This healthy Cobb Salad has a Southwest twist. Along with the traditional bacon and hard-boiled eggs, this Southwest Kale Cobb Salad also has black beans, corn, jicama and cilantro on top.

Southwest Cobb Salad in a large bowl

Why We Love This Recipe For Southwest Cobb Salad

Let’s talk about how awesome this salad is. Not only is it a healthy and yummy way to use hard-boiled eggs, but it is really adaptable for your taste preferences.

I have tested it a couple ways, and I just wanted to let you know that it is super yummy no matter how you adapt it. If you’re not into kale salads, please use chopped Romaine instead. And if you would prefer a creamy dressing, I would recommend this Yogurt Cumin Dressing.

I also know that a lot of you are wondering why oh why doesn’t this have avocado on it?? I am not entirely sure, but I am all in favor of your adding one. And I used locally-made organic queso fresco and I also tried it with feta. But, I think cheddar or jack would also rock in this salad.

So my point is, just use this as a jumping-off point to make this the salad of your dreams.

It truly is the perfect entree salad for a mid-week dinner. It comes together in almost no time at all, and since it’s so adaptable, everyone in the family can enjoy their own version. If you’re looking for more cobb salads definitely try my Healthy Classic Cobb Salad, this Fall Harvest Cobb Salad and Grilled Corn and Peach Cobb Salad.

Key Ingredients For This Recipe

Lacinato kale

Lacinato kale, also known as Tuscan kale, is the long, flatter and darker colored kale you’ll often see bunched up in grocery stores. Unlike curly kale, which you can find pre-chopped in bags, Lacinato kale will be located in the fresh greens section. Feel free to use curly kale in this recipe instead, or Romaine if you’re not a kale person.

Jicama

Jicama is a root vegetable that somewhat tastes like an apple but with less flavor and sweetness. It’s often eaten raw with seasonings sprinkled over top, but I love adding it to salads for added crunch. There are plenty of substitutions for jicama depending on what you’re making, but for this recipe in particular I would recommend going with something like Daikon radishes.

Queso Fresco

Queso fresco is a fresh white Mexican cheese that’s made entirely from cow’s milk. It’s slightly salty and tangy yet very mild. You should be able to find queso fresco in the fancy cheese isle, but as mentioned above, you could absolutely use feta or even cheddar cheese instead.

Chipotle chili powder

Chipotle chili powder adds a really nice smoky and earthy flavor to the dish which I love, especially since it’s meant to be a Southwestern dish. You can find this spice in the regular spice isle, but if you want something with a little more kick, use or ¼ teaspoon cayenne instead.

Eggs

I love using hard boiled eggs for my Cobb salad recipes. To cook eggs, place them in a small saucepan and generously cover with cool tap water. Set saucepan over high heat. 

Bring to a gentle simmer, then reduce heat slightly to avoid boiling and cook for 10 minutes (if they bubble too vigorously, the shells can crack and the whites may leak out). 

Immediately place saucepan in the sink, gently pouring off some of the hot water. Run cold tap water into the saucepan for 1 to 2 minutes until eggs are cooled slightly. Peel and serve.

Additional Dressing Ingredients

  • 1 small clove garlic
  • ¾ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
  • 3 tablespoons lime juice
  • 2 teaspoons agave syrup or pure maple syrup, dark or amber
  • 1 teaspoon cumin

Additional Salad Ingredients

  • 1 15-ounce can black beans
  • 1 cup frozen corn kernels, thawed
  • 1 cup shredded peeled carrots
  • 4 hard boiled eggs, cut into wedges
  • 8 slices cooked crispy Bacon (optional)
  • ¼ cup chopped cilantro

Step by Step Instructions to Make This Kale Cobb Salad

Step 1: Make dressing

To make the dressing, begin by chopping the garlic. Sprinkle the garlic with salt and mash with the side of a chef’s knife to make a paste (alternatively, use a garlic press or finely grate on a microplane). Scrape the garlic paste into a jar. Add the oil, lime juice, agave, cumin and chipotle. Cover the jar with a lid and shake to combine. Set aside until ready to serve.

