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I’m going to start off by saying right away that this recipe – Grilled Romaine Hearts and Pears with Bleu Cheese – might sound a little strange to some of you – but PLEASE bear with me! 🙂
This salad is absolutely delicious – and yes, the steps to make this salad include grilling the romaine lettuce hearts!
Don’t leave me now…
Grilling lettuce – just enough to give it a little bit of char and a slight wilt around the edges of the leaves – adds a wonderful, delicious, nutty flavor that totally transforms this salad into something incredible! Then we topped the grilled romaine hearts with slices of grilled pears, crumbles of tangy bleu cheese, toasted pine nuts, and a fantastic white balsamic vinaigrette.
This Grilled Romaine Hearts and Pears with Bleu Cheese is a contrast of warm and cool, crunchy and creamy, tangy and sweet – and your taste buds will be seriously dancing!
So please…give this incredible salad a try! We think you’ll be thrilled at how delicious it is!
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Grilled Romaine Hearts and Pears with Bleu Cheese
Ingredients
For the Vinaigrette
- 2 tablespoons white balsamic vinegar
- 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- Few grinds fresh black pepper
- 1/4 cup good quality extra virgin olive oil
For the Salad
- 1/2 cup pine nuts (walnuts or pecans may also be substituted)
- 3 large romaine hearts, brown core end sliced off and hearts cut in half the long way.
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
- 2 ripe but firm pears, cores removed; cut into 6 or 8 wedges (We used Bartlett pears)
- 4 ounces crumbled blue cheese
Instructions
- In a small bowl, place vinegar, mustard, salt and pepper and while whipping, slowly add oil to emulsify. Set aside.
- In a small dry sauté pan over medium heat, toast pine nuts and set aside.
- Heat a ribbed pan over medium high.
- Toss the pears with one tablespoon of the oil and grill for about 1-2 minutes on each side. Set aside.
- With the pan still on medium high, drizzle the remaining oil over cut sides of romaine and grill three halves for about 2 minutes, cut side only. Remove to a platter and grill remaining three halves and add to platter.
- Top with pears and dressing. Then sprinkle cheese and pine nuts over top and serve.
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I love everything about this salad. I’ve been on a huge salad kick lately and LOVE finding new ideas. This is brilliant.
I actually love the char that lettuce gets when you grill it! I’ve never grilled it at home but I’ve had it out at local restaurants! Totally the perfect summer salad!
With it being grill season not too many think of the mighty romaine as the star…I’d say they are wrong after looking at this delicious salad!
There is absolutely nothing strange about this recipe – I love every single ingredient!! I have never grilled romaine hearts so this should be interesting. Thank you for introducing me to something new to try!!
I am truly salivating over this salad! A little sweet, a little salty and some smokiness makes for a great flavor combination.
I have not grilled lettuce yet but you gave great instructions. Sounds so good especially along with your Vinaigrette!
OMG! I’ve got to make this. Sounds wonderful and looks amazing…and it’s lettuce 🙂
Grilled romaine lettuce is a fresh and fun summer idea. I can just imagine all the different flavors in textures you get in every bite with this recipe!!
You know what, I grilled romaine maybe once or twice in my life although I love the char so it’s a wonder I don’t char more often. This salad looks delicious.
Oh my word. This salad looks DELICIOUS!!!