I’m not gonna lie, I love a classic caesar salad so much that I think it’s better not messed with. But I do make an exception for the spring caesar salad, which is a light riff on the classic with the addition of some fresh spring vegetables and a herby, brighter dressing.
All the things you love about the classic, with a few thoughtful additions.
It starts with a bed of baby romaine. Then you tuck in some classic spring veggies: tender blanched asparagus, sweet peas, and thinly sliced radishes. Top it with a tarragon-lemon caesar dressing, sourdough croutons, and some optional BBQ shrimp.
Perfect for a spring or summer dinner, or you can prep it on Sunday and enjoy it for lunch all week.
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Why You’ll Love This Spring Caesar Salad
- All the flavors you love about a classic caesar. Garlicky, tangy, and parmesan-y, plus it’s finished with delicious garlic croutons. There’s nothing missing, just a few spring upgrades.
- High-protein and filling. With the BBQ shrimp, it has 30g of protein per serving, which makes it perfect for dinner or lunches for the week. It also has 6g of fiber to keep your gut happy.
- Packed with the best of spring produce. Asparagus, peas, and radishes load the bowl with lots of fresh spring flavor and several servings of your daily vegetables.
- Lighter and brighter than the classic. The greek-yogurt base keeps the dressing creamy without the heaviness of mayo, and fresh tarragon and extra lemon give it a lift, making it brighter than a traditional caesar.
- Meal-prep friendly when stored separately. The dressing, croutons, and veggies all hold up for four days, so you can prep on Sunday and build a salad for lunch all week long.
Looking for something you can meal prep and enjoy all week long? Try my Caesar Dense Bean Salad. All the things you love about a caesar but with beans instead of lettuce.
Key Ingredients
Here’s what you need to make this spring caesar salad.
- Baby romaine hearts. Sweeter and more tender than full-sized romaine. The leaves hold the dressing without wilting, but you can also use normal romaine or butter lettuce if that’s what you have.
- Asparagus, peas, and radishes. This spring veggie trio. Asparagus gets a quick blanch so it’s tender and crisp. Peas bring lots of sweetness. Thinly sliced radishes add peppery crunch and a beautiful color.
- Brightened-up caesar dressing. I use my classic greek-yogurt caesar as the base here and brighten it up with a bit of extra mustard, lemon zest and juice, and fresh tarragon. It keeps everything you love about the classic but gives it a little bit of spring flair.
- Garlic sourdough croutons. I make my own, but store-bought works well. To make them, cube up some sourdough, toss with garlic powder, salt, and olive oil spray, then bake or air-fry until golden and crunchy.
- Parmesan. Because you really couldn’t make a caesar without it. It goes in the dressing and gets grated over the top.
- Optional BBQ shrimp. To make this a full meal and for a protein boost, I like to top it with BBQ shrimp. Toss peeled and deveined shrimp in BBQ sauce and pan-fry in a little olive oil until just cooked through and the sauce starts to caramelize.
If you want something you can eat on the go, try my High-Protein Chicken Caesar Wrap. It’s a classic caesar rolled into a protein-packed wrap.
How to Make It
Simple to make, this spring salad has a couple of steps, but it all comes together in about 35 minutes.
Make the dressing
Whisk together greek yogurt, lemon zest and juice, mustard, grated garlic, anchovy paste, fresh tarragon, grated parmesan, and salt and pepper until smooth.
Blanch the asparagus and peas
Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Add the asparagus and peas for just a minute or so until bright green. Throw them into an ice bath and then drain and dry.
Make the croutons
Add cubed bread crumbs to a bowl with garlic powder and salt. Add to a baking sheet or air fryer and spray well with oil. Bake or air fry until golden brown and crunchy, flipping once halfway through.
Assemble
First, add some baby romaine, then lightly dress. Tuck in some of the spring veggies. Then keep layering. Finally, top with the croutons, shrimp (if using), and an extra grating of parmesan.
