This broccoli caesar salad combines crispy roasted broccoli with the familiar flavors of a classic caesar salad. It's a hearty, nutritious, and flavorful salad that pairs perfectly with pasta but compliments just about any meal. The homemade dressing makes enough for leftovers, and it's all ready in just 30 minutes!
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!