Vegetarian Broccoli Caesar Salad with big flavor and lots of crispy croutons. The creamy Greek Yogurt Caesar Dressing adds protein—and is made without anchovies, egg, or mayo. Ready in 15 minutes. A healthy make-ahead side or easy base for a heartier meal. (Vegan & Gluten Free options.)
Most Broccoli Caesar Salads fall into two camps. They’re either raw and too crunchy, or roasted and not great for meal prep. This recipe takes a better path. The broccoli is quickly blanched until bright green and tender-crisp. Then it’s tossed in a creamy Greek Yogurt Caesar dressing made without anchovies, mayo, or egg. Finished with crispy croutons and a shower of Parmesan cheese—yum!
The result is a crisp, satisfying salad recipe that's ready in 15 minutes. It holds up well in the fridge, making it perfect for meal prep. Yogurt adds a protein boost, and you could easily add more—try crispy tofu, beans, soft-boiled eggs, or whatever you have on hand.
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Why you'll love this recipe
- Best of Both Worlds: Raw broccoli is tough and bland; roasted broccoli doesn’t keep well. Blanching gives you bright, tender-crisp broccoli that’s delightful to eat and meal-prep friendly.
- Healthy & Protein-Boosted: Broccoli brings fiber and vitamins. And the easy Greek Yogurt Dressing uses minimal oil and adds protein—so it’s creamy, yet light. One serving has 231 calories and 12+ grams of protein.
- Customizable: Add any extra protein you like—beans, crispy tofu, eggs, or even chicken.
- No anchovies, egg, or mayo: The Greek yogurt Caesar dressing delivers plenty of savory, classic flavor—without raw egg, mayonnaise, or anchovies.
- No Oven Needed: Unlike roasted broccoli salads, this one comes together without turning on the oven—perfect for warmer days or fast weeknight prep.
- Meal Prep Friendly: The broccoli and dressing hold up beautifully in the fridge, making this salad ideal for make-ahead lunches.
Ingredients (and substitutes)
This Broccoli Caesar Salad is built from a short list of simple ingredients. It uses my go-to creamy Greek Yogurt Caesar Dressing—which I originally developed for my cookbook, Evergreen Kitchen). Paired with sturdy broccoli and crunchy crouton, this easy, satisfying combo delivers big flavor with minimal fuss.
Here’s what you need to make it:
- Broccoli: Cut small bite-sized florets from the broccoli crown (head). You can save the broccoli stems for another use—like making Air Fryer Broccoli Fries. A quick boil, then ice bath ("blanching") makes them bright-green, tender-crisp, and much nicer to eat than raw broccoli.
- Greek Yogurt: The base of the Caesar dressing. It makes the salad creamy and tangy without mayo or egg, and adds a boost of protein. Use plain, unsweetened yogurt. Full-fat has slightly creamier texture; but low-fat is higher in protein. Either work.
- Croutons: Crunch is key in a Caesar salad. It's hard to beat homemade croutons, but store-bought work in a pinch. Add them just before serving so they stay crisp.
- Lemon Juice: Adds brightness to the creamy dressing. Use freshly squeezed lemon juice as it has significantly better flavor than bottled.
- Capers: Small but mighty. Capers add a salty, savory bite that gives the dressing classic Caesar vibes—no anchovies needed. Just drain them from the brine and finely chop.
Find the recipe card below for the complete recipe, including all ingredients and instructions.
How to make Broccoli Caesar Salad
Making this Broccoli Caesar Salad is easy and fast. It takes just 15 minutes to make. Here's how to make this recipe:
1. Quickly blanch the broccoli until bright green and tender-crisp (about 1 minute).
2. Drain broccoli and pat dry.
3. Whisk together the Greek Yogurt Caesar Salad dressing (or vegan option, see note).
4. Add broccoli to dressing and toss to coat. Finish with croutons and Parmesan cheese.
Find the recipe card below for the complete recipe, including all ingredients and instructions.
Tips
- Cut small florets: Do your best to cut similarly sized pieces, so they cook evenly. I find that smaller, bite-sized pieces work best for this salad.
- Don't overcook the broccoli: The goal is to take the raw edge off the broccoli, but not cook it through. Aim for tender-crisp, on the firmer side. For me, that means 1 minute of cooking—but budget for up to 2 minutes, if your pieces are bigger.
- Dry broccoli well: Take a second to pat the broccoli dry after taking it out of the ice bath. This helps the dressing better cling to the broccoli–and you avoid diluting it.
- Finely grate garlic: Raw garlic is quintessential in Caesar dressings, but let's face it: raw garlic can be intense. Using a microplane to finely grate it, or crushing it through a garlic press will help it meld more seamlessly into the sauce.
