Vegan Cobb Salad Recipe
Easy Vegan Cobb Salad with Coconut Bacon has over 35g protein, and tastes amazing. See how to make it in a jar for meal prep, or a packed lunch. Gluten-free and oil-free.
Servings: 3 jars
Calories: 784kcal
Ingredients
For the tofu 'chicken':
- 8 ounces extra-firm tofu previously frozen, thawed*(optional), pressed, drained, cut into ¾-inch cubes
- ½ tablespoon tamari or soy sauce (preferably low sodium)
- 1 ½ tablespoons nutritional yeast
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder (optional)
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch
- ½ teaspoon neutral flavored oil (optional)
For the chickpea 'egg':
- 15 ounces chickpeas 1 (15-ounce) can, drained, and rinsed (or 1 ½ cups cooked)
- ½ small lemon zest
- Drizzle of lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast
- Dash of kala namak (Indian black salt-optional)
- Dash of garlic powder
- Salt to taste
For the coconut 'bacon':
- 1 cup coconut chips
- 1 tablespoon tamari or soy sauce (preferably low sodium)
- ½ tablespoon maple syrup
- ¼ teaspoon smoked paprika
- Pinch of chipotle powder
- Salt to taste
For the hemp heart dressing:
- ¾ cup hemp hearts
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- 3 small garlic cloves
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice plus more for serving (about 2 small lemons)
- 1 ½ teaspoons Italian seasoning
- Salt and pepper to taste
Other:
- 1 pint grape tomatoes (about 3 cups halved)
- 1 head chopped Romaine lettuce (about 9 cups chopped)
- ¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons chopped chives
- 1 large avocado (optional for serving)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400ºF.
- Prepare tofu: Toss the tofu with tamari, garlic powder, onion powder, nutritional yeast, cornstarch, salt, and pepper in a medium bowl. To air fry: Place the cubes in the air fryer basket in a single layer. Cook at 400ºF for 10 minutes, shaking the basket after 5 minutes to move the cubes around so they cook evenly. Continue cooking as needed until the desired crispiness. To bake: Place them on a nonstick baking sheet in a single layer and cook for about 20 minutes, or until crispy, tossing halfway.
- Prepare chickpeas: Rub the chickpeas between layers of a kitchen or paper towel to dry. Place them on a large rimmed baking sheet in a single layer. Toss them in lemon juice and zest, nutritional yeast, kala namak, and garlic powder. Roast for 15 minutes. Change the oven setting to broil/grill and cook for about 2 minutes more, or until crispy.
- Prepare coconut bacon: Toss the coconut chips in tamari, maple syrup, smoked paprika, chipotle, and salt to taste. Bake in a single layer on a rimmed sheet at 325ºF for about 15 minutes, or until crispy and golden, tossing every 5 minutes.
- Make dressing: Place the hemp hearts, maple syrup, garlic, apple cider vinegar, lemon juice, and Italian seasoning into a high-speed blender. Add ⅔ cup water. Blend on high until smooth. Season with more lemon juice, salt, and pepper to taste.
- Make jars (optional): Place 3 (32-ounce) mason jars in a row. To each jar, add one-third dressing, chickpeas, tofu, tomatoes, coconut bacon, lettuce, and chives, in that order. Cover and refrigerate up to 5 days.
- For serving: Jars: Invert the jar and shake it over a medium bowl. Mix to combine. Use a spoon to remove any remaining dressing and mix well to combine. Top with avocado, and more coconut bacon. Skip the jars and combine the salad and dressing in a large bowl instead.
Video
Notes
- Freeze the tofu: This step is optional, but it creates the best 'meaty' texture, similar to that of chicken. Place the packet of medium or extra-firm tofu in the freezer for at least 8 hours, and up to 1 month. Thaw in the refrigerator, squeeze the water out, and season.
- Drying the chickpeas with a towel is optional, but it gets them extra crispy.
- Coconut bacon is optional. Should you choose to make it, toss the coconut chips every 5 minutes so they don't burn. You can double the recipe and add some for serving.
- Mason jars: Each (32-ounce) jar serves 1 to 2 people. To fit this salad into jars in equal amounts without leftovers, the combined jar capacity must equal 96 ounces. For example, you can use 8 (12-ounce) jars, 6 (16-ounce) jars, and so on.
- Choose either the chickpeas or the tofu if you do not want to make both. Use 2 (15-ounce) cans chickpeas and double the chickpea seasonings. Or 1 (14 or 16-ounce) packet tofu and double the tofu seasonings.
Nutrition
Serving: 1 Jar | Calories: 784kcal | Carbohydrates: 59g | Protein: 41g | Fat: 46g | Saturated Fat: 18g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 21g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Sodium: 451mg | Potassium: 1616mg | Fiber: 22g | Sugar: 16g | Vitamin A: 19877IU | Vitamin C: 45mg | Calcium: 277mg | Iron: 14mg