Healthy Vegan Cobb Salad

I’ve been making this vegan cobb salad on repeat lately, and I’m honestly obsessed with how the crispy tempeh bacon and creamy avocado come together in every bite. It’s one of those recipes that looks fancy enough for guests but is actually super easy to throw together for a weeknight dinner. Trust me, once you try this combo of fresh veggies and that tangy red wine vinegar dressing, you’ll be adding it to your regular rotation too!

Estimated Nutrition

Estimated nutrition for the whole recipe (without optional ingredients):

• Calories: 1150-1300
• Protein: 30-36 g
• Fat: 82-92 g
• Carbohydrates: 95-110 g

Ingredients

For the salad:

• 12 cups spinach
• 30 oz chickpeas (I use Goya for the best consistency)
• 1 1/4 cups tomatoes (halved into bite-sized pieces)
• 1 large cucumber (diced into 1/2-inch cubes)
• 1 cup shredded carrots
• 1/2 cup corn
• 2/3 cup red onion, diced
• 6 slices tempeh bacon (cooked until crisp and crumbled)
• 2 ripe avocados
• 1/2 cup vegan cheese (I prefer Violife shreds for this salad)
• 3 tablespoons fresh dill, chopped

For the dressing:

• 1/2 cup red wine vinegar
• 1 tbsp dijon mustard
• 1 1/2 tsp maple syrup
• 1 1/2 tsp garlic (freshly minced for a sharper bite)
• 3/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp cracked black pepper
• 1/4 tsp smoked paprika
• 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

Step 1: Prepare the Vinaigrette

• 1/2 cup red wine vinegar
• 1 tbsp dijon mustard
• 1 1/2 tsp maple syrup
• 1 1/2 tsp garlic, freshly minced
• 3/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp cracked black pepper
• 1/4 tsp smoked paprika
• 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

Whisk together the red wine vinegar, Dijon mustard, maple syrup, freshly minced garlic, salt, cracked black pepper, and smoked paprika in a medium bowl until well combined.

Slowly drizzle in the extra virgin olive oil while whisking constantly to emulsify the dressing.

This creates a creamy, well-balanced vinaigrette that will coat all the salad components beautifully.

Set aside at room temperature so the flavors can meld while you prepare the other components.

Step 2: Cook the Tempeh Bacon

• 6 slices tempeh bacon

Cook the tempeh bacon slices in a skillet over medium-high heat until they're crispy and deeply browned, about 4-5 minutes per side.

Once cooked, transfer to a paper towel-lined plate to cool slightly, then crumble into bite-sized pieces.

I like using Goya chickpeas because their texture holds up well when mixed with the dressing, so I apply the same philosophy to the bacon—cooking it until it's truly crispy ensures it maintains that satisfying crunch throughout the salad.

Step 3: Prep All the Vegetables and Proteins

• 1 large cucumber
• 1 cup shredded carrots
• 1/2 cup corn
• 2/3 cup red onion
• 1 1/4 cups tomatoes
• 1/2 cup vegan cheese
• 30 oz chickpeas
• 2 ripe avocados
• 3 tablespoons fresh dill

While the bacon cools, prepare all your raw components: dice the cucumber into 1/2-inch cubes, measure out the shredded carrots and corn, dice the red onion, halve the tomatoes into bite-sized pieces, and shred the vegan cheese.

Drain and rinse the chickpeas thoroughly.

Cut the avocados in half lengthwise, remove the pit, and scoop the flesh into chunks just before assembly so they don't brown.

Chop the fresh dill and set aside.

Having everything prepped and ready makes the final assembly quick and ensures all components are at their best.

Step 4: Assemble the Salad

• 12 cups spinach
• prepared vegetables and proteins from Step 3
• crumbled tempeh bacon from Step 2

Place the 12 cups of fresh spinach in a large serving bowl as your base.

Arrange the chickpeas, tomatoes, cucumber, carrots, corn, red onion, crumbled tempeh bacon from Step 2, and vegan cheese on top of the greens in neat rows or sections, creating the classic Cobb salad presentation.

