Grilled romaine and sweet potato salad with creamy cilantro dressing

Enjoy summer grilling while you can, with as many types of meals as you can. This grilled salad recipe is one more option for a great meal.

Fire up the grill for this lovely dinner salad. You read that right: This recipe for grilled romaine and sweet potato salad with creamy cilantro dressing calls for you to toss your greens onto the grill along with a few other ingredients.

Grilling the romaine will add a bit of smokiness to this warm salad. While you’re at it, the grill is a great spot to turn bread into crunchy croutons. And let’s not forget the sweet potatoes. Imagine the flavors that come through from grilling them for a short time — sweet and smoky goodness. Top it all with a creamy cilantro dressing for a fab salad that is as unique as it is delicious.

Grilled romaine and sweet potato salad with creamy cilantro dressing recipe

Serves 4

Ingredients:

For the dressing

• 1/4 cup plain Greek yogurt
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon lemon zest
• 1 garlic clove, minced and mashed into a paste
• 2-3 tablespoons fresh chopped cilantro, to taste
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon dried mustard
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

For the salad

• 2 heads romaine lettuce, split down the center, washed and dried
• 2 sweet potatoes
• 4 slices rustic bread
• 2-1/2 tablespoons olive oil

Directions:

For the dressing

1. Into a bowl, add all the ingredients, and whisk to combine. Taste, and adjust the seasonings as needed.
2. Refrigerate until ready to use. Whisk before using.

For the salad

1. In a small bowl, place the olive oil. Preheat your grill to medium-low.
2. Wash and dry the sweet potatoes (skins on), and then pierce them all around with a fork. Place them into a shallow baking dish, and microwave them for 4 to 5 minutes. Rotate the potatoes, and microwave for another 4 to 5 minutes.
3. When the potatoes have cooled to the touch, cut them into wedges. Lightly brush all sides of the wedges with the olive oil.
4. Lightly brush the romaine (both sides) with the olive oil, and then the slices of bread.
5. When the grill is hot, add the potatoes. Grill them on all sides, for a total of about 5 minutes.
6. As the potatoes are cooking, add the slices of bread to the corner of the grill. Turn once, taking care not to burn them. You want them just lightly grilled.
7. Remove the potatoes and bread from the grill, and add the romaine. Grill on both sides, flipping once, for a total of about 4 minutes. You want the lettuce to be lightly charred and slightly wilted. Remove from the heat.
8. Cut the potato wedges into cubes, and then do the same for the slices of bread to use them as croutons.
9. Place 1 romaine half onto each plate. Evenly divide the sweet potatoes and croutons among them. Drizzle the dressing over each, and serve warm.
10. If you prefer, chop the romaine after grilling it, and add it to a bowl along with the sweet potato cubes. Gently toss, divide among plates, top with the croutons, and drizzle the dressing over the tops.

Toss your salad on the grill.

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