Grilled Cesar Salad with Homemade Cesar Dressing

Let’s embark on a culinary journey with our Grilled Caesar Salad, featuring a homemade Caesar dressing. Infused with the bold flavors of minced anchovy fillets, garlic, Dijon mustard, freshly squeezed lemon juice, apple cider vinegar, mayonnaise, and a zesty kick from prepared horseradish, the dressing is the heart of our Cesar salad. It elevates each bite with its creamy texture and harmonious blend of savory and tangy notes.

To craft this exquisite dressing, we begin by combining the minced anchovy fillets, garlic, Dijon mustard, lemon juice, apple cider vinegar, mayonnaise, prepared horseradish, and ground black pepper in a mixing bowl. Whisk together until the ingredients meld into a creamy symphony, and then slowly drizzle in extra virgin olive oil and sprinkle in Parmesan cheese. Whisk once more until the dressing reaches a smooth and velvety consistency. Taste and adjust the seasoning as needed before refrigerating for at least 30 minutes to allow the flavors to marry and intensify.

While our dressing chills in the refrigerator, we turn our attention to the other components of our Grilled Caesar Salad. In a skillet over medium heat, we sizzle bacon slices until they achieve crispy perfection, infusing the salad with smoky, savory goodness.

Next, we prepare the romaine lettuce, cutting each heart in half lengthwise and brushing both sides with extra virgin olive oil. With the grill preheated to medium-high heat, we place the romaine halves on the grates, allowing them to char slightly and develop a tantalizing smoky flavor.

Why grill romaine lettuce?

Grilling romaine lettuce transforms it from a simple salad ingredient into a flavorful and sophisticated centerpiece of any dish. Grilling adds a unique depth of flavor and texture to the lettuce. The heat from the grill slightly wilts the lettuce, intensifying its natural sweetness while infusing it with a smoky aroma. Grilling romaine lettuce also creates beautiful charred grill marks on the surface, enhancing its visual appeal and providing a delightful contrast to the creamy dressing.

Finally, it’s time to assemble our masterpiece. We place the grilled romaine lettuce halves on a serving platter and generously drizzle them with our homemade Caesar dressing. A sprinkling crispy bacon bits and extra grated Parmesan cheese over the top adds the perfect finishing touch, providing a satisfying crunch and burst of flavor in every bite.

With each forkful of a Grilled Caesar Salad, delight in the harmonious medley of flavors and textures -crisp and smoky romaine lettuce, creamy and zesty dressing, and savory bacon bits – all coming together to create a symphony of taste sensations. Enjoy this exquisite salad as a tantalizing appetizer or a satisfying main course, savoring every mouthful of its irresistible allure.

Grilled Cesar Salad with Homemade Cesar Dressing

5 from 1 vote

Recipe by Kyle Taylor Course: Mains, SidesCuisine: ItalianDifficulty: Easy

Servings

4

servings

Prep time

30

minutes

Cooking time

15

minutes

Total time

45

minutes

Grilled Caesar Salad with Homemade Caesar Dressing combines charred romaine lettuce with a creamy, tangy dressing, crispy bacon, and Parmesan cheese for a flavorful twist on a classic favorite.

Ingredients

• For the Grilled Cesar Salad

• 2 hearts of 2 romaine lettuce

• 2 tablespoons 2 extra virgin olive oil

• 4 slices of 4 bacon

• for garnish, grated Parmesan cheese

• to taste, salt and ground black pepper

• For the Cesar Dressing

• 4 fillets of 4 anchovy, minced

• 2 cloves of 2 garlic, minced

• 1 teaspoon 1 Dijon mustard

• 2 tablespoons 2 lemon juice, freshly squeezed

• 1 tablespoon 1 apple cider vinegar

• 1/2 cup 1/2 mayonnaise

• 1 teaspoon 1 prepared horseradish

• 1/4 cup 1/4 extra virgin olive oil

• 1/4 cup 1/4 Parmesan cheese, grated

• 1/2 teaspoon 1/2 ground black pepper

Directions

• Prepare Cesar Salad Dressing:
  In a mixing bowl, combine the minced anchovy fillets, minced garlic, Dijon mustard, freshly squeezed lemon juice, apple cider vinegar, mayonnaise, prepared horseradish, and ground black pepper. Mix until well combined.
• Add in Oil and Cheese:
  Slowly whisk in the extra virgin olive oil and the Parmesan cheese. Whisk the ingredients together until they are well combined and the dressing is smooth and creamy.
  
  Taste the dressing and adjust the seasoning if necessary, adding more salt, pepper, or lemon juice to suit your preferences. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to allow the flavors to meld, while you prepare the rest of the salad.
• Cook the Bacon:
  In a skillet over medium heat, cook the bacon slices until they are crispy, about 5-7 minutes. Once cooked, remove them from the skillet and let them cool. Chop or crumble them into small bits.
• Prepare the Romaine Lettuce:
  Cut each heart of romaine lettuce in half lengthwise, leaving the core intact to hold the leaves together. Brush both sides of the romaine lettuce halves with extra virgin olive oil, ensuring they are evenly coated.
• Grill the Romaine Lettuce:
  Preheat your grill to medium-high heat. Place the prepared romaine lettuce halves on the grill, cut side down. Grill for about 2-3 minutes, or until grill marks appear and the lettuce begins to wilt slightly. Turn over and grill the other side for 1-2 minutes. Remove from the grill and set aside.
• Assemble the Salad:
  Place the grilled romaine lettuce halves on a serving platter. Drizzle the Caesar dressing generously over the grilled romaine lettuce halves. Sprinkle the bacon bits and extra grated Parmesan cheese over the top of the lettuce.
  
  Enjoy your Grilled Caesar Salad with Homemade Caesar Dressing!