With summer right around the corner, I’ve been attempting to cut back on the vino and get back into healthier eating habits in preparation for bikini season. Especially since I recently won this killer RVCA bikini with a print designed by my best friend!! This means lately, I’ve been eating salads on salads on salads. Which also means I’m getting sick of salads! So I came up with a tasty take on a classic spring salad packed with produce from the farmer’s market.
This grilled romaine and radicchio salad was inspired by a salad I LOVE at a surfer’s fish joint in Encinitas. Fish 101 is always a popping spot in this rad beach town. The seafood is fresh, the fish tacos are to die for, and they have one of my all time favorite salads. The first time I had Fish 101’s grilled romaine salad with shrimp, my mind was blown! Grilling lettuce, say what?! But that bit of char on the grilled romaine provides a new layer of flavor that works incredibly well with tangy capers and a lemony vinaigrette.
When I first made this salad, I decided to add grilled radicchio as well. I love radicchio for its hefty crunch and hint of bitterness. Plus, the purple hue of the radicchio makes for a beautiful presentation and radicchio is readily available as winter turns to spring. While prepping for my grilled romaine and radicchio salad, I also grabbed watermelon radishes and heirloom carrots at the farmer’s market. Feel free to add whatever produce your heart desires! The real magic happens in the combination of the grilled lettuce and a tangy dressing. I soaked my minced shallots in red wine vinegar to round them out a bit and soften that bite shallots can have. This process also makes for a very flavorful vinaigrette!
Try throwing some romaine on the grill for your next salad and let me know your thoughts! For brunch on Easter Sunday, I served this grilled romaine and radicchio salad alongside my Provençal inspired spring quiche. Paired with a crisp, chilled glass of Gerard Bertrand’s Cote des Roses, the meal was a memorable one.
Sometimes you just need to up your salad game. This grilled romaine & radicchio salad with a tangy caper & shallot vinaigrette will do just the trick! Quickly grilling your romaine and radicchio provides just a bit of char that adds a whole new level of flavor making salads more interesting. I chose to use heirloom carrots and watermelon radishes for the bright colors and crunch they bring to the salad.
- 1 head romaine lettuce
- 1 head radicchio
- 1 shallot
- 1/2 cup white wine vinegar
- 1 tbsp chives, minced
- 2-3 heirloom carrots
- 2 watermelon radishes
- 2 tbsp capers
- 1 lemon
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- salt & pepper to taste
- wooden skewers for grilling
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Cut 1 head of romaine in half lengthwise. Cut 1 head of radicchio in half lengthwise. Rinse thoroughly and set aside to dry.
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Mince 1 bulb of a shallot. Marinate the minced shallot in 1/2 cup white wine vinegar. Set aside.
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Wash the heirloom carrots and watermelon radishes. Using a vegetable peeler, remove the outer layer of the watermelon radishes. Thinly slice (using a mandoline if you have one) the heirloom carrots and radishes. Place in ice water until putting the salad together to prevent browning.
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Cut the halves of radicchio in half to make quarters. Use a wooden skewer to pierce each quarter of radicchio from top to bottom to hold together while grilling. Do the same with the romaine. Spray the romaine and radicchio with a bit of olive oil. Place on a hot grill for 1-2 minutes, rotating as needed. Be careful not to leave the romaine and radicchio on the grill for too long to avoid a wilted salad. You just want a bit of char on each.
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Remove romaine and radicchio wedges from skewers and plate on a serving platter as desired. Strain the carrots and watermelon radishes from the ice water. Add to salad platter.
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Whisk all of the salad dressing ingredients together including shallots with white wine vinegar, juice of 1/2 lemon, 2 tbsp capers, 1 tbsp minced chives, 1/4 cup of olive oil, salt and pepper to taste. Pour over salad and serve immediately.
