The cobb salad is a classic that is a perfect keto meal. And it's a great way to get your vegetables in with fresh spinach, avocado and even a few tomatoes. If you have time, yummy fresh bacon is always better than bacon bits, but to keep it easy we use bacon bits in this recipe.
When I first started the keto diet, my boyfriend was extremely skeptic. He thought that no meal was complete without carbs, so he predicted we would be giving up on the keto diet rather quickly. This cobb salad was one of the first things I made that changed his mind!
The Origins of My Keto Cobb Salad
The first time I made it, we were just coming back home after a long day hiking. We were both starving and desperate for something quick and easy to eat. I threw together this low carb salad, and we were both surprised at how quickly it filled us up. We ended up having leftovers for the next day. My boyfriend admitted that maybe he misjudged the ketogenic diet a bit too quickly. He actually requests this cobb salad now, especially on summer days for a refreshing change from most of our cooked keto meals.
Since then, I've spent some time tinkering around with my keto cobb salad recipe a little. It uses many of the classic cobb salad ingredients, but the proportions are slightly altered to improve the ketogenic macros of the salad.
Making Normal Cobb Salad Into a Keto Meal
The very first version of this traditional type of salad was made back in the 1930s, and it included tomatoes, bacon, avocado, chicken, eggs, onions, and cheese. In my updated keto version, I use a higher fat ratio and cut out some of the high-carb and high-sugar vegetables used in the original. To ensure that you get plenty of healthy fats, I like to include a lot of avocado and a few ounces of tangy blue cheese. I also use baby spinach instead of traditional lettuce to add some extra nutrients.
A nice thing about low carb Cobb salad is that it is incredibly versatile. I personally love using ranch dressing, but I know some people like a lighter vinaigrette dressing instead. If you want to go this route, use olive oil and a bit of balsamic vinegar to add a kick. It seems to be difficult to find low-carb vinaigrette at the store. If desired, you can even add some additional proteins like turkey, chicken, or boiled eggs - but remember, this is adding protein and you may not need this protein in your macros.
This quick and easy salad is a great meal when you are in a hurry because it requires almost no cooking. If you're lucky and you have cooked bacon on hand, then that always is better than bacon bits. However, bacon bits are what I go with in this recipe to keep it easy and fast! Due to its convenience and versatility, it remains a favorite keto meal for my family.
One of the best parts about cobb salad is that you can order a cobb salad at almost every restaurant! I always ask for dressing on the side because the amount of sugar in salad dressings can vary widely.
| Prep Time | 5 minutes |
| Servings |
salads
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- 6 cups fresh baby spinach
- 2.5 oz blue cheese crumbles
- 1 medium avocado
- 10 small cherry tomatoes
- 8 tbsp bacon bits or 2 long slices (1 oz ) fresh bacon, cooked and crumbled
- 2 tbsp ranch dressing Hidden Valley or low carb brand (and no soybean oil if you can find it)
Ingredients
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- In a bowl toss all ingredients except avocado.
- Halve and remove seed from avocado.
- Slice avocado into long pieces and top on salad.
