Grilled Romaine Caesar Salad with Toasted Breadcrumbs
Looking for a healthy and delicious option for lunch or dinner? This gluten-free, vegan, and dairy-free Grilled Romaine Caesar Salad with Toasted Breadcrumbs is the perfect choice! 🥬 Crisp romaine lettuce topped with toasty, crunchy breadcrumbs and a tangy, savory homemade caesar dressing, this salad is the perfect way to add some excitement to your weekly meal plan in less than 30 minutes! 👌🏻
Who says salads have to be boring? This Grilled Romaine Caesar Salad with Toasted Breadcrumbs is anything but! Packed with fresh, crisp romaine lettuce, crunchy breadcrumbs, and a tangy dairy-free caesar dressing, this dish is the ultimate way to get your greens and indulge in some serious flavor at the same time. 🤩
Whether you’re a vegan, gluten-free or dairy-free, our grilled romain Caesar salad with toasted breadcrumbs is a dish that everyone can enjoy. Bursting with fresh flavors and wholesome ingredients, this salad is a true celebration of all things delicious and nutritious.
The Vegan Caesar Dressing
My homemade Vegan Caesar Dressing tastes just like real caesar dressing but made without dairy, eggs, or anchovies! It’s a perfect vegan, gluten-free substitute for caesar salad or as a dip with fresh veggies. This easy dressing is made in just 5 minutes and is so delicious and creamy and absolutely perfect drizzled over grilled romaine lettuce.
You’ll start with 8 core ingredients, and a special ingredient to resemble that fishy-esque flavor you would normally get from the anchovies. I can thank Monique from Ambitious Kitchen for the little secret 😉 You will need vegan mayonnaise, dijon mustard, tahini, lemon juice, garlic powder, maple syrup, vegan parmesan cheese, salt & pepper, and the secret ingredient… capers! Simply blend everything together until smooth and creamy.
The Toasted Breadcrumbs
I was able to find gluten-free, vegan, grain-free and NUT-free breadcrumbs made by Paleo Powder at my local grocery store. It’s primarily made with cassava pulp, herbs and spices, but if you aren’t watching your grain or nut intake, any gluten-free breadcrumbs will work. You’ll add 1/4 cup of breadcrumbs and 1/2 a tablespoon of olive oil to a small bowl and toss to coat until the breadcrumbs are “wet”. Toast them in a small skillet over medium heat until they are crispy and start to turn golden brown, tossing frequently to avoid burning. Set them aside until ready to serve. Store any leftover breadcrumbs in an airtight container in your pantry.
Grilling the Romaine Lettuce 🥬
If you’ve never had grilled romaine lettuce, let me introduce you! It might sound weird, but it’s so so good. I first had grilled romaine lettuce when I was in college and I just fell in love with it. The smoky aroma of grilled lettuce paired with the caesar dressing and crunchy toasted breadcrumbs is a must-try for any foodie. If you have a grill, you can grill the romaine lettuce outside, but if you don’t you can grill the romaine in a griddle pan, like I did. And if you don’t have a griddle pan, no worries either! I have made grilled romaine salad in a good ol’ plain skillet 🙂
Simply add a little olive oil to the griddle, cut each head of romaine in half and then place them onto the griddle, flipping halfway through. Grill until they start to brown. You can use any romaine lettuce, but I will say it’s easier to work with smaller heads of romaine, so if you can find small to medium sized romaine lettuce that would be best. Don’t forget to wash your lettuce!
Then once the dressing is made, the breadcrumbs are toasted, and the romaine lettuce is grilled, simple serve onto plates, drizzle with caesar, sprinkle generously with breadcrumbs and serve warm! If you’re a grilled romaine lettuce skeptic, I hope you’ll try this recipe and change your mind! Let me know what you think down below in the comments section, as well as giving it a five star ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating so that others can try this version of a caesar salad! Tag me on Instagram, Facebook, or Pinterest!
Check out my Creamy Grilled Romaine Salad with Crispy Tandoori Chickpeas too!
Grilled Romaine Salad with Toasted Breadcrumbs
Looking for a healthy and delicious option for lunch or dinner? This gluten-free, vegan, and dairy-free Grilled Romaine Caesar Salad with Toasted Breadcrumbs is the perfect choice! Crisp romaine lettuce topped with toasty, crunchy breadcrumbs and a tangy, savory homemade caesar dressing, this salad is the perfect way to add some excitement to your weekly meal plan in less than 30 minutes!
Ingredients
Vegan Caesar Dressing
- ½ cup vegan mayonnaise
- 2 teaspoons dijon mustard
- 2 tablespoons tahini
- 1 teaspoon maple syrup
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 2 teaspoons capers
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- ¼ cup vegan parmesan cheese
Toasted Breadcrumbs
- ¼ cup gluten-free breadcrumbs
- ½ tablespoon olive oil
Grilled Romaine
- 2 small-medium heads of romaine lettuce, whole
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
Instructions
- Combine all of the dressing ingredients in a blender, preferably a small blender and blend until smooth. You could alternatively use a bowl and immersion blender. Add water to thin if desired and more salt & pepper to taste. Set aside.
- Heat a small skillet over medium heat. Add the breadcrumbs and ½ tablespoon olive oil together in a small bowl and toss to combine, coating the bread crumbs in the oil. Place the breadcrumbs in the skillet and saute until they start to crisp, tossing frequently to avoid burning them. Once they are golden brown, place back into the bowl and set aside.
- Next, heat a griddle pan over medium heat. Add 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil to the pan. Cut each head of romaine lettuce in half, wash, shake dry and then place the halves onto the griddle. Grill until they start to turn golden, then flip and grill the other side. Alternatively you can do this on a grill if you have one!
- Place the romaine lettuce onto plates, drizzle with caesar dressing and sprinkle with breadcrumbs. Serve warm.
Notes
* Don't forget to wash your lettuce first!
** Store any leftover caesar dressing in the fridge in an airtight container for up to a week.
*** Store any leftover breadcrumbs in an airtight container in your pantry.
