, grilled avocado has an irresistible smoky flavor. It also adds fullness to the salad and makes it heartier.
Grill avocado:
- Cut in half and brush with oil: Cut the avocado in half and remove the stone (see how to safely remove the stone!). Rub the cut surface with olive oil and sprinkle with kosher salt.
- Grill: Grill face down on the racks until grill marks form, about 4-6 minutes.
How to make the best Caesar dressing
What unites this grilled Caesar salad: our “famous” Caesar dressing. It’s very easy to make and tastes so creamy and delicious you’ll never buy it again! This healthy Caesar dressing is made with Greek yogurt, which adds flavor and helps cut a little calories. Here’s what you need to get great flavor:
- Greek yogurt: Yogurt replaces some of the mayonnaise for a healthy twist! It brightens it up and brings in some of those healthy probiotics found in yogurt. (We use this tactic at our Sane Ranch too.)
- mayonnaise: Offers a great savory creaminess, like the standard Caesar dressing recipe.
- lemon juice: Fresh lemon juice brings that signature flavor.
- Parmesan cheese: Parmesan brings a savory savory flavor.
- Garlic & Dijon Mustard: These round out the super savory flavor of this Caesar dressing recipe. No anchovies needed!
Would you like to go vegan instead? Try our Vegan Caesar Salad with Vegan Caesar Dressing: Just substitute the grilled romaine!
A tip on the best olive oil
The extra virgin olive oil we used in this Grilled Caesar Salad recipe is called Specially Selected Premium Italian Extra Virgin Olive Oil. It won Best New Product 2019 and the taste absolutely shows it. Alex and I appreciate that ALDI is trying to offer quality ingredients like this oil at a price point that everyone can afford. (Results were determined by the 2019 BrandSpark Best New Product Awards survey.*) *Winners were determined based on repeat purchase intent, product superiority rating, and consumer appeal.
How to serve a grilled Caesar salad
This Grilled Caesar Salad is absolutely perfect for grilling all season long! Here are some other side dishes that go with it:
This Grilled Caesar Salad Recipe is…
Vegetarian and gluten free. For vegans, use the vegan Caesar dressing.
The description
Grilled Caesar Salad is the best summer salad idea! The smoked grilled romaine lettuce with a creamy homemade Caesar dressing is pure gold.
NEW! Order all the ingredients below with one click!
For the Caesar dressing (makes 1 cup; this recipe uses about half)
- ¼ cup Italian Priano Parmesan cheese, finely grated, plus extra for serving
- 1 medium clove of garlic
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice (1/2 Lemon)
- ¼ cup Burmese mayonnaise
- ½ cup Friendly Farms Greek Yogurt
- 1 tbsp Specially selected premium Italian extra virgin olive oil
- 1½ teaspoons Burmese Dijon mustard
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
For the grilled Caesar salad
- 4 Roman hearts
- 2 Organic avocados
- ½ cup crushed cherry tomatoes
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Balsamic vinegar (optional)
- Kosher salt and pepper
- Preheat grill to medium heat.
- Prepare dressing: Grate the parmesan as finely as possible (it is best to use a micro-grater or the finest holes of a grater). Grate or finely chop the garlic. Squeeze lemon. Mix all the ingredients for the dressing in a bowl. Store in a cool place (shelf life at least 1 week).
- Prepare romaine and avocado: Wash and dry romaine. Cut each roman heart in half lengthwise. Drizzle each side generously with olive oil. For the topping, drizzle with balsamic vinegar and add a few pinches of kosher salt and plenty of freshly ground black pepper.
- Cut the avocados in half and remove the pits (see how to safely remove the pits in the video). Lightly season the cut sides of the avocado halves with kosher salt and drizzle lightly with olive oil.
- Grill Romaine and Avocado: Place the romaine hearts on the grill and grill until lightly charred, about 3 minutes on each side. Grill the avocado halves, cut-side down, until grill marks form, a total of 4 to 6 minutes.
- To serve, place the romaine lettuce halves on individual plates or a platter. Garnish with Caesar dressing, chopped cherry tomatoes, avocado dollops and shaved Parmesan. Serve with steak knives for easy slicing!
- Category: salad
- Method: Goal
- Kitchen: American
Keywords: Grilled Caesar Salad, Grilled Romaine, Grilled Avocados, How To Grill Romaine, How To Grill Avocados, Caesar Dressing, Salad Dressing, Summer Salad Recipe
Last update: April 2020