Love pasta salads? Then my Kale Chicken Caesar Pasta Salad is a must-try. Packed with finely chopped kale, crispy chickpeas, seasoned chicken, and lots of pasta, all tossed in a greek yogurt caesar dressing.
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Victoria’s Tips
A few small things that make allll the difference in this salad:
Swaps & Variations
Here are a few easy ways to customize this salad to fit your preferences.
Storage & Meal Prep
Store all components separately in airtight containers in the fridge for up to 3 to 4 days, with the croutons kept at room temperature.
For meal prep, get everything ready on Sunday. When you’re ready to eat, toss each serving with the dressing, then add your shrimp and an extra grating of parmesan.
The shrimp is best eaten within 3 days.
FAQ
This is basically a classic caesar with a couple of spring upgrades, including asparagus, peas, and radishes, plus a slightly lighter tarragon-lemon caesar dressing.
Totally, it adds tons of umami-ness without tasting fishy, but the choice is yours. You can swap the anchovy paste for 1 teaspoon of white miso, or skip it altogether.
Yep, this is actually easy to do. Just skip the croutons, or swap them for a small handful of roasted salted pistachios. You can also use gluten-free bread and make the croutons the same way. Just double-check your dijon, BBQ sauce, and anchovy paste are certified gluten-free.
Yep, make all the components and store them separately. Toss individual portions with the dressing when you’re ready to enjoy.
You’ve got tons of options here. Any of these work great in place of the shrimp: grilled chicken, seared salmon, hard-boiled eggs, or canned chickpeas (for a vegetarian version).
Spring Caesar Salad with Tarragon Lemon Dressing
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Ingredients
Instructions
- Make the dressing. In a medium bowl, whisk together ½ cup plain full-fat greek yogurt, 3 tbsp fresh lemon juice, 1 tsp lemon zest, 1 tbsp dijon mustard, 1 tbsp whole grain mustard, 2 cloves garlic (grated), 1 tsp anchovy paste, 1 tbsp finely chopped fresh tarragon, ⅓ cup finely grated parmesan, and salt & pepper to taste. Refrigerate while you prep the rest (it gets better after 30 minutes).
- Toast the croutons. Heat the oven to 400°F. Toss 4 cups cubed sourdough bread on a sheet pan with olive oil spray, ½ tsp garlic powder and ¼ tsp flaky sea salt. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, tossing halfway, until deeply golden on the outside but a little chewy inside. Set aside.You can also do this in the air fryer. 400°F for about 10 minutes.
- Blanch the asparagus and peas. Bring a separate pot of well-salted water to a boil. Add 1 lb asparagus (trimmed and sliced) and cook for 90 seconds, adding 1 cup fresh or frozen-thawed peas in the last 30 seconds. Drain and plunge into an ice bath. Drain again and pat dry.
- Cook the shrimp (optional). Pat 1 lb large shrimp very dry and toss with 1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil and salt, to taste. Heat a non-stick pan over medium-high. Add 1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil and cook the shrimp for 1½ to 2 minutes per side until just opaque and the BBQ sauce starting to caramelize.
- Assemble. Arrange the baby romaine leaves on a large platter. Spoon a few tablespoons of dressing over the leaves and toss gently to coat. Layer in the blanched asparagus, peas, and thinly sliced radishes. Top with the sourdough croutons and BBQ shrimp if using. Drizzle with more dressing, finish with extra parmesan and tarragon, and serve.
Nutrition
Notes
- Make-ahead. Dressing holds 4 days. Eggs, croutons, and blanched asparagus all hold for 3 days in separate containers.
- Anchovy swap. Use 1 tsp white miso for similar umami depth.
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More Recipes To Try
- The 13 Best Easy Summer Salad Ideas to Beat the Heat
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- 29 High-Protein Cold Lunches for Work (30g+ Protein)
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Will definitely be making this again!
I’m loving the spring upgrades to this Caesar salad, and the BBQ shrimp takes it to a whole new level. A great summer dinner and a perfect leftover lunch — I can’t wait to serve it to friends. So delicious!
This makes me so happy to hear. Thank you for sharing, Hege!