As much as possible this summer, I’m avoiding unnecessary use of the stove or oven. Our energy costs are high enough just knocking down the heat that’s outside. No sense producing more heat indoors. What this means for mealtime is a combination of solutions: cooking extra things in one oven session, eating more cold foods, bringing food in from other places and (you guessed it) grilling our food outside, where you don’t notice the heat because it’s already so damn hot. 

We love the flavors of grilled foods any time of year; summer just happens to be the more practical time of year to do grilling, and we are fortunate that by dinnertime, most of our backyard is in the shade. It’s not unusual, especially on weekends, for my husband and me to relax with a cocktail out there (maybe a frozen old fashioned?) while he tends to dinner on our big Napoleon gas grill. And when I say that he grills dinner, sometimes I mean the whole dinner, including a main meat, a side veg and the salad. Wait— he grills the salad??

It may seem unconventional to make a salad on the grill, but hear me out. What the grill does for meat and vegetables— you know, searing, adding smoky notes and caramelizing surface sugars— well, it does the same for leafy greens. Some of the leaves will wilt and even char a little bit, and some of the sturdier, inside leaves will hang onto a little crunch. This makes for a very pleasant bite that you should try, if you haven’t already.

This salad of romaine hearts, scallions and bitter radicchio is elevated by a quick turn on the grill, and I’ve made a smoky, garlicky Parmesan-peppercorn dressing to go with it.

Let’s do this!

Begin by prepping the greens earlier in the day. You must have whole lettuce heads, as the delicate leaves would wilt and burn far too quickly if placed on the grill individually. I’ve chosen hearts of Romaine and radicchio, a small bitter green that isn’t green at all, but purplish crimson in color. Trim any rusted bottoms, then cut them in half lengthwise and give them a good rinse under cold running water. Gently shake out the excess water and place them upside down on a towel-lined baking sheet. Cover with another paper towel and send it to the fridge to crisp up for a few hours as the lettuces continue to drain. 

The smoky Parmesan-peppercorn dressing is easy to make, and it’s best to do this ahead as well, so that the flavors have time to mingle. The dressing includes everything you see here— plus a little milk to thin out the consistency.

Equal parts mayo and Greek yogurt provide the base for this dressing, and a if you can get your hands on this oak wood smoked pepper, you won’t regret it for the smoky notes it contributes. Squeeze in the juice of half the lemon, then whisk in the roasted garlic and a couple spoonfuls of grated Parmesan. The dressing will be quite thick, so whisk in a bit of milk (or buttermilk) at a time, until the consistency is to your liking. The click-to-print recipe card below makes more dressing than you’ll need for this salad, so plan to enjoy it again later with another meal.

Grilling the salad

When the rest of your meal is almost ready, flip over the chilled lettuce halves and give them a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, plus a quick hit of salt and pepper. Place them, face down, on the hot grill alongside your scallions, and watch closely for signs of wilting and charring. Give them a turn after a few minutes, and take them off the heat when both sides have softened and show signs of grill marks and charred edges.

Transfer the grilled lettuces to a clean cutting board and chop them up for serving. Toss with a bit of the smoky Parmesan-peppercorn dressing and an extra sprinkle of Parmesan if desired.

Grilled Salad with Parmesan-Peppercorn Dressing

• Servings: 4
• Prep Time: 20 minutes
• Cook Time: 6 or 7 minutes
• Difficulty: Easy
• Print

If you've never had grilled salad, this is an easy one to try, with a delicious homemade dressing that you'll want to enjoy year round.

Ingredients

• 2 hearts of Romaine lettuce, trimmed, split and rinsed
• 1 medium head radicchio, trimmed, split and rinsed
• 2 or 3 scallions, cleaned and trimmed
• 3 Tbsp. light mayonnaise
• 3 Tbsp. nonfat Greek yogurt (sour cream works, too)
• About 1/4 tsp. kosher salt
• Several twists freshly ground black pepper (or combination with smoked black pepper, which is so good!)
• Juice of 1/2 lemon
• 1 whole bulb roasted garlic
• 2 Tbsp. freshly grated Parmesan or Parm-Romano blend cheese
• 1 to 2 Tbsp. milk or buttermilk, as desired, to thin the dressing consistency

It is best to make the dressing several hours before grilling, so that the flavors have plenty of time to mingle. Prep the lettuce ahead as well, to ensure the excess water can drain out.

Directions

1. Place rinsed lettuce halves on paper towel-lined baking sheet, cut sides down. Cover with a damp paper towel and refrigerate a few hours, allowing excess water to drain.
2. Make dressing by combining mayo, yogurt, salt and pepper in a small bowl. Squeeze in lemon juice and whisk to combine.
3. Squeeze roasted garlic cloves from the bulb and whisk them into the dressing mixture, along with grated Parmesan.
4. Add small amounts of milk at a time, whisking after each, until desired consistency is achieved.
5. Refrigerate dressing until time to serve. Extra dressing will keep in the fridge for about one week.
6. Heat grill to medium-high heat. Turn prepped lettuces upright and drizzle with olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. Place on the grill, cut side down, along with the scallions. Turn after a few minutes, when lettuce has slight charring. Remove from heat when both sides show grill marks.
7. Transfer lettuces and scallions to a cutting board and rough chop. Toss lightly with dressing and sprinkle with additional Parmesan, if desired.