Charred Romaine Salad
Charring the romaine under the broiler adds great depth of flavor to give some pizzaz to a tasty weeknight dinner salad.
Equipment
- 1 Rimmed baking sheet
Ingredients
Salad
- 2 heads romaine lettuce rinsed and patted dry
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- generous pinch of kosher salt and ground black pepper
- 1/4 cup toasted chopped walnuts or pine nuts
Dressing
- 3 tablespoons tahini paste
- 2-3 tablespoons maple syrup for a slightly sweeter dressing, opt for 3 tablespoons
- 3 cloves garlic, grated
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon dried harissa seasoning (optional)
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice (juice of one lemon)
Instructions
Prep the Dressing
- In a small bowl, add all the ingredients and whisk vigorously until thickened and smooth. Set aside to dress the salad before serving.
Prep the Romaine
- To broil the romaine, turn your oven to the highest Broil setting.
- Slice the romaine hearts in half, leaving the bottom intact so the leaves stay together, giving you four halves of romaine. Drizzle each half with olive oil and sprinkle a generous pinch of kosher salt and pepper on both sides.
- Place the romaine hearts, cut side down, on a large rimmed baking sheet and broil for 2-3 minutes. Keep a close eye on the romaine as some broilers might work faster than others.
- Remove from oven to flip them over and broil the other side for 2-3 minutes. They should come out looking slightly charred, not burnt.
- Remove the sheet of romaine from the oven and, using tongs, place the hearts on a serving platter or dinner plates, cut side up. Alternatively, you can give he leaves a rough chop and add to a large salad bowl.
- When ready to serve, drizzle dressing over the leaves and garnish as desired.
Notes
To make this a main dish, add in your desired protein. I loved using these Crispy Chickpea Croutons but you can also use sliced roasted chicken or even grilled steak.