Broccoli Caesar Salad

This insanely delicious Broccoli Caesar Salad is fun take on our fav salad recipe. The broccoli is wrapped in salty prosciutto that turns crispy

This broccoli Caesar salad is loosely based on a traditional Caesar. I almost want to call it a deconstructed Caesar salad, but that sounds a little too fancy pants for me. While this would be a gorgeous dish to include in your summer dinner party menu, it's also easy and casual enough to make during the week.

Sidebar → Are Caesar salads not the best ever, or what? I swear they've been holding strong since the 80s and don't show any sign of stopping. Either that or I've had my face deep in the Caesar bowl and didn't notice the trend has passed. I'm a little worried now about which one is the truth. ?

Obvs I've swapped the romaine lettuce for broccoli. While broccoli isn't exactly lettuce-like, it is extra delish when the tops get crispy charred. Serious goodness here!

Then there's the prosciutto. Honestly, this whole dish is all about the prosciutto. Caesar salad almost always has bacon in it, and I didn't think it was fair to leave that salty deliciousness out of a broccoli Caesar salad.  Instead of bacon, I've used its grown-up cousin, prosciutto, in this recipe.

By wrapping the prosciutto around the broccoli stems and then grilling it, you get crispy prosciutto that is seriously out of this world.

Also … broccoli stems. Can we all get together and stop throwing them out?  When and why did we start doing that anyway? It must be a throwback to before the days we were savvy on food waste. Funny how old habits die hard. Honestly, I still struggle to not automatically cut off the stem and throw it in the compost.

If you've been chucking the stems because that's what you've always done, try leaving them on and cutting them into long strips like in the pictures here. They're the sweetest part of the broccoli and make a great poor man's broccolini!

Then there's the yogurt Caesar salad dressing …

Traditional Caesar dressing is made from an egg yolk and oil emulsification that is similar to mayo. While it's super easy to do, it can feel intimidating if you've never done it before.

There's also the whole issue/ non-issue of raw eggs. For me, it's a total non-issue. I've been licking cake batter from the bowl, munching on raw cookie dough, and dragging my fries through an embarrassingly large mountain of homemade mayo since basically I was born. I ate raw dough when I was pregnant and now share the batter covered beaters with my little girl. I've read the stats and feel totally comfortable with the teeny tiny, almost non-existent chance that I might come in contact with salmonella. Maybe I'm a weirdo.

But … I know that some people feel very differently than I do. Maybe you do? I'm here to say, that's ok! There's no judgment here, just a super simple substitute for the traditional raw egg dressing. 

It's important that we all do what works best for us. What we feel comfortable with. And let's be honest, even if you have no prob with raw eggs, it's easier to mix some parmesan, lemon, and garlic into yogurt and call it Caesar salad dressing.

The thing that surprised me the most about this dressing is how similar it is to the real thing. It's definitely lighter, but I think that's a bonus. There's lots of lemon and garlic and a ton of flavor from the parmesan cheese. It's become my go-to easy Caesar salad dressing recipe.

Delicious salad recipes for BBQs:

• Strawberry Avocado Grilled Balsamic Chicken Salad
• Asian Coleslaw with Creamy Orange Sesame Dressing
• Grilled Buffalo Chicken Salad with Avocado Ranch
• Classic Broccoli Coleslaw with Lemon Buttermilk Dressing
• Grilled Smashed Potato Salad with Chive Lemon Yogurt
• Broccoli Cauliflower and Blueberry Coleslaw
• Avocado Cucumber Salad

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5 stars (43 ratings)

Broccoli Caesar Salad Recipe

Prep: 15 minutes mins

Cook: 15 minutes mins

Total: 30 minutes mins

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This delicious Broccoli Caesar Salad is fun take on our fav salad recipe.

6 servings

Ingredients

• ▢ 2 medium heads of broccoli (cut into small florets)
• ▢ 2 tablespoons olive oil
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon EACH: salt and pepper
• ▢ 8 ounces prosciutto
• ▢ ½ cup caesar salad dressing (see notes)
• ▢ 1 cup croutons (see notes)
• ▢ ¼ cup shaved parmesan (see notes)
• ▢ Lemon slices (for serving)

Instructions 

• Preheat your oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Pile the broccoli florets on a baking tray, drizzle with the oil, and sprinkle with the salt and pepper. Use your hands to mix the broccoli so that every piece is lightly coated in the oil. Bake for 25-30 minutes, until they are tender and covered in dark golden spots.
  2 medium heads of broccoli, 2 tablespoons olive oil, ¼ teaspoon EACH: salt and pepper
• Heat a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the prosciutto, working in batches if needed, and cook until crispy, about 3 minutes per side. When it's cool enough to handle, break the crispy prosciutto into pieces.
  8 ounces prosciutto
• If you're making homemade croutons and dressing, make them while the broccoli is roasting.
  1 cup croutons, ½ cup caesar salad dressing
• Let the broccoli cool for several minutes and then transfer it to a salad bowl. Add the crispy prosciutto, croutons, and parmesan cheese. Pour the dressing over the top and toss to coat. Serve right away with extra parmesan cheese and lemon wedges.
  ¼ cup shaved parmesan, Lemon slices

Notes

Our easy casear salad dressing is super quick to make and WAY better than anything storebought. You'll need about ½ of the recipe for this broccoli caesar salad, but if you make the full batch you can have some on hand for a quick salad later in the week. 

Homemade croutons are simple to make, much tastier than storebought, and you can bake them at the same time as the broccoli. We have lots of crouton recipes but our favorites for this salad are our garlic parmesan croutons and our lemon pepper croutons. 

The way to make shaved parmesan is to use a vegetable peeler to peel strips of parmesan cheese. The big pieces are delicious!

*You'll notice that the pictures don't match the recipe description. That's because we've changed the recipe to make it easier to make and easier to eat. It's better this way and you'll see new photos very soon. 

Nutrition

Serving: 1 serving = ⅙ of the recipe, Calories: 411kcal (21%), Carbohydrates: 18g (6%), Protein: 13g (26%), Fat: 33g (51%), Saturated Fat: 8g (50%), Polyunsaturated Fat: 10g, Monounsaturated Fat: 13g, Trans Fat: 0.05g, Cholesterol: 35mg (12%), Sodium: 753mg (33%), Potassium: 731mg (21%), Fiber: 6g (25%), Sugar: 4g (4%), Vitamin A: 1316IU (26%), Vitamin C: 181mg (219%), Calcium: 160mg (16%), Iron: 2mg (11%)

© Author Kristen Stevens

We have thoroughly tested this recipe for accuracy. However, individual results may vary. See our full recipe disclosure here.