Vegan Cobb Salad

This vegan cobb salad is filled with crispy bacon, grilled chicken, creamy feta cheese, sliced avocado and drizzled with a simple red wine dressing! An easy and colorful salad that no one will believe to be plant based!

Vegan Cobb Salad

When it comes to vegan salads, my favorite recipes to make are chicken salad, chickpea tuna salad, and this easy cobb salad.

Being quite the foodie, dining out at restaurants is something that I do very often. People often assume that being vegan, it must be hard to find good options, however, that is not the case. More and more mainstream venues are offering vegan options, and not just the garden salad or shoestring fries. Some places go the extra mile and even have a dedicated vegan menu!

However, not all restaurants get it right. Sometimes, their plant based offerings are quite frankly, disastrous., and sometimes, their plant based offerings are disastrous. I was ecstatic when I saw the Cheesecake Factory advertise a vegan version of a cobb salad. I obviously had to go try it for myself and let me tell you, it was an insult. Firstly, none of the ingredients were remotely similar and secondly, they put beets and asparagus in it. While the salad itself was very delicious, a Cobb salad it was not. Fortunately, I had big goals to make my own!

Now, I’ve been meaning to share a vegan cobb salad recipe for quite some time. It stays true to what the classic version has, and even uses plant based versions of the bacon, chicken, and cheese!

No dairy and no eggs are needed, but you’d never tell. It’s full of crunchy, smooth, and chewy textures and your taste buds will enjoy all the salty, savory, meaty, and fresh flavors.

I had some friends over for lunch the other day and served them this salad as part of the entrees and NO ONE believed me when I said it was 100% vegan- They thought it was just as good, if not better than a traditional Cobb salad!

Ingredients to make a vegan cobb salad

For the salad

• Romaine lettuce– While any lettuce can be used, the romaine variety is most commonly linked to the cobb salad.
• Cherry tomatoes– halved cherry tomatoes. You can also use truss or Campari tomatoes too.
• Avocado– Gives the salad extra creaminess once mixed.
• Red onion– Only a small amount of onion is used to balance out all the salty flavors. Be sure to thinly slice the onion.
• Vegan bacon– Any plant based bacon can be used, including homemade vegan bacon.
• Vegan chicken– A must for any good Cobb salad. Quorn fillets, chik’n, and other plant based chicken alternatives are all fantastic options.
• Vegan feta cheese– While traditional Cobb salads use blue cheese, the feta balances out the other ingredients much better, and vegan feta tastes very much like actual feta cheese!
• Dill– Optional, but pairs well with the feta.

For the dressing

• Red wine vinegar– A robust vinegar with a slightly sweet flavor. You can also use balsamic or apple cider vinegar.
• Dijon mustard– Gives some spice and creaminess.
• Olive oil– Every good salad needs some oil element in the dressing!
• Salt and pepper– To taste!

How do you make a vegan cobb salad?

Start by preparing all the fresh ingredients in the salad. Roughly tear the lettuce, slice the tomatoes in half, slice the avocado, and thinly slice the red onion. Next, chop up the vegan bacon and vegan chicken into bite sized pieces.

Now, assemble the salad. On a large serving dish, place a layer of lettuce all over it, to cover. Around the sides, add the halved tomatoes and sliced avocado. Arrange the rest of the ingredients all over the top, before crumbling the feta cheese all over the salad.

Finally, once the salad is arranged, prepare the dressing. Whisk together all the ingredients until fully combined. Add salt and pepper to taste, before drizzling on top of the salad.

Tips to make the best vegan salad

• I don’t recommend you making the salad in advance, however, you can have all the ingredients sliced, chopped, and prepared up to 2 days before serving.
• The dressing used is a very simple and basic dressing. You can use any of your favorite dressings, but I recommend one that is mild tasting.
• Give the salad dressing a flavor twist by using a garlic or chili infused olive oil.

Storing the salad

Leftovers can be stored in the refrigerator, covered, for up to 3 days. Any longer and the avocado will begin to brown and the lettuce will be overly soggy.

Cobb salad is not freezer friendly.