This roasted broccoli Caesar salad is a delicious twist on the classic! With Caesar salad dressing, homemade garlic chips, toasted everything spice mix and lots of Parmesan, it’s a great salad or side dish that can be enjoyed warm or at room temperature.
Why you’ll love this broccoli twist on Caesar salad!
- This salad is a re-creation of a dish I enjoyed at a restaurant recently. You might be a bit skeptical. I was. I mean Broccoli? Everything spice mix? Garlic chips? After the first bite though, I was sold. I think you will be, too!
- This broccoli Caesar salad can be either a salad or a side dish.
- This salad is delicious slightly warm or at room temperature.
- You can make all the components of this salad ahead and just assemble them to serve.
- You can use your favourite store-bought or homemade Caesar salad dressing.
- This broccoli Caesar is a nice change from the usual and makes a heartier salad or side dish for cooler weather meals.
What goes into this Broccoli Caesar Salad?
Oven-roasted broccoli florets – just pop into a hot oven for 13-15 minutes.
Homemade garlic chips – simply slice garlic cloves thinly lengthwise and shallow fry in some oil until golden. You can go ahead and make extra, so you have some for more salads or other uses!
Toasted everything seed mix – toast everything seed mix in a dry skillet for 3-5 minutes, until fragrant and golden. Again, you can make this ahead and make extra. You can use store-bought spice mix or make your own by using the Everything Spice Mix recipe from my Everything Bread recipe, if you like.
Caesar salad dressing – use your favourite Homemade Caesar Salad Dressing or store-bought is fine, as well.
Parmesan cheese – freshly grated is best and be generous. You can never really have too much Parmesan :)
Lemon wedges, for drizzling – the bit of fresh lemon juice really brightens the flavours of this salad, so I highly recommend you don’t skip the lemon!
Step-by-Step Photos
Roast the Broccoli (You can do this ahead and make extra for more salads later in the week!)
1. Cut the broccoli florets into bite-sized pieces. Try to cut them so they have a flat side, so they will brown up nicely.
2. Drizzle the broccoli with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.
3. Roast in a hot oven until browned in spots, about 13-15 minutes. Allow to cool a bit on the baking sheet.
4. Remove to a bowl and cover and refrigerate if making ahead or proceed to assemble the salad.
Toast the Everything Spice Mix and Make the Garlic Chips (You can do this ahead and make extra for more salads)
5. Add the everything spice mix to a dry, non-stick skillet.
6. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until fragrant and golden. Allow to cool and use immediately or store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 month.
7. In the same skillet heat a shallow layer of cooking oil over medium heat. Add the slivered garlic.
8. Cook, stirring constantly, until golden. Remove to paper towel, separate and allow to cool. Use immediately or place in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 1 month. *Tip! Save the oil, too. Refrigerate and use the garlic oil for salad dressings or sauteeing vegetables, etc.
Assemble the Salad
9. Add the Caesar dressing to the broccoli (broccoli can be slightly warm or at room temperature).
10. Toss to coat broccoli well in dressing.
11. Sprinkle with toasted everything spice mix and scatter some garlic chips over top.
12. Sprinkle with lots of freshly grated Parmesan. Serve with a lemon wedge for drizzling.
Making ahead and storing
You can make all the components of this salad ahead and simply assemble them to serve. I actually preferred the roasted broccoli made ahead, but your mileage may vary. Be sure to refrigerate the broccoli and garlic chips, if making ahead.
I prefer this salad at room temperature or very slightly warm, so if you’ve made it ahead, I suggest taking the broccoli out of the fridge ahead of time to come to room temperature. If you forget, you can very briefly microwave it, to take the chill off.
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Ingredients
For the roasted broccoli:
- 12 oz (340 g) broccoli florets
- Olive oil
- Salt and freshly ground pepper
For the Toasted Everything Spice Mix:
- 2-3 Tablespoons Everything Spice Mix
For the Garlic Chips:
- 5-6 cloves garlic, peeled and thinly sliced lengthwise
- 1/4 cup neutral-tasting cooking oil, or enough for a thin, even layer in the skillet
For the salad:
- 1/4 cup Caesar Salad Dressing, store-bought or homemade
- 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
For serving:
- Lemon Wedges, for drizzling
Instructions
For the roasted broccoli (can be made ahead):
- Preheat oven to 475F (regular bake setting/not fan assisted)
- Prepare the broccoli by cutting into bite-size pieces, trying to cut lengthwise where possible, so they have a flat side to brown up nicely on the baking sheet. Scatter the broccoli onto a baking sheet. Drizzle with a bit of olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Toss to coat, then place the florets so the flat side is down on the baking sheet.
- Place into the preheated oven and roast for 10 minutes, then stir and roast for 3-5 minutes more, or until the broccoli is tender crisp and browned in spots. Remove from oven and allow to cool slightly before removing to a bowl if using immediately or cool completely and cover and refrigerate to use later.
For the Toasted Everything Spice Mix (can be made ahead and you can also make extra, so you can skip this step next time!):
- Add the spice mix to a dry, nonstick skillet and cook, stirring constantly over medium heat, until the seeds are fragrant and the sesame seeds have some golden colour. Remove and allow to cool before using. Store any extra in an airtight container, to use later.
For the garlic chips (can be made ahead and you can make extra, so you can skip this step next time!):
- Pour oil into a small skillet until you have a thin, even layer covering the bottom of the skillet. Heat over medium heat. Add the garlic slices and cook, stirring, until deep golden in colour. Remove to a piece of paper towel and separate the pieces with a fork. Allow to cool and use or store in an airtight container in the refrigerator to use later.
For the salad:
- *If you made the roasted broccoli ahead, remove from the fridge to come to room temperature before making the salad.
- Toss the roasted broccoli in the Caesar salad dressing. You want the broccoli to be well coated in dressing and if the broccoli is warm, it will soak it up more. You can add a bit more, if needed.
- Place broccoli onto a plate. Sprinkle with garlic chips and toasted Everything Spice Mix. Top generously with Parmesan cheese. Serve with a lemon wedge for drizzling before eating.
Notes
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Hi! I’m Jennifer, a home cook schooled by trial and error and almost 40 years of getting dinner on the table! I love to share my favourite recipes, both old and new, together with lots of tips and tricks to hopefully help make your home cooking enjoyable, stress free, rewarding and of course, delicious!
I happened to buy a lovely locally grown head of broccoli this weekend and decided to try something different, so made this recipe! It was absolutely delicious! Easy to put together, flavours were fantastic! I will definitely make it again. I preferred to serve it warm as a side. Delicious!
So glad you tried this, Jennifer! I was kind of caught off guard by how delicious this was when I first tried it. It is definitely more than the sum of its parts :) Thanks so much!