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Healthy Cobb Salad

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Healthy cobb salad has all the flavor of a traditional cobb salad. With healthy fats like avocado and grilled chicken breast.
Healthy Cobb salad with chickpeas.

Jennifer Aniston Healthy Cobb Salad

Jennifer Aniston healthy cobb salad: Is a light and refreshing salad perfect for summer. Or enjoy as a winter salad while preparing for a “hot girl” summer.

Traditional cobb salad uses bacon, boiled eggs, and is loaded with calories.

Traditional cobb salad is tasty.Yet you can skip added fat by substituting a few ingredients for healthier choices with this healthy cobb salad alternative.

This salad is the real Jennifer Aniston salad. And delicious with a dijon mustard dressing.

My favorite! All though, the authentic dressing was an Italian dressing.

The Real Jennifer Aniston Cobb Salad Ingredients

Tips for Making Healthy Cobb Salad:

Vegetables from the garden make this salad so tasty.
I love to use fresh vegetables from my garden when available.
  • This salad is perfect for summer barbecues since you can prepare the salad ahead of time and chill in the fridge until ready to serve. Just chop lettuce and add all other ingredients to the bowl right before serving.
  • I’d recommend slicing avocado and topping the desired amount into individual bowls right before serving.
  • Avocados have a tendency to brown fast. Preparing avocados right before serving reduces chances of avocados going to waste.
  • Italian dressing was the real Jennifer Aniston dressing.
  • However, another tasty homemade dressing is a dijon mustard dressing or a balsamic vinaigrette.

Ingredients

Toasted chickpeas with chopped green onion, sliced chicken, and crumbled blue cheese.
Toasted chickpeas add a delicious flavor to this summer salad.

This healthy cobb salad is made with all the ingredients found in traditional cobb salad recipes. Except bacon is replaced with a healthier turkey bacon and eggs are replaced with egg whites.

A small amount of garbanzo beans or (chickpeas)are added to this salad also. When preparing garbanzo beans the preferred method is to toast in a skillet on the stove.

  • Iceberg Lettuce
  • Grape Tomatoes
  • Green Onion
  • Garbanzo Beans
  • Turkey Bacon
  • Egg Whites
  • Crumbled Blue Cheese
  • Dressing

Ingredients & Substitutions

Mixed salad with toasted chickpeas.
Crisp lettuce packed with healthy fats and high in protein.

Iceberg lettuce: Iceberg lettuce is low on the nutritional scale. However, iceberg lettuce has a significant amount of vitamin A and K.

Grape tomatoes: Grape tomatoes are my favorite. You may use tomatoes on the vine like tiny Tim or cherry tomatoes as well.

If you’d like to add more color to your salad golden grape is also another tasty tomato added to salads.

Green onions: Green onions were not eaten in the Jennifer Aniston Cobb salad However, I like adding them to a Cobb salad and green onions are full of nutritional benefits.

Garbanzo beans: Roasted chickpeas add delicious flavor to this Cobb salad and it only takes a few minutes.

Turkey bacon: Traditional Cobb salads use pork bacon.However, Jennie O Turkey bacon is really good, cost efficient and way less fat than pork bacon.

Chicken: Use rotisserie chicken for faster prep time or prepare chicken your’e preferred way.

Jennifer Aniston occasionally added salami to her Cobb salads as well. However, salami is a fatter meat so I skipped that ingredient.

Egg whites: Cook eggs in a skillet and scoop out egg yolk. Scramble and add to salad for high protein and less cholesterol.

Crumbled blue cheese: Pecorino cheese was the cheese of choice. Yet pecorino cheese can be pretty pricey.

If you are looking for a close tasting cheese that is cost efficient. Try shredded parmesan or crumbled feta cheese.

For this cobb salad recipe I went with crumbled blue cheese because I prefer the taste and it was on sale.

Dressing: Italian dressing was the dressing of choice. I however, love to use a balsamic vinaigrette when being carb conscious.

Or, an even better dressing is a dijon mustard dressing.

Quick Steps to Make Healthy Cobb Salad

Salads are the perfect side dish for summer barbecues.
Grilled chicken taste when pan-seared.

1.Pan-sear chicken breast in skillet.

Heat a small amount of olive oil in a skillet on medium high heat. Make sure oil is hot before adding chicken breasts to the pan.

Sear each side of the chicken breast then add some water to the skillet. Cover the pan with a tight fitting lid and lower heat to low.

This cooking method gives you a grilled chicken taste that is juicy and delicious!

