Grilled Romaine Hearts With Buttermilk-Dill Dressing Recipe

Name: Grilled Romaine Hearts With Buttermilk-Dill Dressing Recipe
Total time: 20 min
Yield: 6
Ingredients: 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil; Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper; 3 romaine lettuce hearts, core intact, halved lengthwise; 1/2 cup buttermilk; 1 tablespoon dijon mustard; 2 tablespoons mayonnaise; 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar; 1/2 shallot, peeled and minced (about 2 tablespoons); 1 tablespoon sugar; 3 tablespoons chopped fresh dill; 1/2 pint grape tomatoes, halved lengthwise (about 1/2 cup); 4 small radishes, very thinly sliced (about 1/4 cup)

Summer seems to be arriving in fits and starts, but once it's here to stay, I'll abandon my stove altogether and take my cooking outside for the season. Most of us are familiar with the grilled vegetable standbys of eggplant, zucchini, peppers, and the like, but almost any vegetable can (and should) be grilled, including more delicate items like lettuce. You'd think grilled lettuce would turn warm and soggy, but properly seared on a hot grill it actually gets charred, smoky, and crisp-tender.

I like to serve grilled hearts of romaine lettuce with a rich, tangy buttermilk dressing shot through with fragrant dill, topped with sweet tomatoes and crisp rounds of spicy radishes. This super-simple recipe only takes 20 minutes to prepare and will surely stand out at your next summer barbecue. My favorite part about it? It's the ultimate finger food: just pick up a wedge of lettuce and go to town.

Grilled Romaine Hearts With Buttermilk-Dill Dressing Recipe

Active 20 mins

Total 20 mins

Serves 6 servings

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 romaine lettuce hearts, core intact, halved lengthwise
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1/2 shallot, peeled and minced (about 2 tablespoons)
1 tablespoon sugar
3 tablespoons chopped fresh dill
1/2 pint grape tomatoes, halved lengthwise (about 1/2 cup)
4 small radishes, very thinly sliced (about 1/4 cup)

Light 1/2 chimney full of charcoal. When all the charcoal is lit and covered with gray ash, pour out and spread the coals evenly over the coal grate. Set cooking grate in place, cover grill and allow to preheat for 5 minutes. Alternatively, preheat a gas grill to high, covered, for at least 10 minutes. Clean and oil the grilling grate.
While grill is preheating, in a small bowl, combine olive oil and salt and pepper to taste. Using a pastry brush, brush flat side of each lettuce half with oil mixture and set aside on a plate. Combine buttermilk, mustard, mayonnaise, vinegar, shallot, sugar, dill and salt and pepper to taste in a mason jar or well-sealed tupperware container and shake until thoroughly emulsified. Set aside.
When grill is hot, place lettuce flat side down on the grill. Cover grill and cook lettuce until well-browned, about 4 minutes, then flip and cook for an additional 3 minutes.
When lettuce is cooked, place flat side up on a platter and top with dressing (you may have extra dressing). Garnish salad with sliced tomatoes and radishes and serve immediately.

Special Equipment

Grill, pastry brush

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
135	Calories
11g	Fat
8g	Carbs
3g	Protein

Nutrition Facts
Servings: 6
Amount per serving
Calories	135
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 11g	14%
Saturated Fat 2g	8%
Cholesterol 3mg	1%
Sodium 289mg	13%
Total Carbohydrate 8g	3%
Dietary Fiber 3g	10%
Total Sugars 5g
Protein 3g
Vitamin C 9mg	47%
Calcium 72mg	6%
Iron 1mg	8%
Potassium 389mg	8%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.

(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)