Salmon Cobb Salad with Basil-Lemon Vinaigrette

A hearty and healthy meal, this main course Salmon Cobb Salad is overflowing with delicious, fresh flavors. A seafood twist on a traditional Cobb salad, you can get most of it ready ahead, and toss with dressing when you're ready to serve.

I've been making this salad for years. It's great for a small group or a crowd, and it's a whole meal in itself!

A classic Cobb salad is made with chicken, blue cheese, bacon, hard boiled eggs, tomato, avocado, romaine lettuce, chicory (curly endive), and watercress.

The salmon Cobb salad is my spin on the classic. I take quite a few liberties, as I not only swap the salmon for the chicken, I also add cucumber and red onion, use iceberg lettuce (I love the crunch), and omit the cheese.

Also, a classic Cobb salad dressing is a vinaigrette with mustard and lemon. I use a bright, super flavorful Lemon Basil Vinaigrette.

So is this even a Cobb salad? I think so -- just with a few creative twists! 😉

Some Ingredient Notes

• salmon - Select salmon with firm flesh and a fresh aroma. (Ideally wild-caught.)
• bacon - I love applewood smoked bacon. Use your favorite!
• eggs - I like serving the eggs quartered, on top of the salad, but you can also chop them into smaller pieces and mix them into the salad.
• iceberg lettuce - I know, I know, iceberg doesn't have much flavor. It does however, have a big crunch factor, which I love with this recipe. You can use any lettuce you like.
• red onion - Red onions are sweeter than most onions and they complement the savory salad ingredients. Substitution: You can substitute red onion with shallots or yellow or white onions, which are less sweet and more pungent.
• avocado - For salads, we want firm but ripe avocados, so they can be cut easily. They should yield slightly to firm gentle pressure. If you cut them at all ahead of time, drizzle them with lemon juice. (Here are some tips on cutting avocados.)
• tomatoes - I like seeding the tomatoes, which also helps keep leftovers from getting soggy, and makes for a crispier salad. It's a personal choice. . Ripe tomatoes should be slightly firm, but have a little give when gently squeezed, and they should have a deep red color (or whatever the color is intended to be).

• cucumbers - This recipe calls for Persian (Mini) cucumbers. My second choice would be English cucumbers. Both have fewer seeds and thinner skin than standard cucumbers.
• Lemon Basil Vinaigrette - This vinaigrette is delicious with the salmon. Since there is so much chopped basil in the recipe, it makes its way throughout the salad and clings to the ingredients.

How to Make a Salmon Cobb Salad

- To hard boil the eggs, bring a pot of water to a boil, add the eggs and turn the heat to low. Let them simmer for 15 minutes, and then immediately use a slotted spoon to move them to a bowl of ice water. Once they're cool, peel them and cut them into quarters.

- Place a nonstick skillet over high heat with a small amount of oil. Season both sides of the salmon fillet with salt and pepper. When the pan is hot, add the salmon and cook for about a minute. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and let it steam just until it's cooked through, about 5 minutes. Set it aside on a plate to cool. Once it's cool enough to handle, break the fillet into small pieces, where it naturally flakes apart.

- Line a large plate with a layer of paper towels. Set aside. Add the bacon to the same skillet where you cooked the salmon. Use a paper towel to wipe away any excess oil first. Cook the bacon until it's crispy, then let it drain on the paper towel-lined plate. Set aside.

- Once it's cool enough to handle, chop it into small pieces.

- Cut the lettuce, tomatoes, onion, avocado, and cucumbers into bite-sized pieces. (Seed the tomatoes if desired.)

- In a large salad bowl, combine all of the ingredients, except the vinaigrette, and sprinkle generously with salt and pepper. If you're so inclined, you can arrange the ingredients in rows -- the way traditional Cobb salads are presented.

- Drizzle the vinaigrette over the salad and gently toss until all of the ingredients are evenly mixed. If you've composed the salad, drizzle the vinaigrette on top, and serve extra on the side.

Variations

You can change this up any way you'd like to. Below are a few ideas:

• Try shrimp instead of the salmon. Spicy Cilantro shrimp would be fantastic in this, or you can even buy frozen precooked shrimp if you're pressed for time.
• Switch it to the classic chicken. Fall Apart Dutch Oven Chicken would be fantastic. (A rotisserie chicken is a great time saver.)
• Sometimes I skip the avocado chunks, and instead of the lemon basil vinaigrette, I use a Creamy Avocado-Lime Dressing.
• Sprinkle the salad with crispy quinoa for some added crunch!

Serving Suggestions

This is a main course, and definitely can be a complete meal. Adding a side of rustic bread or a scrumptious hummus with Pita is lovely. Both Macadamia Nut Hummus, and Red Lentil Hummus would be great with it.

Making it Ahead

• The vinaigrette can be made up to a few days ahead. Keep it in the refrigerator in a jar, and take it out a few hours ahead.
• The salmon can be made a day ahead. Let in cool completely and keeping it in one piece, store it in the refrigerator in a tightly sealed container. (Break it into pieces when you assemble the salad.)
• All of the other ingredients except the avocado and tomato can be prepped a day ahead, stored in a tightly sealed container in the refrigerator.
• The tomato and avocado should be cut and added with the vinaigrette, as close to serving time as possible.

Other Must-Try Main Course Salads

I hope you love my Salmon Cobb Salad as much as I do!