Grilled Caesar Broccoli

In my house fall cooking consists of a lot of baking, roasting and…grilling. Yes! I don’t believe we’re alone? In actuality, I think grilling is almost better in the fall than it is in the summer. I relish the idea of being next to a hot grill outside on a nice crisp autumn day. Maybe even with a campfire too! Don’t you worry, I’ll be getting to the apples, pumpkin and all of the spices. Today however, we’re talking about broccoli. Grilled Caesar Broccoli to be exact.

The Ingredients

Broccoli is a wonderful cool season cruciferous vegetable.  It can be eaten raw or cooked with a number of methods.  One of my favorite ways to cook broccoli is to grill it.  Grilling provides delightfully crisp and roasty bits just like oven roasting, but with that distinctive grilled flavor nuance.  It’s wonderful, if you haven’t tried grilling your broccoli yet trust me on this one, fire up that grill!  Really, the only thing better than simply grilled broccoli is of course to add some decadent sauce to it.  This where our ceasar dressing comes in.  It has lemon, black pepper and parmesan.  These ingredients go well with broccoli in the first place, but in this recipe are used in a delightfully creamy application.  You could count this as a warm salad if you wish, why not?

Let’s talk about the big, er little, fish in the room. I like to use anchovies in my dressing, I know it’s a controversial topic! If you don’t like them, you could opt out, if you must. Let me first say they really do melt right in when chopped finely and formed into a paste. I would avoid actual anchovy paste from the tube, it never tastes as good to me. Use the little guys in the adorably tiny tin. Instead you could try adding a teaspoon or two of Worchester sauce, but surprise! The classic Worchester sauce has anchovy in it! When it comes to anchovy, I am willing to bet it’s a flavor that most people really do like, but they don’t really know it.

The History

Now that we’re on board with grilled broccoli and anchovies in our Caesar dressing the question becomes: where is a Caesar dressing from?  Multiple sources suggest the answer is in fact Mexico!  Credit for the original recipe goes to an Italian man named Caesar Cardini. Caesar immigrated to the United States in the early 1900’s. Ceasar was involved in several restaurant ventures before he opened a restaurant in Tijuana in the 1920’s.  Tijuana was a desirable location due to the ability to avoid prohibition restrictions. A popular hangout for Hollywood celebrities, even Julia Child visited Caesar’s restaurant.  It is said that Caesar and his brother were at odds about whether Worchester sauce or chopped anchovies were the best choice for the dressing.  It seems the anchovy debate dates back to the origin of the salad itself!  Read more about it here.

Whatever your anchovy preference be sure to try Grilled Caesar Broccoli soon.  It goes with just about anything. Grilled chicken?  Yes.  Grilled salmon?  Absolutely.  Grilled tofu?  Why not? It’s really the perfect accompaniment to anything else you put on the grill. When you make it let me know! Drop a comment below, tag me on Instagram @shesgotchopskitchen or tell me you made this on Pinterest!

Print Recipe

5 from 1 vote

Grilled Caesar Broccoli

Grilled Caesar Broccoli is a play on a classic salad, but with crip grilled broccoli. As a side dish or a warm salad, it's a perfect healthy addition to dinner!

Prep Time10 minutes mins

Cook Time15 minutes mins

Course: Salad, Side Dish, Vegetable

Cuisine: American, Italian, Mexican

Keyword: anchovy, broccoli, caesar dressing, caesar salad, garlic

Servings: 4 side dishes

Ingredients

• ½ c mayonnaise
• 1 garlic clove
• 3 anchovy filets
• 1 tbsp lemon juice or to taste
• 3 tbsp grated parmesan cheese
• Salt and Pepper to taste
• 2 Heads Broccoli florets separated

Instructions

• Chop anchovies finely, add a pinch of salt and mash to a paste with flat side of knife.
• Crush or finely grate garlic into a medium bowl.
• Add Anchovies, mayonnaise, black pepper, lemon juice and parmesan cheese. Mix together and adjust seasoning as desired.
• Season broccoli with 1 tablespoon olive oil and pepper, add salt to taste.
• Grill over medium heat preferably in a grill basket, or directly on grates, or on foil, turning every 3-5 minutes. Keep grill covered as much as possible. Cook about 10-15 minutes until soft and some pieces are charred. If needed, remove some broccoli and allow a few pieces to char.
• Remove from heat, allow to cool slightly for a few minutes, dress with Caesar dressing and more parmesan cheese just before serving. Serve with grilled bread and lemon wedges if desired.