Salmon Cobb Salad

A twist on the classic Cobb Salad, this is a gluten-free salad that is truly a meal! It's a simple combination of ingredients that together are an amazing mix of flavors and textures in every bite! This main dish salad is versatile, customizable, and always so tasty and satisfying! Equally perfect for a weekday dinner or entertaining.

salmon cobb salad gluten-free main dish recipe
Salmon Cobb Salad

A flavorful, customizable and crowd-pleasing gluten-free main dish salad!

This Salmon Cobb Salad is a perfect gluten-free main dish anytime— lunch, dinner or entertaining!

It is simple (though looks impressive!), colorful, flavorful, customizable, delicious and satisfying!

It has a simple combination of ingredients but together they are an amazing mix of flavors and textures in every bite!

Crisp fresh greens, juicy tomatoes, creamy avocado, crispy smoky bacon or vegetarian bacon, salty and sharp blue cheese, tender and flaky baked salmon and hard boiled eggs all tossed in a tangy Lemon Dijon Vinaigrette and topped with some fresh herbs.

Together the combination is magical!

A feast for the eyes and the taste buds!

salmon cobb salad gluten-free main dish recipe

The history of the Cobb Salad

After scouring the internet, there seems to be several stories about how the Cobb Salad actually came to be but the consistency seems to involve Robert Cobb, owner of the Brown Derby restaurant in Hollywood, CA creating it one late night in 1937 and becoming a hit from there on after.

Story has it that he threw together a bunch of leftover ingredients including some lettuce, blue cheese, chicken, tomatoes, and bacon (I’ve also seen hard boiled eggs and avocado mentioned) and tossed it with some French dressing.

Apparently, he shared it with his friend Sid Grauman (of Grauman’s Chinese Theatre fame), and Mr. Grauman was so impressed that the next day he asked for a “Cobb salad” at the restaurant.

The salad was soon added to the restaurant’s menu, and was apparently chopped and assembled in front of the guests, making it a must-try experience.

So let’s make our version!

salmon cobb salad gluten-free main dish recipe

We follow the basic Cobb Salad ingredients of lettuce, tomatoes, blue cheese and avocado but we use baked salmon in place of the more classic chicken, offer a vegetarian option for bacon (though you’re welcome to use any bacon you love!) and have a fresh and tasty Lemon Dijon Dressing that pairs perfectly with the salmon and all the other ingredients.

It is the perfect mix of savory, salty and tangy and it’s DELISH!

All you need is:

salmon

mixed greens or lettuce of choice

cherry tomatoes

avocado

blue cheese

coconut bacon (details below) or bacon of choice

hard boiled eggs

lemon dijon vinaigrette

Salmon Cobb Salad gluten-free www.healthygffamily.com

 

How to make the Baked Salmon

The salmon is just generously coated with olive oil, and generously sprinkled with fresh salt and pepper.

Then bake for just 15 minutes…

Perfectly tender, flaky and delicious salmon every time.

How to make the Coconut Bacon

You are certainly welcome to use any bacon you love but as I personally don’t eat bacon, I made this with a vegetarian coconut bacon I’ve been making for years.

Recipe adapted from Minimalist Baker, it’s an amaaaazing vegetarian substitute for bacon.  It has that crispy texture and salty, smoky taste and is seriously addictive!

It’s also super simple to make taking just about 15 minutes and making a large quantity.

All you need is: 

unsweetened coconut flakes

avocado oil 

gluten-free tamari

smoked paprika

maple syrup

liquid smoke*

pinch sea salt

and black pepper

*Liquid smoke, as the name suggests, adds a hint of smokiness to this recipe.

It helps provide that “bacon-y flavor”.

I found it both online and at the supermarket.  Most brands I looked at were gluten-free. I used Colgin Brand.

And making the “bacon” couldn’t be easier. Literally mix the coconut flakes with all the other ingredients and bake, stirring once.

It starts out like the photo on the left and less than 15 minutes later, looks the photo on the right.… plus it continues to crisp as it cools.

And it adds great flavor to the salad!

How to make the Lemon Dijon Vinaigrette

I can not get enough of this dressing! I have literally made is several times for just my basic lunch salads!

It is light, tangy, flavorful and so delicious!

And it really ties together all of the ingredients of the salad making it a magical and delicious meal!

All you need is:

extra virgin olive oil

red wine vinegar

fresh lemon juice

dijon mustard

salt

pepper and

garlic powder

(yes, for all the eagle eyes out there, there is an extra ingredient in the photo. I will update the photo asap)

And all you do is whisk it together!

Pro tip: It is best fresh but can be made ahead of time. If you make it a day ahead and store in the refrigerator, just be sure to bring it to room temperature and give a good whisk before serving as the oil can solidify when cooled.

How to make the hard-boiled eggs

There are many ways to make hard boiled eggs. This is how my mom does it and hence how we do it!

  1. Fill a large saucepan with cold water. Place eggs in the cold water and bring water to a boil.
  2. Once boiling, turn off heat, cover and let sit for 15 minutes.
  3. Then move pot of water with eggs to the sink and flood with cold water until eggs are cool. Store in the refrigerator until using.

Assemble it!

All that’s left to do is assemble the salad and my only advice here is to not over-think it and have fun with it.

