Paleo Cobb Salad

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This Paleo Cobb Salad is the perfect blend of crunchy and creamy textures, succulent mix-ins, and hearty proteins. It’s also ideal for meal prep to enjoy during the week! Top with your favorite dressing, and you’re set to go! {Paleo}

Spiriteds, have you ever reacquainted yourself with recipe and then wondered how you ever took it out of rotation? Because that’s what happened with this Paleo Cob Salad. I hadn’t made it for a while, then assembled it, and THEN wondered whatever caused us to stop making it. Did we forget to buy bacon one time, and that was that? Did the avocados go bad within 46 seconds? WHAT HAPPENED? I have no idea. But what I DO know is Paleo Cobb Salad is delicious, amazing, and far better than anything I’ve ever ordered in a restaurant. 

I said what I said. 

You have crispy bacon, savory chicken, piquant green onions, succulent tomatoes, creamy avocado, soft eggs, and buttery olives, all atop crunchy strips of lettuce. How is it even possible one salad can house all those flavors and textures? WHO EVEN KNOWS. WHO EVEN CARES. Paleo Cobb Salad DOES house all of that, and who are we to question it? 

Paleo Cobb Salad is the dinner game of salads. The MVP of hearty dishes for spring and summer, if you will. But probably also fall and winter, too, if we’re being honest. It’s the salad to make when you want ALL THE FLAVORS and ALL THE TEXTURES in one dish. Serve in small portions alongside a separate main dish or serve it in large portions as the main event.

Because Paleo Cobb Salad is main event-worthy. Let’s do this, Spiriteds! Let’s get our Paleo Cobb Salad ON!

Paleo Cobb Salad is

• Creamy and crunchy
• Savory and piquant
• Full of taste and texture
• Gluten-free and dairy-free
• Perfect for meal prep

Side note: If you want a paleo-friendly ranch dressing to go with your Paleo Cobb Salad, then you’re in luck. We have a Paleo Ranch Dressing recipe that K-Hubs and I both prefer to store-bought varieties. It’s light in texture and flavor, so it doesn’t overwhelm the salad or weigh down the ingredients.

Paleo Cobb Salad ingredients

• Romaine lettuce. This lettuce holds up to all the added ingredients, however if you have another lettuce you prefer, then go for it. Cut the lettuce into strips, rinse, and drain, and then it’s ready to go!
• Paleo bacon. This can be tricky to find. However, Bailey at Whole Kitchen Sink has some suggestions in her post, Whole30 Compliant Bacon: Every Paleo and Whole30 Approved Bacon Brand.
• Chicken breasts, cut into strips. On average, I start with 2-3 chicken breasts and then adjust based on the size of the chicken breasts and how many meals/servings I want to get out of one recipe.
• Coconut oil, sea salt, and coarse black pepper. Use these ingredients to sauté the chicken and add a light flavor.
• Eggs. My favorite way to prepare a hard-boiled egg is to use steam instead.
• Grape tomatoes. This tomato variety is juicy without watering down the salad.
• Black olives. Drained and sliced. Because so many additional flavors are added in this recipe, I look for a black olive brand that has very few, if any, added ingredients and is light on salt.
• Avocados. Slice or cube/dice them.
• Green onions. Rinsed and sliced.

How to make Paleo Cobb Salad

1. In a large skillet, fry bacon to a crispy texture. While the bacon is frying, in another skillet sauté the chicken strips with the coconut oil, sea salt, and coarse black pepper. When the chicken is cooked through, using a slotted spoon transfer it to a plate or bowl and set aside. When the bacon is done, transfer it to a plate lined with napkins or paper towels. When the bacon has cooled, then crumple it into pieces. Hard boil or steam the eggs while the bacon and chicken are cooking.
2. While those ingredients are cooking, chop the lettuce and place in four salad bowls. Dice the avocado (if consuming the salad right away, otherwise hold off until ready to serve), and slice the tomatoes, black olives, and green onions.
3. Once the bacon, chicken, and eggs are ready, then layer them over the lettuce or combine all ingredients in a large mixing bowl and transfer to salad bowls. Top with Paleo Ranch Dressing or other dressings as desired.
4. Serve immediately or store in the refrigerator for meal prep. See tips and tricks below for meal prep suggestions. Consumer salad within about 2-3 days.

