Fresh, healthy and easy, this Cobb salad is keto and low-carb friendly, and comes with a delicious homemade ranch dressing!
Looking to lighten up your diet a bit?ย This hearty salad will keep you full for hours and tastes fantastic!
We’re a few weeks into January, how’re you doing with your resolutions?ย I always fail at any weight-loss resolutions, so mine were much more like personal and business goals this year and so far, things are going well!ย Even if you haven’t made any weight-loss/healthy resolutions, we all have those times where we’ve over-indulged over the weekend and need something light, refreshing and healthy for lunch the next day.
This Cobb salad is hearty and filling, basically what every salad dreams to be!
WHAT GOES IN A COBB SALAD?
A Cobb salad is an American entree salad made with chopped lettuce, crispy bacon, sliced or diced chicken, tomatoes, hard boiled eggs, avocado, green onions or chives and some type of cheese.ย My personal favorite cheese to add is blue cheese, but a nice sharp cheddar is great as well!
ARE COBB SALADS LOW-CARB?
Yes!ย Cobb salads are, by nature, a low-carb meal.ย Plenty of protein, low carbs and high fiber.ย This version adds extra fats (from cooking the chicken in bacon grease, extra avocado, extra blue cheese, and a rich ranch dressing), to make it keto-friendly!ย One serving of this salad has only 6 net carbs, 67 g fat, and 17 g protein.
WHAT DRESSING DO YOU SERVE WITH A COBB SALAD?
Traditionally Cobb salads are served with a red-wine vinaigrette, but I think this salad is perfect with just about ANY dressing!ย Blue cheese, balsamic vinaigrette, and of course, a classic ranch.
CAN THIS COBB SALAD BE MEAL-PREPPED?
Absolutely!ย Just make sure to add portions of blue cheese crumbles and the ranch dressing in smaller cups.
WHAT OTHER PROTEINS CAN BE ADDED TO A COBB SALAD?
Turkey, pork tenderloin, salmon, shrimp, you name it!ย This will alter the nutritional values, but you can easily copy the ingredients into your favorite online nutritional calculator to find the new values.
PRO TIPS FOR MAKING THE PERFECT COBB SALAD:
- Use your favorite lettuce.ย I love the crunch of romaine, but feel free to mix and match your favorites!
- Make sure to slice the avocados right before serving so they stay nice and green.
- If you’re not following a strict keto diet, feel free to play around with the amount of bacon, eggs, tomatoes, cheese and avocado.
OTHER LOW-CARB RECIPES:
- Cheesy Bacon Brussels Sprouts
- Mango Pineapple Chicken Tacos
- Italian Stuffed Flank Steak
- Sheet Pan Roasted Vegetables
- Honey Dijon Broiled Salmon
SHOP THE RECIPE:
- Meal Prep Containers – these containers are perfect for salads, or there’s a glass alternative.
- Dressing Cups – perfect for salad dressing and keeping blue cheese contained.
- Avocado Tool – never stress about slicing avocados again!
Did you make this? Be sure to leave a review below and tag me @the_chunky_chef on Facebook and Instagram!
Ingredients
HOMEMADE RANCH DRESSING
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- 1/4 cup sour cream
- 2 tsp lemon juice or white vinegar
- 1 1/2 tsp dried parsley
- 1 tsp dried dill
- 1 tsp dried chives
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp onion powder
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 1/4 - 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 2 - 4 Tbsp heavy cream (as needed to create dressing consistency you like)
COBB SALAD
- 10 slices bacon
- 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, trimmed of excess fat
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1/4 tsp paprika (or smoked paprika)
- 2 cups chopped romaine lettuce
- 3 hard-boiled eggs
- 2 avocados, peeled and sliced (seasoned lightly with salt and pepper to taste)
- 2/3 cup cherry tomatoes, sliced
- 1/3 cup sliced green onions
- 1/3 cup blue cheese crumbles
Instructions
- Whisk all dressing ingredients (except heavy cream) in a small mixing bowl. Add heavy cream, starting with 2 Tbsp and increasing 1 Tbsp at a time, whisking until dressing has reached desired consistency. Set dressing aside.
