Grilled Caesar Salad with Grilled Croutons
Published 4/8/2024
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This Grilled Caesar Salad with Grilled Croutons is unlike any classic Caesar salad you’ve had! Fresh romaine lettuce hearts and French baguette halves are placed on a hot outdoor grill to create the BEST homemade croutons and deliciously crispy grilled romaine that’s drizzled with our rich n’ tangy homemade Caesar dressing.
If you love a nice char just as much as I do, you’ll fall in love with this grilled Caesar salad with grilled croutons! It adds an irresistible grill flavor to your homemade Caesar salad that amplifies the overall taste and texture of this classic salad recipe. I honestly don’t know if I’ll want a Caesar salad NOT grilled ever again 😋
The steps to make it are easy. Just make the dressing, grill your baguette and hearts of romaine, assemble, and serve! You can even add grilled chicken or shrimp on top for extra protein and flavor.
What’s In Grilled Caesar Salad with Grilled Croutons
- 2% Greek yogurt: This is the base of the creamy dressing and adds a tangy flavor without all the added calories.
- Apple cider vinegar: The vinegar adds a nice tang and acidity to the dressing.
- Parmesan cheese: This gives the dressing a rich and nutty flavor. And I mean, cheese makes everything better right?
- Anchovy paste: Although it might sound strange, anchovy paste is a key ingredient in traditional caesar dressing. It adds depth and umami to the dressing.
- Romaine hearts: You want to get the freshest romaine hearts for this recipe. Grilling them brings out their natural sweetness and adds a nice char.
- French or Italian baguette: This gets cut in half and grilled to make the most delicious homemade croutons!
- Cherry tomatoes: The fresh juiciness of the cherry tomatoes is a great contrast to the grilled elements in this salad.
Ingredient Swaps & Add-Ins
For the Caesar dressing, if you do not have anchovy paste, you can use fish sauce for the umami flavor. We recommend starting with half the amount of the anchovy sauce (⅛ teaspoon) to start. Fish sauce is strong. Add more until it reaches your desired taste — you can always add more, but you can’t take it out once it’s in 😏
Also, if you would like a thinner dressing, add a touch more lemon juice or olive oil for the Caesar dressing. Adjust to your personal taste!
To add more protein to this salad, you can top it with grilled chicken or shrimp. Other toppings like avocado, crumbled bacon, or roasted chickpeas can also be added for added flavor and texture.
FAQs
It is best to assemble and serve this grilled Caesar salad with grilled croutons immediately after grilling. If left for too long, the romaine lettuce will wilt and lose its crispiness.
You can prep the dressing and grill the croutons ahead of time, but wait to grill the romaine until ready to serve.
We recommend only grilling one side of the romaine hearts to avoid mushy salad. The goal is to get the grill very hot so it sears the romaine for a minute or two, so you get that grilled flavor.
Yes! This recipe can be made with a grill pan on the stovetop. Just be sure to oil the grill pan and get it very hot before making the salad. You want to see the grill marks!
Storage Instructions
Store any leftover dressing in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. The grilled croutons can be kept at room temperature in an air-tight container for up to 2 days.
For the romaine, it is best to consume it immediately after grilling as it will continue to wilt the longer it sits.
Serving Suggestions
To keep the grilled theme going, serve this salad with some Juicy Grilled Chicken or Grilled Shrimp skewers. You can also pair it with a nice piece of Grilled Salmon for a complete and delicious meal. For a vegetarian option, top the salad with roasted chickpeas or tofu.
If you’re looking for something heartier, you can serve this as a side dish along with some Grilled Steak or Homemade Burgers. And, of course, it pairs perfectly with one of our Top Summer Cocktails!
Grilled Caesar Salad Recipe
Ingredients
Dressing
- ¼ cup 2% Greek yogurt
- 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1.5 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
- 2 tablespoons finely grated parmesan cheese
- ¼ teaspoon anchovy paste
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- ⅛ teaspoon freshly ground pepper
Salad
- 2 romaine hearts, quartered with root intact
- 3 tablespoons olive oil, separated
- ½ French or Italian baguette, sliced lengthwise
- ½ cup quartered cherry tomatoes
- 2 tablespoons shredded parmesan cheese
- Freshly cracked pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the grill to 450ºF.
- Prepare the dressing. Add all of the ingredients to a bowl and mix until well combined. Set aside.
- Drizzle 1.5 tablespoons of olive oil over the quartered romaine and 1.5 tablespoons of olive oil over the center of each baguette half.
- Place the baguette, oil side, onto the grill, over indirect heat. Do not close the grill. Cook until the bread is golden brown with grill marks, about 3-4 minutes. Remove from grill.
- Place the romaine hearts onto the grill over indirect heat and grill for 1-2 minutes or until grill marks appear. Do not close the grill. Remove from the grill.
- Cut or tear the grilled bread into crouton-sized pieces.
- Assemble the salad by topping the romaine hearts with cherry tomatoes, Caesar salad dressing, parmesan cheese, croutons, and freshly cracked black pepper.
Tips & Notes
- For the Caesar dressing, if you do not have anchovy paste, you can use fish sauce for the umami flavor. We recommend starting with half the amount of the anchovy sauce (⅛ teaspoon) to start. The fish sauce is strong. Add more until it reaches your desired taste.
- If you would like a thinner dressing, add a touch more lemon juice or olive oil for the caesar dressing.
- We recommend only grilling one side of the romaine hearts to avoid mushy salad. The goal is to get the grill very hot so it sears the romaine for a minute or two, so you get that grilled flavor.
- This recipe can be made with a grill pan on the stovetop. Just be sure to oil the grill pan and to get the grill pan very hot before making the salad.
Watch It
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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