Side note: This salad will serve approximately four small-to-medium salads or two large dinner salads.

Recipe tips and tricks

• To streamline the prep, cook the bacon and chicken at the same time but in different pans. Also hard-boil or steam the eggs while the bacon and chicken are cooking. Then, while those foods are cooking/hard-boiling, begin chopping the lettuce, green onions, olives, tomatoes, and avocado. This will save you quite a bit of time.
• For meal prep, I suggest storing the chicken, bacon, and eggs separately from the other ingredients (or in a lunch container with dividers). Keep any dressings separate from the salad, too, until you are ready to eat. And add the avocado just prior to serving, otherwise it will turn brown. For best results, consume Paleo Cobb Salad within 2-3 days.
• A quick note for you: The bacon will change consistency from the time it is first cooked to the time it is consumed. This is why I suggest enjoying the salad within 2-3 days.

Delicious dressing recipes

These gluten-free, dairy-free salad dressings are big on flavor but without all the heaviness of a store-bought dressing!

• Paleo Ranch Dressing
• Lemon Celery Seed Dressing
• Gluten-Free Catalina Dressing

More salad recipes

If you’re in the mood for more crispy, crunchy, or savory salads, then look no further. We have your tastebuds covered!

• Salmon Cucumber Salad
• Gluten-Free Hamburger Salad
• Italian Crunchy Cauliflower Salad

Spiriteds, stay well and stay wild. Jump into the fun when you can, and always remember I’m glad you’re here. ❤️

Paleo Cobb Salad

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This Paleo Cobb Salad is the perfect blend of crunchy and creamy textures, succulent mix-ins, and hearty proteins. It’s also ideal for meal prep to enjoy during the week! Top with your favorite dressing, and you’re set to go! {Paleo}

• Prep Time: 30 minutes
• Total Time: 30 minutes
• Yield: 4 servings 1x
• Category: Salads and Dressings
• Diet: Gluten Free

Ingredients

Units USM Scale 1x2x3x

• 1–2 heads romaine lettuce
• 1 pound bacon, crispy fried
• 2–3 cooked chicken breasts, cut into strips
• 2 tablespoons coconut oil
• Pinches of sea salt and coarse black pepper
• 4 eggs, steamed or hard-boiled
• 2 cups grape tomatoes, sliced
• 1 (15 ounce) can black olives, sliced
• 2 avocados, diced
• 1/2 cup green onions, sliced

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Instructions

1. In a large skillet, fry bacon to a crispy texture. While the bacon is frying, in another skillet sauté the chicken strips with the coconut oil, sea salt, and coarse black pepper. When the chicken is cooked through, using a slotted spoon transfer it to a plate or bowl and set aside. When the bacon is done, transfer it to a plate lined with napkins or paper towels. When the bacon has cooled, then crumple it into pieces. Hard boil or steam the eggs while the bacon and chicken are cooking.
2. While those ingredients are cooking, chop the lettuce and place in four salad bowls. Dice the avocado (if consuming the salad right away, otherwise hold off until ready to serve), and slice the tomatoes, black olives, and green onions.
3. Once the bacon, chicken, and eggs are ready, then layer them over the lettuce or combine all ingredients in a large mixing bowl and transfer to salad bowls. Top with Paleo Ranch Dressing or other dressings as desired.
4. Serve immediately or store in the refrigerator for meal prep. See tips and tricks below for meal prep suggestions. Consumer salad within about 2-3 days.

Notes

• To streamline the prep, cook the bacon and chicken at the same time but in different pans. Also hard-boil or steam the eggs while the bacon and chicken are cooking. Then, while those foods are cooking/hard-boiling, begin chopping the lettuce, green onions, olives, tomatoes, and avocado. This will save you quite a bit of time.
• For meal prep, I suggest storing the chicken, bacon, and eggs separately from the other ingredients (or in a lunch container with dividers). Keep any dressings separate from the salad, too, until you are ready to eat. And add the avocado just prior to serving, otherwise it will turn brown. For best results, consume Paleo Cobb Salad within 2-3 days.
• A quick note for you: The bacon will change consistency from the time it is first cooked to the time it is consumed. This is why I suggest enjoying the salad within 2-3 days.