- To a large skillet, add bacon slices and cook over MED LOW heat until crisp. Remove to a plate to cool. Season chicken breasts with salt, pepper and paprika.
- Increase skillet heat to MED/MED-HIGH and add chicken breasts, cooking 5-6 minutes per side until cooked through and golden brown. Remove to plate to cool.
- Crumble bacon, and slice chicken once cooled.
- Assemble salad by adding romaine lettuce to large bowl. Top with hard-boiled eggs, avocado, tomatoes, green onions, blue cheese, bacon crumbles and sliced chicken.
- Serve drizzled with ranch dressing.
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Nutrition Disclaimer
The Chunky Chef is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. If calorie count and other nutritional values are important to you, we recommend running the ingredients through whichever online nutritional calculator you prefer. Calories can vary quite a bit depending on which brands were used.
Calories: 726 | Carbohydrates: 14g | Protein: 17g | Fat: 67g | Saturated Fat: 17g | Cholesterol: 204mg | Sodium: 1354mg | Potassium: 864mg | Sugar: 3g | Fiber: 8g | Vitamin A: 73.3% | Vitamin C: 33.4% | Calcium: 14% | Iron: 12.1%
Iโm not a nutritionist, and nutritional values here on my recipes should be used for general information purposes only. ย This information is not a substitute for medical advice or treatment for specific medical conditions. You should seek prompt medical care for any specific health issues and consult your physician before starting a new diet and fitness regimen.
Rebecca says
I made this salad but not the Ranch dressing. I used a zero carb Caesar dressing and it worked well. I also left out the onions and tomatoes to further reduce carbs. It was a delicious keto dinner!
Matt says
Delicious salad! I especially enjoyed the dressing. Will definitely make this recipe again.
Teresa says
How many carbs is in this?
The Chunky Chef says
I’m not a nutritionist or dietician, so I don’t provide full nutritional information for recipes as there is a potential for error, and I wouldnโt want to potentially and/or unknowingly pass along incorrect information. If full nutrition information is important to you, I recommend running the ingredients through whichever online nutritional calculator you prefer, or that you seek a nutritionist/dietitian for exact nutritional information.
Candy says
Looks delicious! Can you use fresh herbs in place of dried?
The Chunky Chef says
You can, but you’ll want to increase the amount, since dried herbs are more potent ๐
Rita A. Sumigray says
Absolutely delicious. This is definitely my go to for ranch dressing and I even lightened it up and still awesome.
Sav says
Best salad ever with the best ranch ever!
Cat says
This is the best ranch dressing I’ve ever had! Love this entire recipe – super yummy salad.
Christine says
Thank you so much for this recipe! Do the nutritionals include the dressing? I’m assuming so, but my CarbManager is coming up with different numbers, so I want to check!
The Chunky Chef says
You’re welcome! It does include the dressing, and the program that calculates the nutritional information isn’t always 100% correct, unfortunately, the same as most programs. If you normally use CarbManager, then I’d stick with it.
Akansha Bhatt says
Wow! It’s a must try Recipe for weekend. Your website is paradise for foodie people.
Sandra says
This will quickly become a family favorite! Yum!
Allison says
I’m not sure what I like best, all the tasty ingredients or the delicious homemade dressing?! Thanks for sharing!
Catalina says
This salad is rich and nutrient! Looks heavenly! Need to make this immediately!
Erin | Dinners,Dishes and Dessert says
I know for sure this would be a huge hit in my house! Such a classic!!! Love!
Brandy O'Neill says
Okay this looks amazing! I can’t wait to make!
Dorothy Reinhold says
All of your suggestions for proteins sound great! This will be easy to customize if you aren’t following a keto diet! Looks great!
Jacque Hastert says
I am always looking for a delicious keto friendly recipe. I can’t wait to make this homemade ranch dressing.