Grilled Little Gems With Creamy Tarragon Dressing

By Pierce Abernathy

Published September 16, 2025

Linda Xiao for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Sue Li.
Ready In
20 min
Rating
4(11)
Comments
Read comments

Dense, crisp Little Gem lettuce (also known as baby romaine) gets kissed on the grill to char on one side and soften up slightly, while tarragon’s unique grassy, sweet anise flavor infuses a simple yogurt dressing. Grilling the lettuce not only adds a deeper flavor, it also changes the texture of the lettuce, making this dish surprisingly rich and satisfying (especially with that creamy dressing). Add some crunchy breadcrumbs and a tin of seafood to make this a main, or serve alongside other grilled delights. The Little Gem lettuce can also be swapped out for romaine or a wedge of iceberg. 

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Ingredients

Yield:4 to 6 servings

For the Dressing

  • 1 cup full-fat Greek yogurt 

  • ½ cup tarragon leaves, finely chopped

  • 1 small garlic clove, grated

  • Grated zest of 1 small lemon, plus 1 tablespoon lemon juice

  • Kosher salt, such as Diamond Crystal

  • 1 tablespoon honey

  • 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard 

  • 10 cracks black pepper

For the Salad

  • 4 to 6 heads Little Gem lettuce (also known as baby romaine)

  • Canola or safflower oil, for grilling

  • Kosher salt, such as Diamond Crystal

  • Thinly sliced chives, to garnish 

  • Olive oil, to garnish

  • Grated Pecorino Romano, to garnish

  • Flaky salt and freshly cracked black pepper, to garnish

Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 to 6 servings)

20 grams carbs; 6 milligrams cholesterol; 214 calories; 7 grams monosaturated fat; 2 grams polyunsaturated fat; 3 grams saturated fat; 14 grams fat; 6 grams fiber; 904 milligrams sodium; 8 grams protein; 11 grams sugar

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Make the dressing: Combine all the ingredients in a medium bowl and whisk until fully incorporated. Set aside.

  2. Step 2

    Prepare the salad: Heat a grill for high-heat direct cooking. Cut the lettuce heads in half lengthwise, drizzle lightly with canola oil and sprinkle with salt. Once the grill is hot, place lettuce on the grill, cut-side down, and cook undisturbed for 4 to 5 minutes, until the lettuce is charred and just starting to soften.

  3. Step 3

    To serve, place a few spoonfuls of dressing on the bottom of a shallow serving bowl (if the dressing is a bit thick, thin out with a little bit of olive oil). Top with the lettuce and garnish with a few more spoonfuls of the dressing, a drizzle of olive oil, and a sprinkle of chives, Pecorino, flaky salt and freshly cracked black pepper.

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Ratings

4 out of 5
11 user ratings
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Comments

D.

I haven’t made this recipe yet so can’t review it, but wanted to clarify that “Little Gem” lettuce isn’t a baby romaine, but rather a cross between romaine and butter head lettuces, with qualities from both parents.

Dr Eggplant

This was surprisingly good. Our local farm store had baby Gems in, and I had loads of tarragon in the garden, so was curious to try. Made it exactly as written, except did not have pecorino, and it was a light but tasty combination of textures and flavours. Mocked mercilessly by my carnivore son for having barbecued lettuce for dinner…

roz

Charring doesn’t add anything to Little Gem lettuce; dressing might be good on something else but overwhelms the lettuce.

Dr Eggplant

This was surprisingly good. Our local farm store had baby Gems in, and I had loads of tarragon in the garden, so was curious to try. Made it exactly as written, except did not have pecorino, and it was a light but tasty combination of textures and flavours. Mocked mercilessly by my carnivore son for having barbecued lettuce for dinner…

Fadda Mush

Anything would taste good with this dressing !

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