2.Season & roast garbanzo beans. Roasted chickpeas add an amazing taste to this salad and give this salad a nice crunch.

It only takes 5-7 minutes and is really worth the added cook time. All you do is drizzle chickpeas with light olive oil, season, and add to a pan.

3.Cook turkey bacon.

Crispy turkey bacon is the best! And adds a nice crunch to this salad!

Make sure to heat the pan to sizzling hot and cook turkey bacon until crispy.

4.Add eggs to a pan & remove egg yolks. Add eggs to a pan and remove egg yolks. Season lightly with salt & pepper. Scramble and set egg whites aside.

5. Chop all produce. Chop all produce and add all ingredients to a bowl. Top with dressing of your choice when ready to eat. Or prepare bowls individually.

Questions About this Salad Recipe

Yummy side salad full of health benefits.
Salads are the perfect side for summer barbecues.

What are the health benefits of Cobb salad? Lettuce is full of vitamin A & K. Incorporating more vegetables over fatty meats makes this Cobb salad a healthier alternative compared to traditional Cobb salad recipes.

Is a cobb salad healthy for weight loss? Yes! as long as you use less fatty meats and do not use fatty dressings. Cobb salads can be doctored up and be the perfect salad for weight loss. There are three main components to weight loss protein, fiber, and healthy fat.

More salads perfect for “hot girl” summer. Panera Fuji Apple Salad: Easy at-Home Recipe

Or, Panera Strawberry Poppyseed Salad: Perfect for Summer

Quinoa Cucumber Chickpea Salad the viral tiktok salad.

Low Carb Broccoli Salad enjoy with barbecued ribs or juicy grilled chicken. Yum!

Taco Salad with Beans A healthier taco Tuesday alternative.

Not sure what to eat with quinoa? Here are 42 Quinoa Salad Ingredient Ideas

Healthy Cobb salad, the real Jennifer Aniston salad. With a few added ingredients.

Healthy Cobb Salad (The Real Jennifer Aniston Salad)

Yield: 6
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Additional Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 5 minutes

Traditional Cobb salad is high in calories and full of fat. See how tasty this healthy cobb salad is. And this is the same cobb salad Jennifer Aniston ate. With a few added ingredients.

Ingredients

  • 1 head, iceberg lettuce, chopped
  • 1 bunch green onions, chopped
  • 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
  • 1 avocado, diced
  • 1/4 cup chickpeas, roasted
  • 1 chicken breast, sliced
  • 4 turkey bacon, crumbled
  • 6 egg whites, scrambled
  • 3 oz blue cheese, crumbled
  • garlic powder
  • paprika
  • Italian seasoning
  • salt & pepper
  • Italian dressing or your dressing of choice

Instructions

Toasting chickpeas:

  • Toss chickpeas with olive oil and season with garlic powder, Italian seasoning, paprika, and salt & pepper.
  • Add olive oil to a skillet and heat on medium high heat.
  • Add chickpeas to sizzling hot pan and cook 5-7 minutes. Allow to cool and set aside.

To Make Healthy Cobb Salad:

  • Toast chickpeas and set aside.
  • Slice chicken, avocado, green onions and halve the tomatoes.
  • Cook turkey bacon until crispy.
  • Spray pan with non-stick cooking spray. Add eggs to pan and scoop out egg yolks.
  • Scramble egg whites, remove and set aside.
  • Assemble the salad into 6 individual bowls. evenly divide lettuce. Top with green onions, tomatoes, crumbled turkey bacon, scrambled egg whites, sliced avocado, sliced chicken, crumbled blue cheese, and toasted chickpeas.

Notes

  • Cooked chicken: For a quick salad, slice chicken breast from a rotisserie chicken.
  • How to prepare chicken breast: Season chicken breast lightly with salt & pepper. Heat olive oil in pan on medium high heat. Add chicken to sizzling hot pan and sear each side of chicken breast. Cook 2 minutes on each side. Lower heat to low stir in water or chicken broth for flavor. Cover pan with lid and cook until chicken breast is no longer pink.
  • Dressing: Italian dressing was the real Jennifer Aniston salad dressing of choice. If using I'd recommend using olive gardens brand. However, a balsamic vinaigrette or dijon mustard dressing is also delicious!

Nutrition Information:
Yield: 6 Serving Size: 1 cup
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 209Total Fat: 7.49gCholesterol: 38mgSodium: 78mgCarbohydrates: 7.62gFiber: 4.13gSugar: 3.8gProtein: 19g

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