This Harvest Cobb Salad w/ Homemade Apple Cider Vinaigrette recipe is the perfect autumn lunch or dinner. Easy, tasty & super nutritious!
I know summer is considered salad season but my Harvest Cobb Salad is a serious exception. It's hearty, full of protein, and includes an apple cider vinaigrette recipe that's perfect for the autumn season.
While the salad is vegetarian as written, it includes plenty of protein from the hard boiled eggs and pecans. If you'd like to up the protein content even further, try adding bacon or grilled chicken. Either would be delicious additions!
This salad originally appeared on our Prep Dish Super Fast Meal Plans. It comes together quickly and is perfect for meal prep. Make sure to check out the meal prep instructions below the recipe if you'd like to prep ahead. Whether you're looking for an easy dinner or a healthy fall lunch, this salad is perfect!
Harvest Cobb Salad
Ingredients
For the Salad:
- 10 oz chopped romaine
- 4 eggs (omega 3)
- 2 apples
- 4 oz blue cheese crumbles
- 1 cup pecans
For the Vinaigrette:
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
- 1 tsp dijon mustard
- 1 T honey
- S&P to taste
Instructions
For the Salad:
- Place 4 eggs into a medium pot filled w/ water. Bring to a gentle boil over med-high heat. Turn heat to low and simmer ~8 mins. Remove from heat. Option to place in ice bath (easier to peel).
- Peel & slice hard boiled eggs.
- Slice 2 apples.
- Layer each salad with: romaine, hard boiled eggs, pecans, apple slices & blue cheese crumbles (optional).
For the Vinaigrette:
- Combine ½ cup olive oil, ¼ cup apple cider vinegar, 1 tsp dijon mustard, 1T honey and S&P to taste.
- Top each salad serving w/ ~1-2T apple cider dressing.
What to Serve with Harvest Cobb Salad
I love this harvest cobb salad with a side of bread or some homemade autumn soup.
My gluten free corn muffins are perfect for fall and pair nicely with this salad. You could also make my gluten free almond flour biscuits! I especially love serving some sort of homemade bread with entree salads when I'm serving kids. Seeing a familiar and beloved item like cornbread on the table can help them be more open to eating salads.
If you don't eat grains or are looking for something different, soup goes quite nicely with this entree salad. Curried Cauliflower & Apple Soup, Red Pepper Soup w/ Sweet Potatoes or Sweet Potato & Pear Soup would all be perfect side dishes for Harvest Cobb Salad.
Is this a good meal prep salad?
Yes, this is a perfect meal prep salad! With a bit of quick meal prep, this salad comes together in mere minutes on a weeknight. It also makes an excellent prep ahead lunch!
To prep ahead, start by making the hard boiled eggs. If you need a really quick dinner, I recommend peeling the eggs ahead of time as well.
You can also make the apple cider vinaigrette recipe ahead of time. You may need to recombine when you're ready to serve. Whisk the ingredients until combined, use a blender or food processor or add the vinaigrette ingredients to a mason jar and shake until combined.
With these simple meal prep steps, all you'll have to do when you're ready to enjoy the salad is slice the eggs and apples, layer the salads and top each portion with the vinaigrette. So easy!
More Fall Salad Ideas
Each of our gluten free and paleo meal plans always includes a meal prep salad. I frequently include an easy entree salad on our super fast meal plans as well. That means I have tons of seriously delicious recipe inspiration to draw on! Here are a few fall salad ideas for making great seasonal salads, as well as a few of my favorite fall salad recipes.
Fall Salad Add-ins
These seasonal salad toppings can make a simple green salad feel festive and perfect for the fall season:
- Roasted butternut squash
- Pepitas or freshly roasted pumpkin seeds
- Roasted Brussels sprouts
- Toasted walnuts, pecans oe hazelnuts
- Dried cranberries
- Apple slices or dried apple chips for a fun twist!
If you're looking for more of a full recipe, here are a few of my favorite easy fall salad recipes:
Balsamic Roasted Beet Salad
Few combinations are more classic than beets, walnuts and goat cheese…and for good reason! These flavors compliment each other so nicely. A simple, homemade balsamic vinaigrette brings everything together.
This salad makes an excellent prep-ahead lunch or side salad for dinner. You can also top with grilled chicken to turn this into a hearty entree salad. If you're intimidated by cooking beets, look for pre-cooked beets, like Love Beets, in your grocery store.
Harvest Kale Salad
I love kale this time of year. It's hearty, in season and pairs so well with fall fruits and veggies.
Another thing I love about kale? It's perfect for meal prep! Heartier than many other salad greens, kale doesn't wilt the same way many salad options do. This means you can easily prep a kale salad ahead and it will still taste amazing when you're ready to serve.
My harvest kale salad is easy enough to include in your regular weekly meal prep but it's also amazing for family get-togethers or special occasions.
Slow Cooker Mexican Pork Salad
This meal is the perfect marriage of comfort food and refreshing salad. The pork is so warming and hearty but is perfectly balanced with fresh veggies for a meal that's filling but will leave you feeling great.
This recipe is also the perfect opportunity to use my favorite “cook once, eat twice” strategy! Make extra pork and enjoy over salads one night and in tacos another. I love this approach because it really minimizes prep and cook time but you never feel like you're eating leftovers.
Gluten Free, Paleo and Keto-friendly, this hearty fall salad is a great option for entertaining – anyone can enjoy it!
What's the nutrition like for this Harvest Cobb Salad?
In addition to plenty of protein, my Harvest Cobb Salad contains many valuable vitamins and nutrients. Here are a few of the nutritional highlights:
Romaine Lettuce (Vitamin C, Vitamin K, Folate, Calcium, Potassium)
Romaine lettuce is good for your bones, your immune system and your eye health.
Omega-3 Eggs (Vitamin A, B Vitamins, Selenium, Phosphorous, Folate)
Choosing eggs can be so confusing. There are SO many choices and labels. Furthermore, the labels are not all clearly defined, making it even more confusing.
Something to keep in mind though is that omega-3 eggs offer up to 5 times as much omega-3 in contrast to conventional eggs. In addition, they have almost 40% less of the inflammatory omega-6 fatty acid arachidonic acid. As a result, I think Omega-3 eggs are worth it if you can swing it in your grocery budget.
Similarly, pastured eggs offer far superior nutritional content to conventional eggs. Higher in vitamin A, vitamin D, vitamin E and omega-3, they're certainly a better choice than conventional if available to you.
Apples (Vitamin C, Antioxidants, Fiber)
Apples contain vitamin C and lots of antioxidants like flavonoids that may protect against cancer. They're also a great source of fiber, which helps with healthy digestion.
Pecans (Copper, B Vitamins, Zinc, Magnesium)
Pecans and other nuts are considered excellent for heart health and they also add healthy fat to help keep you full until your next meal. If you are following a high fat keto diet, pecans are a great source of healthy fats because they're high in monounsaturated fatty acids which may benefit cholesterol levels. Pecans may also help improve blood sugar levels.
Olive Oil (Vitamin E, Vitamin K, Monounsaturated Fats, Antioxidants)
Due to the type of fat it contains, olive oil may reduce inflammation. It also reduces the risk of Alzheimer's, stroke and heart disease. Make sure to get high quality extra virgin olive oil, as it retains more antioxidants and nutrients.
Apple Cider Vinegar (Small Amount of Potassium, Antioxidants)
Apple cider vinegar is anecdotally believed to have all sorts of benefits. Two of those benefits best supported by science are its ability to help stabilize blood sugar and to aid in weight loss. Apple cider vinegar also has antibacterial and antimicrobial properties.
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