I always place the salad on a great big platter or shallow bowl (you want to use a platter or shallow bowl so that they heavy ingredients don’t sink to the bottom), the you can plate the remaining ingredients any way you like:

  • Sometimes, I will place each ingredient in a line.
  • Other times, I will place each ingredient in one section of the plate.
  • Or like here, sometimes I will place each ingredient in multiple sections of the platter.

No matter how you plate it, it is always so pretty because the ingredients are colorful and fresh and fabulous.

 

salmon cobb salad gluten-free main dish recipe

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Salmon Cobb Salad

A twist on the classic Cobb Salad, this is a gluten-free salad that is truly a meal! It's a simple combination of ingredients that together are an amazingly delicious mix of flavors and textures in every bite! This main dish salad is versatile, customizable, and always so tasty and satisfying.
Prep Time30 minutes
Cook Time1 hour 30 minutes
Course: Main Course, Salad, Lunch, Dinner, Summer
Cuisine: Gluten-Free
Keyword: easy gluten-free dinner recipe, gluten-free main dish, main dish salad, salmon cobb salad, gluten-free cobb salad, gluten-free salmon cobb salad, cobb salad, gluten-free summer recipe
Servings: 4 servings
Author: Healthy Gluten-free Family

Ingredients

Baked Salmon

  • 1 lb salmon
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil more or less as needed
  • ¼ teaspoon kosher salt more or less to taste (I just generously sprinkle with our salt grinder)
  • ¼ teaspoon pepper more or less to taste (I just generously sprinkle with our pepper grinder)

Coconut Bacon (recipe adapted from Minimalist Baker -- this recipe doubles & keeps well so feel free to make extra)

  • 1 cup large flake unsweetened coconut
  • ½ tablespoon avocado oil or neutral oil of choice
  • 1 tablespoon gluten-free tamari
  • ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
  • ½ tablespoon maple syrup
  • ¼ teaspoon smoked paprika*
  • ¼ teaspoon pepper
  • pinch sea salt

Lemon Dijon Vinaigrette

  • ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons red white vinegar
  • 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
  • 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon pepper
  • teaspoon garlic powder

Salad

  • 1 5oz container mixed greens
  • 1 lb baked or grilled salmon
  • cups cherry tomatoes, halved
  • 2 large avocados, sliced or cut into bite size pieces
  • 4 large hard boiled eggs, quartered
  • 1 cup coconut bacon or bacon of choice
  • ½ cup blue cheese
  • fresh chives and parsley for garnish

Instructions

Baked Salmon

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
  • Generously coat both sides of salmon in olive oil and place on prepared baking sheet. Season generously with salt and pepper.
  • Bake on the middle rack for 15 minutes or until salmon is tender -- it will be flaky with using a fork to slice.
  • When ready to serve with salad, use a fork to break into smaller pieces (taking it off the skin in the process). Serve warm or room temperature.

Coconut Bacon

  • Preheat oven to 325°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
  • Mix oil, tamari, paprika, maple syrup, liquid smoke, sea salt, and black pepper in a medium bowl. Add coconut flakes. Toss/stir to thoroughly coat. Place coated coconut flakes on prepared baking sheet.
  • Bake for 6 minutes, then remove from oven and stir. Bake an additional 5-7 minutes, or until coconut bacon is crispy and golden brown. Watch carefully in the last minutes of cooking and be careful not to burn as it can go from brown to burnt very quickly.
  • Let cool for 10 minutes - it will continue crisping as it cools.
  • Can be made ahead. Store in covered at room temperature up to 1 week (sometimes more). Do not store in the refrigerator as it will lose its crispness.

Lemon Dijon Vinaigrette

  • Whisk all ingredients in a liquid measuring cup or small bowl until well combined.
  • Can be made ahead and stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for several days. Just bring to room temperature and give a good shake or whisk as oil will solidify in the refrigerator.

Hard Boiled Eggs (there are many ways to make them, this is how we do it)

  • Fill a large saucepan with cold water. Place eggs in the cold water and bring water to a boil.
  • Once boiling, turn off heat, cover and let sit for 15 minutes.
  • Then move pot of water with eggs to the sink and flood with cold water until eggs are cool. Store in the refrigerator to cool and until using.

Assemble

  • Place mixed greens on a platter or in a shallow bowl. (You want to use a platter or shallow bowl so that the heavier ingredients don't sink to the bottom of a bowl.).
  • Then have fun plating it! There is no right or wrong here. You can place each ingredient in a line or each ingredient in one section of the plate. Or like here, you can place each ingredient in multiple sections of the platter. As it is so colorful, it will always look pretty!
  • Drizzle with dressing with ready to serve and top with fresh chives and/ or fresh parsley. Enjoy!
Tried this recipe?Mention @HealthyGFFamily or tag #HealthyGFFamily!

3 thoughts on “Salmon Cobb Salad

  1. How much bacon is needed? 1 pound, half a pound? Your recipe doesn’t specify. Plus, your instructions in paragraphs 2&3 under coconut bacon aren’t clear. It says put the coconut flakes in the pan to cook for 6 min, then stir. Do you put the coconut flakes on top of the bacon which is already in the pan?

    1. Hi! Great question! Sorry for any confusion…. I used coconut bacon which is what the recipe describes and is basically turning shaved coconut into “fake bacon with bacon flavor”… alternatively you can use real bacon of choice – pork or turkey bacon and crumble it to 1 cup of bacon bits. So it’s either coconut bacon OR real bacon. The quantity is always 1 cup crumbled so probably 3-4 slices real bacon, cooked.

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