Grilled Little Gem Salad

This Grilled Little Gem Salad transforms crisp little gem lettuce into something smoky, tender, and irresistible. Finished with creamy avocado and a drizzle of balsamic glaze, it's a side dish your guests won't be able to get enough of.

If you haven't tried grilling lettuce, this Little Gem Salad is the best recipe to start with.

Grilling the lettuce can turn an everyday salad into one that’s distinctive and over-the-top tasty.

Grilled Little Gem are so delicious that you don't even need additional ingredients to go with them. I love combining it with the avocado and cheese, but if time doesn't permit, or you just want to keep it simple, go for it.

Ingredient Notes

• Little Gem Lettuce - Though it looks like baby Romaine, Little Gem is its own variety of lettuce. Each head of Little Gem Lettuce heads are approximately 3 to 5 inches long with a diameter of approximately 1½ to 3 inches. Sometimes called Baby Gem, it can be described as a combination of Butter lettuce and Romaine lettuce. It’s not a hybrid of the two; however, it’s crisp like Romaine and subtly sweet and tender like Butter. Its small size and leaves that stay intact when sliced make it perfect for grilling. Substitution: Baby Romaine or Romaine.
• avocado - Avocados that are perfect for salads are ripe yet firm. They should have a bit of give when pressed gently with your thumb. (I find that avocados with smoother skin tend to be creamier.)
• Blue cheese - The tangy, salty flavor of blue cheese is delicious with the smoky grilled lettuce and creamy avocado. Substitutions: Roquefort and Feta are great substitutions, and if you'd like a more mild flavor, use crumbled goat cheese.
• extra virgin olive oil - Use one you love!
• lemon juice - If possible, use Meyer lemons because they're a touch sweeter and juicier than other lemons.
• balsamic vinegar - We're heating the vinegar to thicken it a bit. To save time, you can buy a balsamic glaze or keep it thin.
• Kosher salt and black pepper - The salt and pepper are important for grilling the lettuce.

How to Make a Grilled Little Gem Salad

- Preheat a stove-top grill over high heat.

- Wash, dry, and cut each head of Little Gem in half lengthwise.

- Place the prepared Little Gems on a baking sheet or large plate, flat sides up. Drizzle them with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.

- When the grill is very hot, add the lettuce to it, flat sides down. If you don’t hear a sizzling sound, the grill isn’t hot enough yet. Wait for the sizzle! Grill just to mark them, about 3 minutes. Use kitchen tongs to remove them from the grill and place them on a plate to cool. Set aside.

- Arrange the grilled Little Gems and avocado slices on a serving platter. Sprinkle with the blue cheese and drizzle with the lemon juice.

- Add the balsamic vinegar to a small saucepan and bring to a strong simmer over medium-high heat. Simmer until the vinegar has reduced by about half. Let it cool slightly and then drizzle it over the salad.

Why Grill Lettuce?

Grilling lettuce is almost like adding an additional ingredient to a recipe, and the flavor is slightly sweet and smoky.

Grilling the lettuce also slightly changes the texture. When we grill lettuce, we don’t want to actually cook it, we just want the surface to lightly caramelize while the inside stays crisp.

Can you sauté instead of grill?

Yes, you can. In a cast iron skillet, you can achieve a similar result. The caramelization will be there, though the smoky flavor will be less intense.

Serving Suggestions

• Make it a main course. Add chicken or shrimp, and it becomes a hearty main course.
• It's delicious served alongside Spicy Jalapeño Turkey Burgers, Chipotle Chicken with Corn Salsa, and to keep the meal vegetarian, I love it with Quinoa-Almond Burgers.
• Grilled Little Gem lettuce is also great on its own as a side dish.
• For a pop of color, garnish the salad with Lime Pickled Red Onion.

More Scrumptious Salads for Casual Entertaining

I hope you love Grilled Little Gem Lettuce Salad as much as my family and I do.

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