- Make ahead: You can toss the broccoli and dressing together up to 3 days in advance. Add croutons just before serving to keep them crunchy.
- Vegan option: Swap in the Vegan Caesar Dressing from page 294 of my cookbook. It’s shockingly similar—and no one ever guesses it’s vegan. You won't even need vegan parmesan for it, but you can add it if you'd like!
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📖 Recipe
Broccoli Caesar Salad
Vegetarian Broccoli Caesar Salad with big flavor and lots of crispy croutons. The creamy Greek Yogurt Caesar Dressing adds protein—and is made without anchovies, egg, or mayo. Ready in 15 minutes. A healthy make-ahead side or easy base for a heartier meal. (Vegan & Gluten Free options.)
Pin Recipe
Ingredients
- 6 cups chopped broccoli florets (see note 1)
- 2 cups croutons (homemade recommended, see note 2)
Greek Yogurt Caesar Dressing
- ½ cup plain Greek yogurt
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons finely grated Parmesan cheese (more for serving, see note 3)
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 clove finely grated garlic (see note 4)
- 2 teaspoons chopped capers (drained from brine)
- 1 teaspoon dijon mustard
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt (more to taste)
- ½ teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper (more to taste)
Instructions
- Blanch broccoli: Fill a large bowl with ice water; and set a strainer aside. Bring a medium pot of heavily salted water to boil. Add 6 cups chopped broccoli florets, cook until bright green and pleasantly crisp, 1 to 2 minutes (don't overcook). Immediately transfer broccoli to ice water, until cool, about 2 minutes. Drain well and pat dry with a clean kitchen towel.
- Make Caesar Dressing: In a large bowl, whisk together ½ cup plain Greek yogurt, 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, 2 tablespoons finely grated Parmesan cheese, 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil, 1 clove finely grated garlic, 2 teaspoons chopped capers, 1 teaspoon dijon mustard, ½ teaspoon fine sea salt, and ½ teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper.
- Combine: Add broccoli to the bowl of dressing and toss well to coat. Add 2 cups croutons, then toss again (see note 5). Finish with Parmesan cheese, salt and pepper, to taste.
Notes
- Broccoli: Cut florets into small bite-sized pieces. You can save the leftover broccoli stems to make Air Fryer Broccoli Fries.
- Croutons: I recommend homemade croutons, but you can substitute store-bought. To make the croutons featured—make my Air Fryer Croutons recipe, but tear the bread instead of cutting it. Then, oven bake at 350℉ (177℃) or air fry as directed at 325℉ (163℃). For a Gluten-Free option, use gluten free bread or croutons.
- Parmesan Cheese: You'll want finely grated cheese, so it melds into the caesar dressing. For extra garnish, you can either finely grate it (with a microplane) or use a vegetable peeler to shave rustic parmesan petals on top. If you need vegetarian-friendly Parmesan, look for one made with "microbial enzymes" rather than "rennet". Or substitute with another hard Italian cheese, like Asiago.
- Garlic: I recommend using a microplane or garlic press (rather than mincing). This allows the raw garlic to better meld into the dressing. If you're very sensitivity to raw garlic, you could substitute garlic powder (to taste) for milder flavor.
- Make Ahead Tip: If making in advance, keep the croutons out and add just before serving. You can go ahead and toss the broccoli and dressing together—it keeps for about 3 days in the fridge.
- Vegan Option: Substitute the Greek Yogurt Caesar Dressing with the delicious Vegan Caesar Dressing (page 294) from my cookbook. People never guess it's vegan!
- The Greek Yogurt Caesar Dressing is from my cookbook, Evergreen Kitchen (Penguin Random House 2022), lightly adapted for the purposes of this recipe.
Nutrition
Calories: 231kcal | Carbohydrates: 30g | Protein: 12g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 5mg | Sodium: 715mg | Potassium: 609mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 1153IU | Vitamin C: 161mg | Calcium: 177mg | Iron: 2mg
Did you make this recipe?Let us know by leaving a rating below and tag us @evergreenkitchen on instagram!
Shirley Forrester says
Thank you Bri, I made the recipe, easy to follow the instructions. I never thought of making a Caesar salad with broccoli. It is tasty, crunchy, the dressing is so good. I have e Pugh for a couple of meals, I am sure it will keep well, always enjoy going through your recipes.
Bri Beaudoin says
Hi Shirley - So happy to hear you enjoyed the Broccoli Caesar Salad and the dressing recipe. Thank you for taking the time to come back and leave a review, much appreciated!