Vegan Cobb Salad

This Vegan Cobb Salad features crisp field greens served with bacon-flavored almond slivers, avocado slices, tomatoes, vegan cheese, and egg-like tofu scramble. This salad recipe tastes like a traditional Cobb salad and is served as a main meal. Serve it with generous drizzles of dairy-free ranch dressing, too!

If you love a good salad, you will enjoy this Vegan Seven Layer Salad or a Vegan Wedge Salad.

Vegan Cobb Salad in a white bowl with long strips of smoky almond slivers, sliced avocados, vegan cheese, and other toppings. A bottle of vegan ranch dressing is in the background.

I’m a salad connoisseur because I have one nearly every day. The Cobb Salad is a favorite because it’s satisfying and delicious.

What is a Cobb Salad?

The Cobb salad was named after the man who created it and it features greens topped with avocado, bacon, chicken, and more. Obviously, these are not plant-based ingredients so I wondered if I could make a Cobb salad vegan.

This salad is such a popular summertime favorite, I was determined to make it work. The results are amazing!

Why is This the Best Recipe?

  • Adding tofu scramble creates the texture and flavor of eggs without the cholesterol
  • Using almonds infused with smoky-sweet bacon-flavored sauce adds crispy bacon flavor to the salad
  • Drizzling vegan ranch dressing adds creamy goodness to every bite

What You Need

You can find the full printable recipe, including ingredient quantities, below. But first, here are some explanations of ingredients and steps to help you make this recipe perfect every time.

Here are the ingredients you’ll need for this recipe, including substitution ideas:

  • Greens. I love romaine lettuce because it’s crispy, however, you can use chopped spinach, iceberg, field greens, or whichever greens you prefer.
  • Veggie Bacon. For this recipe, I used my Almond Bacon Slivers recipe. However, you can use whatever veggie bacon you prefer, including store-bought or even this Tempeh Bacon.
  • Red Onion. I love the color and flavor of red onions on any salad.
  • Avocados. We’ll add a few avocado slices to each salad, for both creaminess and flavor.
  • Tomatoes. I’ve had a few bad experiences trying to spear whole cherry tomatoes on a salad. So, that’s why I prefer cherry tomatoes chopped up into bite-size pieces.
  • Vegan Chicken. You can use store-bought vegan chicken tenders, or make your own Vegan Chicken for this salad. See below for more plant-based protein options.
  • Tofu Scramble. The traditional version of this salad is served with boiled eggs. That’s why I’m adding a row of Tofu Scramble that has a delicious flavor and texture you’ll love!
  • Vegan Ranch. I want a t-shirt that says, “Everything’s better with Vegan Ranch.” Wouldn’t that be great? That’s why we’re serving this salad with some dill-infused vegan ranch dressing. Or you can follow my recipe for a more traditional Vegan Ranch.

How to Make Vegan Cobb Salad

  1. Make the dressing by combining the ingredients in a lidded container. Shake to stir it until well combined.
  2. Make all the toppings, like tofu scramble.
  3. Chop the veggies, like tomatoes and avocados.
  4. Cook vegan chicken in a skillet or microwave, chopping them into bite-size pies.
  5. Assemble the salads by placing greens into two bowls.
  6. Top each salad with rows of almond slivers, chopped vegan chicken, vegan tofu scramble, chopped tomatoes, chopped avocados, and shredded cheese.
  7. Serve immediately with vegan ranch dressing.

Plant-Based Protein Options

You have lots of options when it comes to adding some plant-based protein to this salad. Here are some favorites:

Vegan Dressing Options

If you love vegan dressings, here are some favorites:

Storage Tips

Store individual ingredients in separate containers in the fridge for up to 3 days. Once the salad has been prepared, any leftovers can be stored for up to a day. The greens can become soggy once combined with toppings and/or dressing.

Frequently-Asked Questions

What's the difference between a Chef and a Cobb Salad?

There are a lot of similarities between a chef and a cobb salad — both of which have a lettuce base, eggs, cheese, and tomatoes. However, the cobb salad usually boasts a mixture of greens and chopped ingredients layered across the top.

Is Cobb Salad good for you?

You would think if you’re ordering a salad that it’s good for you; however, a lot of salads, including the Cobb Salad, are loaded with calories, cholesterol, and saturated fat. The IHOP Cobb Salad with Crispy Chicken nutritional analysis shows nearly 1300 calories, has 93g of fat, 27g of saturated fat, 520g of cholesterol, 2350 mg of sodium, and only 5g of fiber.

