Grilled Romaine Caesar Salad with Toasted Breadcrumbs

Published byGina Fontana onMarch 31, 2023January 29, 2025 Updated onJanuary 29, 2025

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Looking for a healthy and delicious option for lunch or dinner? This gluten-free, vegan, and dairy-free Grilled Romaine Caesar Salad with Toasted Breadcrumbs is the perfect choice! 🥬 Crisp romaine lettuce topped with toasty, crunchy breadcrumbs and a tangy, savory homemade caesar dressing, this salad is the perfect way to add some excitement to your weekly meal plan in less than 30 minutes! 👌🏻

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three halves of romaine lettuce heads on an oval plate drizzled with caesar dressing and sprinkled with gluten-free toasted breadcrumbs. A bowl of bread crumbs and caesar dressing above the oval plate.

Table of Contents

Who says salads have to be boring? This Grilled Romaine Caesar Salad with Toasted Breadcrumbs is anything but! Packed with fresh, crisp romaine lettuce, crunchy breadcrumbs, and a tangy dairy-free caesar dressing, this dish is the ultimate way to get your greens and indulge in some serious flavor at the same time. 🤩

Whether you’re a vegan, gluten-free or dairy-free, our grilled romain Caesar salad with toasted breadcrumbs is a dish that everyone can enjoy. Bursting with fresh flavors and wholesome ingredients, this salad is a true celebration of all things delicious and nutritious.

The Vegan Caesar Dressing

My homemade Vegan Caesar Dressing tastes just like real caesar dressing but made without dairy, eggs, or anchovies! It’s a perfect vegan, gluten-free substitute for caesar salad or as a dip with fresh veggies. This easy dressing is made in just 5 minutes and is so delicious and creamy and absolutely perfect drizzled over grilled romaine lettuce.

a small glass with caesar dressing and some dripping off a spoon back into the glass

You’ll start with 8 core ingredients, and a special ingredient to resemble that fishy-esque flavor you would normally get from the anchovies. I can thank Monique from Ambitious Kitchen for the little secret 😉 You will need vegan mayonnaise, dijon mustard, tahini, lemon juice, garlic powder, maple syrup, vegan parmesan cheese, salt & pepper, and the secret ingredient… capers! Simply blend everything together until smooth and creamy.

The Toasted Breadcrumbs

I was able to find gluten-free, vegan, grain-free and NUT-free breadcrumbs made by Paleo Powder at my local grocery store. It’s primarily made with cassava pulp, herbs and spices, but if you aren’t watching your grain or nut intake, any gluten-free breadcrumbs will work. You’ll add 1/4 cup of breadcrumbs and 1/2 a tablespoon of olive oil to a small bowl and toss to coat until the breadcrumbs are “wet”. Toast them in a small skillet over medium heat until they are crispy and start to turn golden brown, tossing frequently to avoid burning. Set them aside until ready to serve. Store any leftover breadcrumbs in an airtight container in your pantry.

a close up of one of the halves of grilled romaine lettuce drizzled with caesar dressing and toasted breadcrumbs

Grilling the Romaine Lettuce 🥬

If you’ve never had grilled romaine lettuce, let me introduce you! It might sound weird, but it’s so so good. I first had grilled romaine lettuce when I was in college and I just fell in love with it. The smoky aroma of grilled lettuce paired with the caesar dressing and crunchy toasted breadcrumbs is a must-try for any foodie. If you have a grill, you can grill the romaine lettuce outside, but if you don’t you can grill the romaine in a griddle pan, like I did. And if you don’t have a griddle pan, no worries either! I have made grilled romaine salad in a good ol’ plain skillet 🙂

Simply add a little olive oil to the griddle, cut each head of romaine in half and then place them onto the griddle, flipping halfway through. Grill until they start to brown. You can use any romaine lettuce, but I will say it’s easier to work with smaller heads of romaine, so if you can find small to medium sized romaine lettuce that would be best. Don’t forget to wash your lettuce!

close up overhead shot of three halves of romaine lettuce drizzled with vegan caesar dressing and sprinkled with grain-free breadcrumbs

Then once the dressing is made, the breadcrumbs are toasted, and the romaine lettuce is grilled, simple serve onto plates, drizzle with caesar, sprinkle generously with breadcrumbs and serve warm! If you’re a grilled romaine lettuce skeptic, I hope you’ll try this recipe and change your mind! Let me know what you think down below in the comments section, as well as giving it a five star ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating so that others can try this version of a caesar salad! Tag me on Instagram, Facebook, or Pinterest!