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Grilled Cesar Salad
Gluten free - Dairy Free Options
Cesar salad is a favorite in our home. But, after awhile even we get bored of the same OLD salad.
Here is a great twist on the classic cesar that takes very little time to prepare AND can be enjoyed as a low carb meal in itself.
If you have been enjoying a bit too much home baked bread or indulging in cheesecake -- this is a great option for your waistline. It's low in carbs
at only 1g of net carbs per serving. You could also swap out the bacon and replace with grilled chicken, shrimp or oven roasted chickpeas and make it a healthy delicious meal in under 30 minutes.
Grilled Cesar Salad (makes 4 servings)
30 minutes
Ingredients
- 8 slices Bacon
- 1 Garlic (whole bulb)
- 1/3 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil (plus some extra for brushing)
- 1 Lemon (juiced)
- 2 tbsps Dijon Mustard
- Sea Salt & Black Pepper (to taste)
- 4 heads Romaine Hearts (halved)
- 1/4 cup Parmigiano Reggiano (grated or shaved)
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 425ºF (218ºC).
- Line a baking sheet with foil or parchment paper. Spread your bacon across the baking sheet.
- Slice the head off the garlic bulb and peel away the skin. Drizzle with a splash of extra virgin olive oil and sprinkle with sea salt and black pepper. Wrap with foil. Place both the bacon and the garlic in the oven. Let your garlic roast for 30 minutes. Let your bacon cook for about 8 minutes per side or until crispy. (Tip: Set two separate timers.)
- When the bacon is cooked, wrap bacon in paper towel to absorb the grease and then chop into fine pieces and set aside.
- When the garlic is finished, let it cool and squeeze all the cloves/flesh into a blender or food processor. Discard the remaining skin. Add olive oil, lemon juice, mustard, a pinch of sea salt and black pepper. Blend well until smooth.
- Preheat your grill on medium heat.
- Brush the face of your halved romaine hearts with a bit of olive oil then place them directly on the grill face down. Grill for about 5 minutes.
- Remove romaine hearts. Place two on a plate and drizzle with desired amount of caesar dressing. Sprinkle with bacon and grated parmigiano reggiano cheese.
Enjoy!
This dish is gluten free (if you buy gluten free bacon). Make it dairy free by swapping out the Parmigiano Reggiano with THIS
vegan parmesan -- it's the bomb!
If you don't have a grill or it's rainy outside, you can easily roast the romaine hearts in the oven at 425 degrees for 15 to 20 minutes or until they begin to char.
Make it a meal by bumping up the protein with grilled chicken cut into strips. Or make it vegan by swapping out the bacon and chicken for roasted chickpeas (great source of fiber too!) and use vegan Parmesan.
Nutrition
413 cal | 40g fat | 2g carbs | 1g fiber | 10g protein
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