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!
There's nothing better than a light and filling salad on a warm day. This salmon cobb salad is filled with nutritious ingredients and topped with a homemade dill buttermilk dressing.
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.
Serve this salmon cobb salad as a lunch or dinner - it's filling enough to be served on its own or with a side of garlic bread. A hearty salad makes a fantastic meal during the warmer months of spring and summer.
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
- Avocado
- Hard boiled eggs
- 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
Can I use a different 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.
You're also welcome to use your favorite bottled dressing to save time - ranch dressing is a popular choice!
Make ahead
Salmon cobb salad can be made a few hours ahead of time if needed. Prepare your salad(s) and refrigerate until ready to serve.
Keep your dressing in a separate container and toss just before serving (or serve your dressing on the side).
I also recommend slicing your avocado just before serving, as it can brown fairly quickly after coming in contact with oxygen (like an apple!).
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 degrees Fahrenheit 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 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
- Recipe makes 4 large salads, or 6+ side salads.
- Salmon can be substituted with cooked, shredded chicken for a traditional cobb salad.
- Dressing can be substituted with your favorite bottled dressing (like ranch dressing) if desired.
- 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.