A vegan salad is in a white bowl. There's a creamy dressing in a jar next to it and a fork on the other side.

This vegan Cobb salad has taken those traditional Cobb salad ingredients and veganized them into a healthier version. For example, my vegan Cobb salad has only 579 calories per serving, plus 41g of fat, 7g of saturated fat, and 0g of cholesterol.

A jar of vegan ranch dressing is being poured over a cobb salad. The white bowl is full of field greens and topped with smoky almond slivers, avocado slices, sliced cherry tomatoes, red onions, vegan chicken, vegan cheddar cheese, and tofu scramble.

Serving Suggestions

Serve this salad with any of these tasty favorites on the side:

Main Meal Vegan Salads

Looking for more vegan salad ideas? Here are some of my favorites salads as main meal:

Vegan ranch dressing is poured over a bowl of salad topped with bacon flavored almond slivers, sliced avocados, sliced cherry tomatoes, chopped red onions, vegan cheddar, and tofu scramble.

Vegan Cobb Salad

If you’re looking for easy, nutritious, and light summer recipes, this Vegan Cobb Salad is just the ticket. Enjoy the dairy-free dill ranch dressing too!
5 from 5 votes
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 35 minutes
Servings: 2
Calories: 579kcal

Ingredients

  • 2 cups vegan chicken
  • 5 cups romaine lettuce
  • ½ cup veggie bacon
  • 1 cup tofu scramble
  • 1 cup cherry tomatoes chopped
  • ½ avocado peeled, and chopped
  • 1 cup vegan cheddar shreds

Vegan Cobb Salad Dressing

  • 3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
  • ¼ cup olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon maple syrup
  • 1 clove garlic, peeled and finely chopped
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • teaspoon ground black pepper

Instructions

For the Cobb Salad:

  • In a skillet or microwave, warm up the vegan chicken. Chop into bite-size cubes and set it aside to cool slightly. Note: Some vegan chicken needs to be cooked in a skillet to firm up. Follow the instructions for the chicken you're using to cook it.
  • Immediately before serving, place the salad leaves into two bowls. Top each with veggie bacon crumbles, chopped vegan chicken, tofu scramble crumbles, chopped tomatoes, sliced avocados, and vegan cheese.

For the Cobb Salad Dressing:

  • Make the dressing by combining the ingredients in a lidded container. Cover and shake until combined. Set it aside to let the flavors combine.
  • To serve, drizzle the salads with dressing and enjoy!

(The products above contain sponsored links to products we use and recommend)

Notes

Regarding Vegan Chicken: You can find meat-free chicken strips in the frozen food area of most health food stores or the health pantries located within most grocery stores. There are plenty of vegetarian options. If you’re looking for a vegan version, be sure to read the label to ensure there’s no dairy or eggs in the ingredients. You can also make your own Vegan Chicken Fillets.
If you’re looking for gluten-free, there are brands like Beyond Meat and Gardein that provide both vegan and gluten-free products. 
Calories: 579kcal | Carbohydrates: 34g | Protein: 13g | Fat: 41g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Sodium: 1532mg | Potassium: 795mg | Fiber: 7g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 1590IU | Vitamin C: 48.9mg | Calcium: 184mg | Iron: 2.8mg

The nutrition information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator and should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

9 Responses to Vegan Cobb Salad

  1. Avatar thumbnail image for MarlyFran Reply

    5 stars
    I never new a vegan cobb salad was an option. Now this is my favorite salad!

    • Avatar thumbnail image for MarlyMarly

      So glad you like it, Fran!

  2. Avatar thumbnail image for MarlyDebra Moray-Brach Reply

    Which one, Yogurt or sour cream

    • Avatar thumbnail image for MarlyMarly

      Hi Debra. You can use either one. I have used the sour cream in the past with this recipe and it works just fine, especially when it’s harder to find plain vegan yogurt. Hope that helps!

  3. Avatar thumbnail image for MarlyLiz @ The Lemon Bowl Reply

    5 stars
    You make it so easy to eat the rainbow!

    • Avatar thumbnail image for MarlyMarly

      Eat the rainbow! A good new daily goal to add to my list! Mmmmm

  4. Avatar thumbnail image for MarlyAggie | Aggie's Kitchen Reply

    well this salad just made me hungry all over again. Beautiful!

    • Avatar thumbnail image for MarlyMarly

      Isn’t that the thing! Food blogs make me hungry!

  5. Avatar thumbnail image for Marlybridget {bake at 350} Reply

    5 stars
    It looks so pretty!

Rate / Comment

Your email address will not be published.

Recipe Rating




This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.