Fluffy quinoa adds the perfect boost of heartiness to this loaded chicken quinoa cobb salad! Pair it with a tangy homemade red wine vinaigrette for the perfect dinner or lunch salad.
We’ve got the queen of all salads coming in hot! Leave it to cobb salad to win the beauty prize every time.
This salad is packed to absolute capacity with ALL the goods plus the fun addition of fluffy quinoa that will help keep you full for many hours.
It’s the homemade red wine vinegar dressing that really seals the deal here though. Meet your new permanent salad favorite.
It’s so aesthetically pleasing with the neat little rows of ingredients and possibly even too pretty to eat, but NO ONE will let that stop them from demolishing this salad!
This Cobb Salad features…
- Fluffy quinoa and juicy chicken cubes
- All the classic cobb ingredients including hard-boiled eggs, avocado, blue cheese, bacon, and tomatoes
- Homemade red wine vinaigrette
- Easy to prep ahead of time and always a hit salad for gatherings
Making the Cobb Salad
(scroll down to the bottom of the post for the full recipe)
Ingredients You Will Need
- Red wine vinegar
- Dijon mustard
- Honey
- Oregano
- Olive oil
- Spring greens
- Quinoa
- Cooked chicken
- Avocado
- Cherry tomatoes
- Eggs
- Blue cheese
- Bacon
How to Cook Quinoa
The cooking ratio of quinoa to water is 1:2. Lightly salt the water and quinoa and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to low, cover pan, and allow to cook 10-15 minutes until the liquid is evaporated and quinoa is fluffy.
For best results, we recommend allowing the quinoa to cool before adding to salad.
Tips for Perfect Cobb Salad
- Arrange ingredients across greens – classic cobb salad features ingredients arranged in rows on top of the greens.
- Cut avocado just before serving – this will prevent the avocado from turning brown.
- Serve salad immediately after assembly – this will keep all the ingredients fresh.
Recipe Variations
Try these ideas for a different twist on this salad.
- Use a different cheese – try feta, goat cheese, fresh mozzarella, or burrata in place of the blue cheese.
- Try a different grain – try farro, orzo, or bulgur in place of the quinoa.
- Use a bottled dressing – try balsamic, buttermilk ranch, or Italian in place of the homemade.
Make Ahead Instructions
Follow these instructions for time-saving make ahead tips.
- Make dressing – the dressing stores well in refrigerator up to 6 days. Shake well before dressing salad.
- Cook quinoa – the cooked quinoa stores well in refrigerator up to 6 days.
- Cook eggs, bacon, and chicken – store the eggs and meats in refrigerator up to 6 days.
- Assembly – when ready to serve salad, assemble the greens and other ingredients in salad bowl and drizzle dressing over top.
Hello, salad goals! The fluffy quinoa is an absolute dream alongside the crisp bacon, juicy chicken, silky avocado, and all the other cobb goodness.
No one will ever complain about this salad being on the menu, guaranteed. It’s hearty enough for a stand-alone dinner salad and also a lunch staple in our house.
Save this recipe using the ‘save to recipe box’ button below. If you make it, please let us know! Leave a comment + star rating below, or take a photo and tag it on Instagram with #wholeandheavenlyoven.
Watch this salad made step-by-step on Google web stories.
More colorful salads to try next!
Chicken Quinoa Cobb Salad
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Ingredients
Red Wine Vinaigrette
- 1/3 cup red wine vinegar
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon honey or agave nectar
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- Salt and pepper to taste
Cobb Salad
- 6 cups spring greens mix
- 1-1/2 cups cooked quinoa
- 1-1/2 cups cooked diced or shredded chicken
- 1 medium avocado, diced into 1/2-inch cubes
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
- 3 hard-boiled eggs, shelled and quartered
- 1/2 cup crumbled blue cheese or feta
- 1/2 cup crispy bacon bits
Instructions
Red Wine Vinaigrette
- In a small bowl, whisk red wine vinegar, mustard, honey, and oregano together. Slowly drizzle in olive oil, whisking constantly until vinaigrette is smooth. Season with salt and pepper to taste and refrigerate until ready to use.
Cobb Salad
- Place spring greens in a large bowl or platter. Arrange quinoa, chicken, avocado, cherry tomatoes, eggs, blue cheese, and bacon bits in lines across greens.
- When ready to serve, drizzle red wine vinaigrette over salad. Serve immediately and enjoy!
Darlene says
Absolutely delicious salad. Only change, I switched the greens to baby spinach and the cheese to crumbled feta. Dressing was easy and delicious. Will definitely be making again.