Grilled Romaine Lettuce with Fig Vinaigrette

Grilled Romaine Lettuce with Fig Vinaigrette is a fun twist on a traditional salad. The grill adds smoky flavor and just a bit of char. It’s great served with grilled chicken, steak or fish.

I know….this sounds like a crazy idea. I even recently saw a Gordon Ramsay cooking show where he was shocked someone grilled lettuce! (TBH – it was a pretty limp salad and didn’t look too good. But, he’s there to fix things, right!).

But, let me tell you, Gordon Ramsay doesn’t know everything. This is a great grilled salad recipe. 

I discovered my first grilled romaine salad while at a local restaurant. In this case, it was a Caesar salad made up of grilled romaine hearts and a standard Caesar dressing. And, while it was good, I thought I could come up with something even better at home.

Making Your Own Homemade Dressing

Let’s start with the dressing for this salad. Overall, I think homemade dressings are pretty easy to put together and I find it fun to try new and different recipes (like this Spicy Jalapeños Lime Vinaigrette). For this recipe, I thought a fig-based balsamic vinaigrette would be perfect.

This vinaigrette is a bit on the sweeter side, which balances out well against the smoky bacon, parmesan cheese and smokiness from the grill. And the really great thing, is that you can put this together with just a handful of ingredients.

In this case, the ingredients include balsamic, fig jam, thyme, salt, pepper and olive oil. That’s it. I like putting these ingredients in a small jar with a lid (mason jars work great) and shake until they are emulsified (i.e., well-mixed). 

You can also put the ingredients into a small bowl, and whisk until everything is well-combined. Your dressing is complete and ready to go.

Grilling the Romaine

Grilling romaine lettuce isn’t difficult, but you do need to keep a close eye. You don’t want to grill the lettuce too long and make it wilty.

To prepare the romaine, make sure there are no loose outer leaves and dry the remainder. Water will just cause steam which could wilt the lettuce before you are ready to take it off the grill.

Once that is done, heat up the grill to 350 degrees or so. You’re going to use direct heat, so no worries about where to put the romaine. 

Place the cut sides of the romaine hearts directly on the grill. Let it grill for a minute or two. You definitely want some nice grill marks because it looks awesome. After a couple of minutes, flip the romaine over and grill for another one to two minutes.

Since the lettuce goes on the grill for less than five minutes, it still retains most of its crunch. What you do get is a grilled romaine that is a little wilted, a little charred and takes on a wonderful smoky flavor from the grill.

Serving the Grilled Romaine Lettuce with Fig Vinaigrette

Once the romaine is grilled, simply drizzle with the vinaigrette you made, and top with bacon, black pepper and parmesan. For this recipe, I am partial to parmesan or asiago cheese, but if you’re a fan of goat cheese or blue cheese crumbles, those will work equally as well.

One other note: I have had this fresh off the grill as well as later at room temperature. Both work great.

Overall, this salad is SO good! There is the charred flavor from the grill, the sweetness from the vinaigrette, the smokiness of the bacon and the saltiness of the cheese. It’s an absolute perfect combination. 

I really can’t wait to make this salad again, it’s definitely become a new favorite!

Tips and Tricks

• If you are pressed for time, use pre-cooked bacon. Just follow the package instructions for reheating.
• Make sure you watch the romaine closely while it’s on the grill. It only takes a short time to get the right amount of char.
• I find using a mason-type jar to make the dressing speeds things up. You just add all of the ingredients to the jar and give it a vigorous shake, until everything is well combined.

Ingredients Needed to Make Grilled Romaine Lettuce with Fig Vinaigrette

Full instructions can be found below in the printable recipe card

• Bacon
• Romaine lettuce
• Olive oil
• Balsamic vinegar
• Fig jam – I found this at Aldi as well as other grocery stores in my area.
• Fresh thyme – If you don’t have fresh thyme on hand, dried can be used. You’ll just want to decrease the amount to 1/2 tsp.
• Salt
• Black pepper
• Shredded parmesan cheese – Alternatively, you can use shaved parmesan or substitute shredded asiago cheese.

How to Make Grilled Romaine Lettuce with Fig Vinaigrette

• Slice bacon crosswise into 1/2 inch pieces.  
• Sauté in a small skillet over medium heat, until crispy.  
• Drain on a paper towel.
• Combine balsamic, fig jam, thyme, salt, pepper and olive oil in a mason jar with a cover.
• Shake the mason jar until the dressing ingredients are fully emulsified.
• Cut romaine in half lengthwise, leaving the core attached.  
• Peel off any really loose outer leaves and rinse and dry.  
• Brush lettuce with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
• Heat grill to medium heat.  
• Place romaine cut side down directly on the grill grates.  
• Grill for a minute or two just until it starts to get a little charred.  
• Turn over and cook for another minute or two. Watch carefully!
• To assemble salad, place grilled romaine on a dinner plate.  
• Drizzle with vinagrette and sprinkle with bacon bits and shaved parmesan.  
• Finish off with some fresh cracked pepper.

What to Serve with Grilled Romaine Lettuce with Fig Vinaigrette

• Skillet Chicken with Creamy Mustard Sauce
• Cabernet Braised Short Ribs
• Garlic and Rosemary Heirloom Potatoes
• Classic Popovers

ENJOY!