This one’s for the broccoli lovers: tender roasted broccoli dressed in a tangy hemp caesar dressing, and topped with crumbled chickpea “croutons” make for a deeply satisfying change from a typical caesar salad (no lettuce!)

roasted broccoli with crumbled chickpeas piled high on a white plate with a glass jar of dressing and white bowl of chickpeas in the background

Want to save this recipe?

Enter your email & I’ll send it to your inbox. Plus, get great new recipes from me every week!

I’m gonna be straight with you: I don’t really love caesar salads with lettuce. It’s just….lettuce (AKA crunchy water). I can’t be the only one who thinks like this?!? Can I?

Now, a kale caesar I would happily crush every single day of my life…but I also like broccoli. 

Actually, I love broccoli. And by some miracle, everyone in my family likes broccoli too. So I got curious about how broccoli would handle the caesar salad treatment. Especially because I already have this epic vegan caesar salad dressing and I really need another excuse to use it.

Holy heck is it good. Like, ridiculously good.

If your side dish game needs an update…or you’re just trying to convert a broccoli skeptic, maybe give this one a try! Roasting brings out the best in broccoli, making it tender and mellowing the flavour as it caramelizes in the oven. 

The dressing is fully plant-based so it’s allergy friendly, and no one will know. It’s so complex, tangy and moreish! This dietitian is always trying to get you to eat more greens, and this is one of the most delicious ways I’ve ever dreamed up to make it happen.

Make this for dinner with some tofu cutlets for protein or as part of a brunch spread, with my mushroom ricotta toast!

More plants. More flavour. Easy enough for everyday. Get your copy of Plant Magic!

A couple of tricks to help make this broccoli caesar salad the best it can be

If you ever wonder what a recipe developer even does – or why you shouldn’t get your recipes from AI – you need to know just how nerdy I got when I was developing this recipe for you. 

bowls of broccoli, chickpeas, oil, spices, and a jar of hemp caesar dressing, flat laid on a marble background
You definitely want to use fresh, NOT frozen, broccoli for this salad!

I tested different heats and oil levels for the broccoli, to balance the caramelization and keep the texture in the broccoli. I settled on my usual 425F and less oil so the broccoli maintained its shape and didn’t feel too heavy when dressed.

sheet pan, covered in parchment, with roasted broccoli on top
Be sure to measure the oil for roasting, so you don’t use too much and make the salad oily.
sheet pan, covered in parchment paper, with roasted chickpea crumbles on top
Smash the chickpeas with a fork, right on the baking sheet.

And I thought it would be cheeky to do a chickpea crouton but something was missing: real croutons offer this starchy counterpoint to the salad and so I just crushed the chickpeas before roasting which changed EVERYTHING. They’re crispy, starchy and cling to the dressing SO well.

hand pouring Caesar dressing over a plate of roasted broccoli
I tried just drizzling the dressing, but really loved the broccoli fully tossed so every single bite absolutely bursts with flavour. 

This ridiculously delicious little roasted broccoli side dish is actually pretty simple to make. It takes less than 20 minutes of hands on time…but it tastes like so much more!

More ways to use up that broccoli in the fridge:

roasted broccoli with crumbled chickpeas piled high on a white plate with a glass jar of dressing and white bowl of chickpeas in the background

Roasted Broccoli Caesar Salad with Vegan Dressing

4 servings
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes
This one’s for the broccoli lovers: tender roasted broccoli dressed in a tangy hemp caesar dressing, and topped with crumbled chickpea “croutons” for a deeply satisfying change from a typical caesar salad (no lettuce!)
No ratings yet
Leave a Review »
Pin Print

Ingredients

Roasted Broccoli

  • 1 ½ pounds broccoli crown, cut into 1 inch florets
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • salt and pepper, to taste

Smashed Chickpea "Croutons"

  • 14 ounce can chickpeas, drained, rinsed and patted dry with paper towel
  • 1 teaspoon olive oil, not a typo! don't use too much
  • ½ teaspoon garlic powder
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • freshly cracked black pepper

For serving

Imperial – Metric

Equipment

  • immersion or bullet blender for the dressing

Instructions 

  • Preheat the oven to 425. Line two rimmed baking sheets with parchment.
    • I recommend prepping the broccoli and chickpeas together so they can bake at the same time for ease…but you can also prep the chickpeas first and just set a second timer for the broccoli!

Roasted Chickpeas

  • Place the chickpeas on one sheet and lightly smash with a fork right on the baking sheet. Sprinkle seasonings over the chickpeas as evenly as you can.
  • Drizzle the oil, toss gently and spread evenly on the baking sheet for better air circulation. Bake for 15 minutes, stir, bake for 5 more until dried and crisp in parts.

Roasted Broccoli

  • Place the broccoli on the second baking sheet, toss with oil, salt and pepper and roast until browned in spots but still holding their shape, 20-25 minutes. Let cool for 5 minutes before preparing the salad.

Salad Assembly

  • On a platter or shallow salad bowl, toss the broccoli with half the caesar dressing and sprinkle with half the chickpea croutons.

Notes

A heads up on serving size: this recipe can definitely feed 6 people if it’s not the only side on the plate! 
Cuisine: American
Course: Salad, Side Dish
Author: Desiree Nielsen, RD
pinterest graphic of plate of roasted broccoli caesar salad beside ingredients: can of chickpeas, hemp caesar dressing and small bowl of oil
No anchovies, no dairy, this 5 minute hemp seed Caesar dressing is gonna take your roasted broccoli game to a whole other level!

You'll Also Love: