Roasted Romaine (Paleo / Vegan / Whole 30)

This is quite possibly the easiest side dish of all time! I feel bad for romaine – it gets a bad rap and doesn’t get used in many “fun” recipes. Romaine always seems to get thrown in the bottom of the bowl… never glorious enough to be a main attraction.

Grilled romaine, though, is a total game-changer. If you haven’t tried putting your romaine on the grill yet, IMMEDIATELY add it to your to-do list. Grilling romaine really brings out its flavor and makes it taste like a whole new vegetable! Pro tip – pair it with grilled avocado.

Unfortunately, I don’t have a grill in my studio apartment, so I only have grilled romaine when I visit home and use my parents’ grill. Even though I can’t grill romaine where I am, I wasn’t going to let that stop me from finding a way to replicate the flavor. I’m always looking for as many new ways to cook old, staple veggies as possible. Lettuce is easy to get and easy on my digestion, so if I can find more exciting ways to serve it – all the better. Which brings me to… roasted romaine!

This has honestly been a lifesaver for me recently, because I’m on a low-sulfur dietary protocol while I’m addressing my CBS mutation, which impairs my sulfur detoxification pathways. Because of that, my vegetable list has been limited. It’s easy to get bored when you eat the same foods over and over again, and I was tired of romaine. This makes me feel like I have a whole new veggie on my list! I love it roasted plain like in the recipe below, but it’s also great with a sauce or seed butter drizzled on top, a dollop of ghee, or (of course) avocado. I haven’t tried it yet, but I imagine it would pair perfectly with eggs as well!

Roasted romaine tastes incredibly similar to grilled romaine, so it’s the perfect sub if you don’t have a grill. It’s the same idea as roasted bok choy, but with a different flavor. Romaine hearts are quick to cook, easy to make, and overall the perfect side to pair with any main. Just cut your romaine hearts in half, season them, and roast them in the oven! These are definitely a crowd pleaser, and you’ll get extra credit points for creativity! These roasted romaine hearts are paleo, vegan, Whole 30-friendly, low-carb, keto, SCD-friendly, low-FODMAP, AND low sulfur! If you’re looking for an easy way to switch up your veggies, this is for you.

Roasted Romaine (Paleo / Vegan / Whole 30)

Ingredients:

3 organic romaine hearts
avocado oil / olive oil
salt
pepper

Instructions:

Preheat your oven to 415*F. Line a baking tray with parchment paper or grease it with cooking oil.
Cut your romaine hearts in half and lay them on the baking tray face up (so you see the inside of the hearts).
Drizzle with avocado oil or olive oil, or brush along the top. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Roast in the oven for 15-20 minutes, or until the hearts start to crisp. You can flip halfway through if desired, but I typically don’t.