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.
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 This Recipe is a Winner
- 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:
- 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
- Make the dressing by combining the ingredients in a lidded container. Shake to stir it until well combined.
- Make all the toppings, like tofu scramble.
- Chop the veggies, like tomatoes and avocados.
- Cook vegan chicken in a skillet or microwave, chopping them into bite-size pies.
- Assemble the salads by placing greens into two bowls.
- Top each salad with rows of almond slivers, chopped vegan chicken, vegan tofu scramble, chopped tomatoes, chopped avocados, and shredded cheese.
- 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 Chicken
- Roasted Chickpeas
- Air-Fried Tofu
- Vegan Cottage Cheese is another alternative
- Make yours a Mexican Cobb salad by adding Sofritas on top.
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.
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.
Serving Suggestions
Serve this salad with any of these tasty favorites on the side:
- Vegan Breadsticks
- This Vegan Cornbread is always a favorite with salads or soups
- Vegan Garlic Bread
Main Meal Vegan Salads
Looking for more vegan salad ideas? Here are some of my favorites salads as main meal:
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Vegan Cobb Salad
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
- ⅛ 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!
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Notes
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.
I never new a vegan cobb salad was an option. Now this is my favorite salad!
So glad you like it, Fran!
Which one, Yogurt or sour cream
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!
You make it so easy to eat the rainbow!
Eat the rainbow! A good new daily goal to add to my list! Mmmmm
well this salad just made me hungry all over again. Beautiful!
Isn’t that the thing! Food blogs make me hungry!
It looks so pretty!