If you’re a caesar salad lover, you’re in the right place. This is your typical caesar salad but instead of lettuce, roasted broccoli is the base. This elevated broccoli caesar salad is nourishing with nutrient-dense ingredients like broccoli and chickpeas and is so simple to make. The dairy-free ranch is so good too! If you love this salad, you’ll have to make my Longevity Salad or Meal Prep Salad. If you want more caesar, check out my Vegan Caesar Pasta Salad and Classic Vegan Caesar Salad!
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Notes on Ingredients
- Broccoli: This is the base of the salad. I like to cut my broccoli in bite-size pieces to make the salad easier to eat. You could use cauliflower here as well.
- Chickpeas: These are a good source of protein in the recipe and when roasted, they provide the perfect crunch on top. You could swap these chickpeas for a different source of protein like roasted tofu.
- Cashews: Raw cashews make the dressing super creamy and rich.
- Capers: Caesar dressing isn’t complete without the tanginess from capers!
Please take note that this is important information about the ingredients used in this recipe and the FULL recipe with measurements and details can be found DOWN BELOW (scroll to it) in the recipe card.
How do you make Broccoli Caesar Salad?
- Preheat oven to 425 F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Cut broccoli into florets and rinse and drain chickpeas.
- Add the broccoli and chickpeas to a baking sheet. Spray on olive oil and season with a little salt, pepper and garlic powder. Roast for 25-30 minutes.
- While it roasts, make the dressing by blending all the ingredients in a high speed blender.
- Add the broccoli, chickpeas, dressing (as much or as little as you’d like), and garnish with vegan parmesan.
- Enjoy!
- Step 1: First, line a baking sheet with parchment and add chopped broccoli and chickpeas.
- Step 2: Then, roast until crispy and golden. While roasting, blend the dressing ingredients.
- Step 3: Add the chickpeas, broccoli, caesar dressing and vegan parmesan to a bowl.
- Step 4: Finally, toss well, serve, and enjoy!
Commonly Asked Questions
This salad can be stored in an air-tight container in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days. It can be reheated in the microwave or eaten cold, so it makes for the perfect meal-prep salad!
Ideally, let the broccoli and chickpeas cool like you would for a salad, but it is okay if it is eaten warm.
This dressing is best with cashews, but you could make this sunflower seed caesar dressing which is nut-free!
Yes, drain and thoroughly rinse the chickpeas before using which will help prevent any gas or bloating caused by the chickpeas.
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Extra Helpful Tips
- In a rush? Cook the broccoli and chickpeas ahead of time, or make the dressing the day before to save time.
- Double the batch of caesar dressing so you have extra to use on salads the rest of the week.
- If you don’t have a strong blender, you can soak the cashews first in warm water so they blend easier.
- Add a source of protein if you’d like such as tofu or tempeh for a complete meal.
- If you are a SALAD LOVER, then you need to check out my new salad cookbook, Life Changing Salads, which features 100+ delicious salad & dressing recipes.
How to Store
This salad can be stored in an air-tight container in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days. It can be reheated in the microwave or eaten cold.
If you tried this Broccoli Caesar Salad or any other recipe on my blog please leave a 5 star rating and let me know how it went in the comments below. Thanks for visiting!
Broccoli Caesar Salad (with dairy-free ranch dressing!)
Equipment
- 1 blender
- 1 Baking sheet
- 1 sheet of parchment paper
- 1 cutting board
- 1 knife sharp enough to cut broccoli
- 1 strainer
- 1 cheese grater optional
Ingredients
- 1 head broccoli
- 1 can chickpeas rinsed and drained
- vegan parmesan garnish
dressing
- 1 cup raw cashews
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon capers
- 1 tablespoon caper brine
- 1 teaspoon dijon mustard
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¾ cup water
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- pinch pepper
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425 F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Cut broccoli into florets and rinse and drain chickpeas.
- Add the broccoli and chickpeas to a baking sheet. Spray on olive oil and season with a little salt, pepper and garlic powder. Roast for 25-30 minutes.
- While it roasts, make the dressing by blending all the ingredients in a high speed blender.
- Add the broccoli, chickpeas, dressing (as much or as little as you’d like), and garnish with vegan parmesan.
- Enjoy!
Notes
- In a rush? Cook the broccoli and chickpeas ahead of time, or make the dressing the day before to save time.
- Double the batch of caesar dressing so you have extra to use on salads the rest of the week.
- If you don’t have a strong blender, you can soak the cashews first in warm water so they blend easier.
- Add a source of protein if you’d like such as tofu or tempeh for a complete meal.
Jaclyn says
Is this supposed to be a HOT salad? Or do you wait for broccoli and chickpeas to cook? Recipe didn’t mention.
Taylor From HealthyGirl Kitchen says
You can wait for it to cool. It will taste delicious either way though!
Jordan Stacy says
I am obsessed with this recipe!!! The dressing is so good. I always make a double batch of the dressing so I have it for salads for the whole week.