Vegan Cobb Salad with Eggplant “Bacon”


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Description

The Cobb salad is a popular American garden salad typically used as a main dish. Conventional Cobb salads would include bacon and chicken but Chef Valerie veganized it here for us using marinated eggplant “bacon” and Beyond Meat’s Grilled Chicken Strips. It’s a real crowd pleaser at the Spiral House. You’ll also think of lots of ways to use this eggplant bacon.

Ingredients

For Salad

1

Eggplant

2 heads

Romaine Lettuce (chopped)

1 pound

Button Mushrooms (cleaned, stemmed, and sliced)

1 pound

Cherry Tomatoes (halved)

2

Avocados (pitted and halved)

1

English Cucumber (partially peeled and sliced)

1 package

Beyond Meat Chicken Strips or a marinated and baked tofu or tempeh of your choice

For the Marinade

1⁄4 cup

Soy Sauce

2 tablespoons

Maple Syrup

2 teaspoons

Liquid Smoke

1⁄8 teaspoon

Chili Powder

2 teaspoons

Granulated Garlic

1 teaspoon

Paprika

4 tablespoons

Olive Oil

2 tablespoons

Worcestershire Sauce

For Vegan Ranch Dressing

1 cup

Vegan Mayonnaise

1⁄2 cup

Sour Cream

1⁄2

Lemon (juiced)

1 tablespoon

Granulated Garlic

1 tablespoon

Worcestershire Sauce

1⁄4 cup

Chives (chopped)

2 teaspoons

Onion Powder

Salt & Pepper (to taste)

Summary

Yield	Servings

Instructions

Preheat oven to 250 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
Peel eggplant, cut in quarters lengthwise, and thinly slice each quarter so that slices are the size of traditional bacon.
To make the marinade for the eggplant, use a whisk to mix the soy sauce, maple syrup, liquid smoke, chili powder, 2 teaspoons granulated garlic, paprika, 3 tablespoons of the olive oil, and 2 tablespoons of the Worcestershire sauce. Brush marinade on both sides of the eggplant slices. Bake slices for 15 minutes on parchment-lined cookie sheet. Remove eggplant from oven, brush more marinade on both sides again, and bake for another 15 minutes. Remove from oven. The eggplant slices can remain on the cookie sheet until you are ready to use them.
Cook the Beyond Chicken with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil for a couple minutes until heated through, about 5-7 minutes. Set aside.
Arrange prepared vegetables, Beyond Chicken, and Eggplant “Bacon” in rows on a platter as shown

Method for Vegan Ranch Dressing

With a whisk, blend all dressing ingredients together.
Serve in a small pitcher on the side of the salad.