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–+ servings
Butter bean Caesar salad in bright natural window light.

Butter Bean Caesar Salad with Greek Yogurt Dressing

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 0 minutes
Total Time: 15 minutes
Servings: 4 people
Author: Nico Pallotta

Dressing

  • ½ cup (120 g) Greek yogurt full-fat, nonfat or non-dairy all work
  • ¼ cup (60 g) mayonnaise or vegan mayo
  • 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon mustard yellow or Dijon
  • ½ clove garlic grated - or more to taste
  • 1 tablespoon capers chopped - sub Worcestershire sauce or 2 chopped anchovies
  • ⅓ cup (35 g) grated Parmesan
  • 3 tablespoons water or more to thin
  • ½ teaspoon salt or more to taste + black pepper

Salad

  • 1 can butter beans 15 oz / 400 g can - drained and rinsed
  • 3 cups (200 g) romaine lettuce chopped - more or less to taste
  • 1 cup (140 g) cherry tomatoes halved
  • ⅓ cup (50 g) sun-dried tomatoes in oil drained and chopped
  • ¼ cup (25 g) shaved Parmesan
  • ½ cup (15 g) croutons sub broken crostini, grissini, or taralli

  • Make the dressing: In a bowl, add ½ cup Greek yogurt, ¼ cup mayonnaise, 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar, 1 tablespoon mustard, ½ clove garlic, 1 tablespoon capers, ⅓ cup grated Parmesan, ½ teaspoon salt, pepper, and 3 tablespoons water.
    Whisk well until smooth. Taste and adjust salt and pepper to taste.
    If the dressing is too thick, add more water, 1 tablespoon at a time, until it becomes creamy and easy to drizzle.
    For a smoother dressing: Blending the dressing for a few seconds makes it extra creamy.
    Step 1 Whisking creamy Caesar dressing with yogurt mayonnaise Parmesan garlic and capers in bowl.
  • Prepare the salad: Add 1 can butter beans (rinsed), 3 cups romaine lettuce, 1 cup cherry tomatoes (halved), ⅓ cup sun-dried tomatoes in oil (chopped), ¼ cup shaved Parmesan, and ½ cup croutons to a large mixing bowl.
    Step 2 Mixing butter beans romaine tomatoes sun dried tomatoes Parmesan and croutons in large bowl.
  • Toss the salad: Pour most of the dressing over the salad, saving a little for the top. Gently toss until everything is coated.
    Step 3 Tossing butter bean Caesar salad with creamy dressing until evenly coated.
  • Finish and serve: Transfer to a serving bowl or platter. Top with extra croutons, shaved Parmesan, black pepper, and drizzle the remaining dressing on top.
    Serve right away for the best crunch.
    Tip: If making ahead, keep the dressing and croutons separate and add them just before serving.
    Step 4 Creamy butter bean caesar salad on a platter.
Substitutions
  • Butter beans → cannellini beans, navy beans, chickpeas
  • Romaine lettuce → little gem lettuce, iceberg lettuce, chopped kale (massage with lemon)
  • Cherry tomatoes → grape tomatoes, diced ripe tomatoes, roasted red peppers
  • Sun-dried tomatoes in oil → roasted red peppers, chopped olives, marinated artichokes
  • Croutons → broken crostini, grissini pieces, taralli, toasted sourdough cubes, roasted chickpeas
  • Parmesan → Pecorino Romano, Grana Padano, vegetarian Parmesan alternative
  • Greek yogurt → low-fat Greek yogurt, Skyr, plain non-dairy yogurt
  • Mayonnaise → vegan mayo, extra Greek yogurt
  • Mustard → Dijon mustard, yellow mustard
  • Apple cider vinegar → white wine vinegar, lemon juice
  • Garlic → garlic-infused olive oil
  • Capers → chopped anchovies, Worcestershire sauce, miso
 
Tips
  • Dry the beans well → pat them dry so the dressing sticks better.
  • Blend the dressing → 20 seconds in a blender makes it extra creamy.
  • Taste the dressing first → adjust salt, pepper, or vinegar before tossing.
  • Thin slowly → add water a little at a time until creamy and drizzleable.
  • Don’t overdress → toss with most of the dressing, drizzle the rest on top.
  • Mixed diets → add grilled or rotisserie chicken, or keep it dairy-free with vegan yogurt, mayo, and Parmesan.
  • Make ahead → prep the dressing and veggies early, toss with croutons just before serving.
  • Storage → refrigerate leftovers up to 2 days; keep croutons separate so they stay crunchy.
  • About sodium → nutrition is estimated; some dressing and salt stay on the bowl, so actual sodium is usually lower.
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