Deliciously good with a creamy vegan ranch dressing and crispy bits of savory coconut bacon, this Vegan Cobb Salad recipe is a take on a well known classic. It makes a great main course for brunch, lunch, or dinner!
Oh, how I love cobb salad! It's just so pretty to look at right before it's tossed together to make the most perfect bowl of yumminess. Full of layered flavors with tender chickpeas, rich avocado, ripe tomatoes, crisp romaine, and red onion along with savory bits of coconut bacon and a creamy ranch dressing. You simply can't go wrong choosing this as your salad of choice.
But I will not lie, this delicious classic is no doubt indulgent! But the good kind of indulgent full of the healthy fats that are good for your body and brain. Both coconut and avocado provide a host of nutrients such as potassium and fiber.
How To Make Vegan Cobb Salad
This recipe is super easy to make and ready in under 30 minutes. It just takes a few simple steps, a sheet pan, and a big bowl. You'll have a complete meal on the table in no time!
Make The Coconut Bacon
To begin, you will need to make the coconut bacon. To do this, start by preheating your oven to 325°F and lining a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone mat. Then mix the tamari, liquid smoke, maple syrup, smoked paprika, black pepper, and salt together in a large bowl. Now, add the coconut flakes and toss well to combine.
Then to cook, lay the coated coconut flakes onto the prepared baking sheet and cook for about 12 to 15 minutes turning the coconut every 5 minutes to ensure even cooking. The bacon will be a golden brown color when done. You will want to allow it to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes to crisp up.
Make The Vegan Ranch
Next, make the vegan ranch dressing while the coconut bacon is cooking in the oven. To do this, you whisk the vegan mayo, almond milk, lemon juice, apple cider vinegar, dill weed, dried parsley, dried chives, garlic powder, and onion powder together in a medium bowl until thoroughly combined.
If the dressing is too thick add a tad more almond milk and if too thin add a little more vegan mayo. Then taste for salt and season to your desired taste. To finish, add a few grinds of fresh ground black pepper.
Build The Cobb Salad
Now you can start building your salad! Start by placing the chopped romaine lettuce into a large bowl or serving dish. Then add rows of diced tomatoes, avocado, red onion, chickpeas, and coconut bacon on top of the lettuce.
To complete, drizzle the salad with ¼ cup of the vegan ranch and toss to combine. Add more dressing if you like. How much dressing you use is totally a personal preference.
For a complete meal, serve with fresh bread or pitas. This recipe will serve 2 to 3 people as a main course or up to 6 people as a side dish.
Leftovers & Variations
Salads are not ideal when it comes to leftovers, but if you know that you will not be able to eat all of it ahead of time there is a possible solution. My suggestion is to only add the amount of ranch dressing, avocado, and coconut bacon to the portion of salad that you will be eating that day. That way the salad will not get soggy and spoil as quickly. If you do this the salad will keep in fridge for about 2 days.
For variation, you can use any type of vegetables or beans you like. Fresh corn is always a nice addition to this salad. Crispy Fried Tofu is also a wonderful addition adding even more flavor and texture.
You will love this Vegan Cobb Salad because it's...
- A delicious plant based version of an indulgent classic
- Savory with delicious crisp vegan coconut bacon
- Topped with addictively good vegan ranch
- Quick to make in under 30 minutes
- Perfect for lunch, dinner, or brunch
I hope you enjoy this salad! It makes the perfect dish for potlucks and BBQ's as well a simple impressive meal.
More BBQ & Potluck Recipes
- Yummy Thai Peanut Noodles
- Easy Vegan Black Bean Burgers Recipe
- Vegan Ceviche with Hearts of Palm
- Curried Israeli Couscous Salad
- Peanut Butter S'mores Bars (Gluten Free)
If you try this recipe please let me know how it turns out by leaving a comment and rating. You can also hashtag #danceswithknives with a photo of your creation on Instagram where you can find me @dances_with_knives.
If you would like to stay up to date with my latest recipes please subscribe to my email list.
Vegan Cobb Salad with Coconut Bacon
Ingredients
Salad
- 2 to 3 large hearts romaine lettuce, chopped
- 1 14oz can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
- 2 roma tomatoes, diced
- ½ cup red onion, diced or sliced
- 1 avocado, diced
- ½ cup coconut bacon
- ¼ to ½ cup vegan ranch
Coconut Bacon (makes 1 cup)
- 1 cup unsweetened large flaked coconut or coconut chips
- 1 Tbsp low sodium tamari or low sodium soy sauce
- ½ Tbsp liquid smoke
- ¾ Tbsp pure maple syrup
- ¼ tsp smoked paprika
- Pinch black pepper (optional)
- Pinch sea salt
Vegan Ranch Dressing (makes 1 cup)
- ¾ cup vegan mayo
- 2 Tbsp almond milk, plain unsweetened
- 1 tsp fresh lemon juice
- 1 tsp apple cider vinegar
- ½ tsp dill weed
- ½ tsp dried parsley
- ¼ tsp dried chives
- ¼ tsp garlic powder
- ¼ tsp onion powder
- Fresh ground black pepper
- Salt if needed
Instructions
Coconut Bacon
- Begin by making the coconut bacon. Preheat the oven to 325°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. You can also use a silicone mat or grease the pan with coconut oil.
- Combine the low sodium tamari or soy sauce, liquid smoke, maple syrup, smoked paprika, black pepper, and salt in a large bowl. Then add the flaked coconut and toss to coat well for about a minute.
- Lay the coated coconut flakes onto the prepared baking sheet making sure to spread the pieces out so that they cook evenly.
- Bake at 325°F for 12 to 15 minutes turning over and moving the coconut around every 5 minutes so that the pieces evenly cook. When done the coconut will be a nice golden brown color. Once out of the oven, let the coconut bacon cool on the pan for about 5 minutes to crisp up more.
- While the coconut bacon is the oven you can make the dressing and prep the vegetables for the salad.
Vegan Ranch Dressing
- To make the vegan ranch, whisk the vegan mayo, almond milk, lemon juice, apple cider vinegar, dill weed, dried parsley, dried chives, garlic powder, and onion powder together in a medium bowl until thoroughly combined.
- If the dressing it too thick to your liking add more almond milk. If the dressing is too thin add more vegan mayo. The consistency is a personal preference.
- Taste for salt and season if needed. Then add a few grinds of fresh ground black pepper to finish.
Cobb Salad
- To make the salad, begin by placing the chopped romaine lettuce into a large bowl or serving dish. Then add rows of diced tomatoes, avocado, red onion, chickpeas, and coconut bacon on top of the lettuce.
- Now, drizzle with ¼ to ½ cup of the vegan ranch and toss to combine. Add more dressing if you like.
- This recipe will serve 2-3 people as a main dish or 6 people as a side dish.
Leave a Reply