Salmon cobb salad makes the perfect warm weather meal - made with flaked salmon, crispy bacon, avocado, onion, tomato, hard boiled egg, and fresh greens. Complete with a creamy homemade dressing!
Recipe summary
Flavor: Bright, salty, savory
Key ingredients: Salmon, tomatoes, hard boiled eggs, red onion, bacon, and avocado on a bed of lettuce.
Don't skip the homemade dressing. This dill buttermilk dressing is packed with fresh, bright flavor and made with just six ingredients.
Great for: Lunch or dinner. Filling enough to be served on its own or with a side of Cheesy Garlic Bread
Similar to: Italian Chopped Salad and Chopped Kale Avocado Salad
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Ingredients and substitutions
- Lettuce - The original cobb salad was made with a variety of four different greens, but I used two large romaine lettuce hearts for simplicity. Iceberg or mixed greens also work well.
- Tomatoes - Cherry or grape tomatoes work best.
- Red onion - Adds flavor, brightness, and a splash of color to the salad.
- Avocado - Adds creaminess to the salad.
- Hard boiled eggs - You'll need two large, hard boiled eggs for this recipe.
- Bacon - Fresh cooked and crumbled bacon adds the best flavor, but can be substituted with crumbled bacon bits if needed.
- Salmon - Fresh salmon fillets can be substituted with canned salmon if needed - but fresh salmon will have the best flavor. Substitute with cooked, shredded chicken for a traditional cobb salad!
Dill buttermilk dressing
- Buttermilk - Adds thickness and tangy flavor to your dressing. I do not recommend substituting it with anything else.
- Mayonnaise - Can be substituted with plain yogurt.
- Fresh dill - 2 tablespoons of fresh dill equals about 2 teaspoons of dried. As always, fresh will add the best flavor, but dried dill will work in a pinch.
- Lemon zest - The perfect complement to salmon. Adds more lemon flavor than lemon juice (which made the dressing too thin).
- Salt & pepper
How to make salad dressing
- Add buttermilk, mayonnaise, dill, and salt to a bowl. Zest lemon into the bowl.
- Whisk until ingredients are incorporated.
Tips and tricks
Chop into small pieces - Cobb salad ingredients are generally chopped to a similar size and placed on top of a bed of lettuce. When mixed together, you get every ingredient in each bite. Keep this in mind when preparing your ingredients.
Use a meat thermometer - Test your salmon for doneness by using a meat thermometer instead of relying on time alone. This ensures your salmon is perfectly cooked and doesn't turn out dry.
Make ahead
Salmon cobb salad can be made a few hours ahead of time if needed.
Omit the avocado and dressing from your salads and refrigerate until ready to serve. Slice the avocado and add to the salad just before serving to prevent browning. Dressing can be served on the side or tossed into the salad just before serving.
Frequently asked questions
The original cobb salad (made with chicken rather than salmon) is named after Robert Cobb, owner of the Hollywood Brown Derby restaurant. The cobb salad is known for its chopped toppings arranged in neat rows over a bed of lettuce.
Yes, feel free to use your own dressing. The original cobb salad was topped with red wine vinaigrette. However, I found that salmon and vinaigrette together felt too oily. Instead, this creamy dill dressing adds a bright, fresh flavor without feeling heavy. Ranch dressing would make a great substitute!
Recommended
📖 Recipe
Salmon Cobb Salad
Ingredients
Salmon
- 16 ounces salmon fillets
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
Salad
- 2 heads romaine lettuce, chopped
- 1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
- 6 slices cooked bacon, chopped
- 2 large hard boiled eggs, chopped
- 1 avocado, cubed
- 1 small red onion, diced
Dill Buttermilk Dressing
- ⅓ cup buttermilk
- ⅓ cup mayonnaise
- 2 tablespoons fresh dill, chopped
- ½ teaspoon lemon zest
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
Instructions
- Preheat an oven to 425℉ and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Place salmon fillets, skin side down, onto baking sheet. Season with salt and pepper and bake for about 10-12 minutes, or until salmon flakes apart easily in the center with a fork. Remove from oven and allow to cool slightly before flaking salmon apart with a fork. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, or in four small bowls, add chopped lettuce. Arrange flaked salmon, tomatoes, bacon, egg, avocado, and onion in neat rows over the salad(s).
- In a bowl, add buttermilk, mayonnaise, dill, lemon zest, salt, and pepper. Whisk until smooth.
- When ready to serve, drizzle over salad(s) and toss to coat.
Equipment Recommendations
Notes
- Serves: Recipe makes 4 large salads or 6+ side salads.
- Protein variation: Salmon can be substituted with cooked, shredded chicken for a traditional cobb salad.
- Can I use bottled dressing?: Dressing can be substituted with about ⅔ cup of your favorite bottled dressing (like ranch dressing) if desired.
- Make ahead: Salads can be made several hours ahead of time if needed - refrigerate until ready to serve. Slice avocado just before serving, and keep dressing separate until just before serving.
OMG…My husband went crazy over this salad. I did not vary from the written recipe. I will definitely be making this salad again!!
Can I substitute 10% fat yogurt for the mayonnaise?
Yes, yogurt would make a great substitute! I'll make note of this in the post as well.