Step 2: Assemble salad

To begin making the salad, boil eggs, cook the bacon, and prep the kale. Arrange the kale, beans, corn, jicama, carrots, eggs, bacon and queso fresco in 4 large shallow bowls. Drizzle the dressing over the salad, then sprinkle with cilantro and serve.

pouring dressing onto a Southwest Cobb Salad

FAQs and Expert Tips

Can I make Cobb salad ahead?

Yes. Assemble the salad a few hours before serving. Do not dress until ready to serve. Cover the salads with plastic wrap and store it in the fridge. You can make the dressing the day before, if desired. Store in an airtight container in the fridge until ready to drizzle over salad.

Can I cook the eggs in advance?

Eggs, especially hard boiled, can be cooked a few day sin advance. If left in the shell and kept in the refrigerator, hard boiled eggs will last for about seven days.

Can I cook the bacon in advance

Cooked bacon will last in the fridge for 4 to 5 days. Simple cook the bacon, wrap it loosely in a paper towel, place it in a sealable plastic bag and store in the fridge until ready to use. Alternatively, crumble the bacon into pieces and store in an airtight container.

What to add if I want more protein?

Although I didn’t chose to use chicken in this recipe, chicken is a common Cobb salad ingredient. If you’re looking to add more protein to this dish, cook and slice up some chicken breast. You could even add my Crispy Baked Chicken Thighs!

Additional Delicious Salad Recipes to Try

Thanks so much for reading! If you are new here, you may want to sign up for my email newsletter to get a free weekly menu plan and the latest recipes right to your inbox. If you make this recipe, please come back and leave a star rating and review. I would love to hear what you thought!

Happy Cooking! ~Katie

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Southwest Cobb Kale Salad on Healthy Seasonal Recipes

Southwest Cobb Salad


5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

5 from 9 reviews

  • Author: Katie Webster
  • Total Time: 15 minutes
  • Yield: 4 servings 1x

Description

Along with the traditional bacon and hard-boiled eggs, this Southwest Cobb Salad also has black beans, corn, jicama and cilantro on top.


Ingredients

Units Scale

Dressing:

  • 1 small clove garlic
  • 3/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
  • 3 tablespoons lime juice
  • 2 teaspoons agave syrup or pure maple syrup, dark or amber
  • 1 teaspoon cumin
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground chipotle chili powder or 1/4 teaspoon cayenne

Salad:

  • 1 small bunch lacinato kale, cleaned and finely chopped into bite-sized pieces
  • 1 15ounce can black beans
  • 1 cup diced peeled jicama
  • 1 cup frozen corn kernels, thawed
  • 1 cup shredded peeled carrots
  • 4 hard boiled eggs, cut into wedges
  • 8 slices cooked crispy Bacon (optional)
  • 1/2 cup crumbled Queso Fresco (or substitute feta if unavailable)
  • 1/4 cup chopped cilantro

Instructions

  1. Make Dressing: Chop garlic. Sprinkle with salt and mash with the side of a chef’s knife to make a paste. Scrape paste into a jar. Add oil, lime, agave, cumin and chipotle, cover and shake to combine.
  2. Make Salad: Arrange kale, beans, corn, jicama, carrots, eggs, bacon and queso fresco in 4 large shallow bowls.
  3. Drizzle dressing over the salad, sprinkle with cilantro and serve.

Notes

Make Ahead Tip:

Assemble the salad a few hours before serving, or prep all the ingredients and store separately until ready to serve. If fully assembling the salad, cover it with plastic wrap and store it in the fridge. You can make the dressing the day before, if desired, then store in an airtight container in the fridge until ready to drizzle over salad.

  • Prep Time: 15 minutes
  • Cook Time: 0 minutes
  • Category: Salads
  • Method: Stovetop
  • Cuisine: American

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 2 cups
  • Calories: 394
  • Sugar: 10 g
  • Fat: 24 g
  • Saturated Fat: 5 g
  • Carbohydrates: 31 g
  • Fiber: 8 g
  • Protein: 16 g