Will and I were in Cleveland this weekend to celebrate the wedding of some of our friends. I felt rather nostalgic wandering around the Case Western campus and sharing drinks with the same friends from our dietetic internship. The almost two years I lived in Cleveland are definitely filled with fond memories. However, after a weekend of indulging (I’m lookin’ at you, huge bowl of mac and cheese at Prosperity Social Club), I was ready to get back to my normal salad filled routine. To switch things up though, I made this vegan cobb salad with coconut bacon. After reading about coconut bacon for ages, I finally decided to give it a try and I am totally hooked!
Seriously, this colorful salad may become your new favorite for summer. I know I can’t wait to eat it the rest of the week for lunch! Also, you must make the coconut bacon for this. It’s super simple, mostly just a matter of having the right ingredients. I didn’t have too much trouble finding the coconut chips (I like the brand Dang) and liquid smoke at Whole Foods. They can also be purchased online of course. (Yay for Amazon!)
In addition to the coconut bacon, the cashew dill dressing is also a necessity for this salad. You simply soak 1 cup of chopped, raw cashews in water overnight and then puree it with your dressing ingredients when ready to serve. I used a few sprigs of the fresh dill we have growing on our porch to add lots of flavor, but you can easily use dried dill as well. It makes more dressing than you’ll likely need for the salads, but if you are like me, you’ll want to use it on everything.
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Serve up this adaptable vegan cobb salad with cashew dill dressing all summer long for a light, yet filling meal.
Ingredients
For the Dressing:
- 1 cup raw cashew pieces, soaked overnight
- 3/4 cup + 2 Tablespoons cold water (Adjust to dressing consistency you prefer)
- 3–4 two inch sprigs fresh dill weed (1 teaspoon dried dill)
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- Ground Pepper and Salt, to taste
For the Coconut Bacon:
- 1 1/2 cups unsweetened coconut chips
- 2 tablespoons reduced-sodium soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon liquid smoke
- 1 teaspoon maple syrup
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika
- Dash of ground black pepper
For the Salad:
- 1 (15 oz.) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 5 cups salad leaves
- 1/2 cucumber, chopped
- 3–4 carrots, chopped
- 1/2 cup halved cherry tomato
- 1/3 cup chopped red bell pepper
- Kernels from 2 ears of steamed corn
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, add all of the coconut chip ingredients and toss with a wooden spoon to coat evenly. Spread in a single layer on the baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake for 12-14 minutes , tossing halfway through, until golden brown. (Watch closely to the last few minutes so it doesn’t burn!) Remove from the oven and set aside to cool.
- While the chips are baking, add all of the dressing ingredients to a blender and puree until smooth. Adjust water as needed to obtain desired dressing consistency.
- To make the salads, divide lettuce and toppings evenly among the 4 bowls. To with coconut bacon and dressing and serve.
Notes
Recipe loosely adapted from: Love and Lemons.
One more close up of that coconut bacon for good measure. π
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