Grilled Romaine Panzanella

(11)

Throw it all on the grill. Grill the lettuce, bread, and tomatoes and toss it in a bowl for a refreshing take on salad.

Grilled Romaine Panzanella
Photo: Andy Lyons
Prep Time:
20 mins
Grill Time:
2 mins
Stand Time:
15 mins
Total Time:
37 mins
Servings:
8

Ingredients

  • 1 medium heart of romaine lettuce, cut in half lengthwise

  • ¼ of a loaf ciabatta bread, cut in half horizontally

  • 1 - 2 tablespoon olive oil

  • 1 cup grape and/or cherry tomatoes

  • 3 slices bacon

  • 3 tablespoon finely chopped red onion

  • 3 tablespoon red wine vinegar

  • ½ teaspoon honey

  • teaspoon salt

  • teaspoon ground black pepper

  • ½ cup torn fresh basil

  • ¼ cup shredded white cheddar cheese (1 ounce)

Directions

  1. Brush cut sides of lettuce and bread with 1 tablespoon of the oil. Thread tomatoes onto skewers,* leaving 1/4 inch between each tomato. For a charcoal or gas grill, place lettuce and bread, cut sides down, and tomato skewers on the rack of a covered grill directly over medium heat. Grill for 2 to 4 minutes or until light grill marks appear on lettuce and tomatoes and bread is toasted, removing food from grill as it is done. Coarsely chop lettuce and cut bread into 1-inch pieces. Remove tomatoes from skewers.

  2. For vinaigrette, in a large skillet cook bacon over medium heat until crisp. Remove bacon and drain on paper towels, reserving drippings in skillet. Cut up bacon; set aside. If necessary, add enough of the remaining 1 tablespoon oil to the reserved drippings to equal 3 tablespoons. Add onion to the reserved drippings; cook until tender, stirring occasionally. Add vinegar, honey, salt, and pepper. Cook about 1 minute more or until reduced slightly, stirring to scrape up crusty browned bits.

  3. In a large bowl combine lettuce, bread, tomatoes, bacon, basil, and cheese. Drizzle with vinaigrette; toss gently to coat. Let stand for 15 minutes before serving.

Tip:

This recipe can easily be doubled to serve 14 to 16 people.

*Tip:

If using wooden skewers, soak in water for at least 30 minutes; drain before using.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)

135 Calories
9g Fat
8g Carbs
4g Protein
Nutrition Facts
Servings Per Recipe 8
Calories 135
% Daily Value *
Total Fat 9g 12%
Saturated Fat 3g 15%
Cholesterol 13mg 4%
Sodium 245mg 11%
Total Carbohydrate 8g 3%
Total Sugars 1g
Protein 4g
Vitamin C 4.1mg 21%
Calcium 40.4mg 3%
Iron 0.4mg 2%
Potassium 134mg 3%
Folate, total 24.2mcg
Vitamin B-12 0.1mcg
Vitamin B-6 0.1mg

*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.

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