This visual arrangement not only looks appealing but also allows each person to get a balanced bite of all the components.

Step 5: Dress and Finish

• vinaigrette from Step 1
• avocado chunks from Step 3
• fresh dill from Step 3

Pour the vinaigrette from Step 1 over the assembled salad and gently toss to coat all the ingredients evenly.

Add the avocado chunks on top, as their delicate texture benefits from minimal tossing.

Sprinkle the fresh chopped dill over the entire salad as a final garnish.

I prefer adding the avocado after dressing because it prevents the delicate pieces from breaking down during tossing, keeping each bite creamy and intact.

Healthy Vegan Cobb Salad

Delicious Healthy Vegan Cobb Salad recipe with step-by-step instructions.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 25 minutes mins

Total Time 37 minutes mins

Servings: 4 servings

Calories: 1225

Ingredients Method

Ingredients

  

For the salad:

• 12 cups spinach
• 30 oz chickpeas (I use Goya for the best consistency)
• 1 1/4 cups tomatoes (halved into bite-sized pieces)
• 1 large cucumber (diced into 1/2-inch cubes)
• 1 cup shredded carrots
• 1/2 cup corn
• 2/3 cup red onion, diced
• 6 slices tempeh bacon (cooked until crisp and crumbled)
• 2 ripe avocados
• 1/2 cup vegan cheese (I prefer Violife shreds for this salad)
• 3 tablespoons fresh dill, chopped

For the dressing:

• 1/2 cup red wine vinegar
• 1 tbsp dijon mustard
• 1 1/2 tsp maple syrup
• 1 1/2 tsp garlic (freshly minced for a sharper bite)
• 3/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp cracked black pepper
• 1/4 tsp smoked paprika
• 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

Method

 

1. Whisk together the red wine vinegar, Dijon mustard, maple syrup, freshly minced garlic, salt, cracked black pepper, and smoked paprika in a medium bowl until well combined. Slowly drizzle in the extra virgin olive oil while whisking constantly to emulsify the dressing. This creates a creamy, well-balanced vinaigrette that will coat all the salad components beautifully. Set aside at room temperature so the flavors can meld while you prepare the other components.
2. Cook the tempeh bacon slices in a skillet over medium-high heat until they're crispy and deeply browned, about 4-5 minutes per side. Once cooked, transfer to a paper towel-lined plate to cool slightly, then crumble into bite-sized pieces. I like using Goya chickpeas because their texture holds up well when mixed with the dressing, so I apply the same philosophy to the bacon—cooking it until it's truly crispy ensures it maintains that satisfying crunch throughout the salad.
3. While the bacon cools, prepare all your raw components: dice the cucumber into 1/2-inch cubes, measure out the shredded carrots and corn, dice the red onion, halve the tomatoes into bite-sized pieces, and shred the vegan cheese. Drain and rinse the chickpeas thoroughly. Cut the avocados in half lengthwise, remove the pit, and scoop the flesh into chunks just before assembly so they don't brown. Chop the fresh dill and set aside. Having everything prepped and ready makes the final assembly quick and ensures all components are at their best.
4. Place the 12 cups of fresh spinach in a large serving bowl as your base. Arrange the chickpeas, tomatoes, cucumber, carrots, corn, red onion, crumbled tempeh bacon from Step 2, and vegan cheese on top of the greens in neat rows or sections, creating the classic Cobb salad presentation. This visual arrangement not only looks appealing but also allows each person to get a balanced bite of all the components.
5. Pour the vinaigrette from Step 1 over the assembled salad and gently toss to coat all the ingredients evenly. Add the avocado chunks on top, as their delicate texture benefits from minimal tossing. Sprinkle the fresh chopped dill over the entire salad as a final garnish. I prefer adding the avocado after dressing because it prevents the delicate pieces from breaking down during tossing, keeping each bite creamy and intact.