If you had told me a few years ago that I would not only be happily eating grilled romaine lettuce but encouraging others to do the same, I would have thought you were nuts.

Why Grill Romaine Lettuce?

Why in the world would anyone want to grill lettuce? Lettuce just isn’t part of the grilling food group people! You know, burgers, ribs, beer can chicken. Grilled lettuce? Why that’s just… just pretentious, that’s what. Well the joke’s on me, and anyone who loves salad and also loves grilled things but hasn’t tried to put them together. Lettuce is a vegetable, or at least we eat it like one. We do grill vegetables. They are good. It stands to reason that the vegetable we call lettuce, if endowed with enough structure, which romaine has, would also be good grilled. And it is! That said, as much as I like it, my mom likes it, and my friends like it, you may not. But I do encourage you to try it, especially if you have some romaine hearts around.

How To Serve Grilled Romaine

When you’re done with the grilling, you can either serve them whole (one romaine heart per person), or slice them crosswise, and toss them in a bowl for a grilled salad.

What to Serve With Grilled Romaine Lettuce

Grilled Chicken With South Carolina Barbecue Sauce Grilled Salmon With Dill Butter Grilled Chicken Caesar Salad (use the grilled romaine in the recipe) Thousand Island Dressing Ranch Dressing