I casually mentioned grilling lettuce on my Instagram a few months back, and ever since, I haven’t stopped receiving BUT HOW?! messages. I must admit—I’m not the griller of said lettuces (my wife is)—and this weekend, I finally had some time to grill her on how to do it.
And while I’m at it, I’m going to break down the full (hot) salad recipe we make multiple times a week. No raw veggies for us, they are too hard on digestion, plus this truly tastes so much better!
Stay Hot Salad
4 little gems or 1-2 heads of romaine
1 sweet potato
1 avocado
Pomegranate (handfull)
Toasted pine nuts (handfull)
Olive Oil
Vinegar (my go to is this champagne one)
Sol Food Pique Sauce (optional but highly recommended)
Salt + Pepper
Wash and peel sweet potato, then cutting into small pieces. Toss lightly in olive oil and seasoning (currently doing garlic salt but also love the magic spice). Air fry at 400°F for 20 minutes or bake on a sheet pan at 425°F for ~20 minutes until soft. Here’s how I do it!
Turn on BBQ or heat a grill pan. (Full transparency: I haven’t tried the grill pan yet because we have an outdoor BBQ, but in theory it should work just fine.) Cut little gems or romaine lettuce in half, drizzle lightly with olive oil, and gently massage it in. Sprinkle with Maldon salt. Grill cut-side down for a few minutes, until char marks appear and the leaves soften.
My wife’s pro tips for when they’re ready
When you grab them with tongs, there is more give side to side…almost like they loosen a bit.
They give of a slightly nutty smell.
Next, turn the oven to broil. Place pine nuts on a parchment-lined baking sheet and toast for 2-3 minutes. Keep a close eye on them—trust me, we’ve gotten into many fights about burning the pine nuts.
Cut the grilled lettuces, then add them to a large bowl along with the sweet potato, avocado, pomegranate seeds, and pine nuts.
In a separate cup, mix olive oil, champagne vinegar, Sol Food Pique sauce, salt, and pepper. (Sorry—I don’t measure.) Pour over the salad and toss well.
Serve warm.
xx Dr. Stolberg
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