Prep ahead and enjoy this healthy chicken Cobb chopped kale salad for lunch or dinner! This chicken Cobb salad recipe is full of tomatoes, hard-boiled eggs, crispy bacon, Monterrey jack cheese, and chopped kale for a healthy, low-carb and gluten-free meal.
Whenever I am at a restaurant and I am in the mood for a salad, I almost always take a look at the chicken Cobb salad.
Not only is it a healthy salad option, but it is also quite filling since it is full of fiber and good-for-you ingredients.
While there is a bit of chopping and prepping involved, this chicken Cobb salad is totally worth it!
Plus, it’s super simple to prep-ahead a few of the ingredients so they are ready to go when you are.
What’s in a Cobb Salad?
The main ingredients that make up a classic chicken Cobb salad recipe include:
- Some sort of leafy green such as romaine, spinach, or in our case, chopped kale
- Tomatoes
- Crispy bacon
- Hard-boiled eggs –> Check out how to make Instant Pot Hard-Boiled Eggs or Air Fryer Eggs!
- Cheese (cheddar, Monterrey jack, roquefort, etc.)
- Avocado or cucumber
- And of course, chicken. (This smoked chicken breast is amazing!)
You can serve your chicken Cobb salad with a simple red wine vinaigrette, ranch dressing, or this Basil Lemon Vinaigrette Dressing… which is my personal preference!
How to Make a Chopped Kale Salad
There are a few ways you can prepare your kale for this chopped kale salad:
- Be very careful and chop the kale finely with a sharp knife.
- Place your kale in a large food processor and pulse until the kale is finely chopped.
Both ways work great to get perfectly chopped kale for this chicken Cobb salad recipe.
Prep-Ahead Chicken Cobb Salad
When you first look at this Cobb salad recipe you will see that there are numerous ingredients that are already cooked. What I find most helpful is to prep ahead the ingredients that take a bit of time.
For example, I will cook my bacon and hard-boiled eggs a day or so ahead of time so they are ready to go when I make this chopped kale salad.
Also, rotisserie chicken is a lifesaver when it comes to using cooked chicken in this Cobb salad recipe.
Lastly, you can prep all of your vegetables, sans avocados if you are using them!, and store them in airtight containers until ready to assemble.
How Can You Evolve this Chicken Cobb Chopped Kale Salad?
There are a few ways you can change up this chopped kale salad recipe to fit your preferences:
- Change up the cheese or leave it out completely to make this salad dairy-free.
- Use cucumbers, avocados, or both!
- For a little twist, mix the Lemon Basil vinaigrette with ranch to change up the salad dressing in this Cobb salad.
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Chicken Cobb Chopped Kale Salad Recipe
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Ingredients
- 1 bunch kale finely chopped
- 4 hard-boiled eggs cut in half
- 4 oz. cooked bacon crumbled
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes cut in half
- 1 cup cucumber finely diced
- ½ cup cheddar cheese shredded
- 1 cup cooked chicken cut into bite-sized cubes
- 1 Lemon Basil Vinaigrette dressing
Instructions
- Prepare Lemon Basil Vinaigrette dressing.
- Cook hard-boiled eggs in the Instant Pot or stove top.
- Cook bacon strips on a wire rack placed on top of a baking sheet in a 400 degree oven for 20-30 minutes, in the microwave, or in a skillet.
- In four salad bowls place ¼ of the kale, ¼ cup tomatoes, ¼ cup cucumbers, 2 tablespoons cheese, ¼ cup cubed chicken, 1 hard-boiled egg, and 1 oz. crumbled bacon.
- Drizzle 2-3 tablespoons lemon basil vinaigrette dressing over each salad just before serving. Enjoy!
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Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Want more recipes like this Chicken Cobb Chopped Kale Salad?
Basil Lemon Vinaigrette Dressing Recipe
Thai-Style Shredded Brussels Sprouts Salad
Chopped Mixed Greens Salad with Balsamic Vinaigrette
Always my favorite salad to order at a restaurant, too! This one looks delicious.
Thanks so much, Jo!