Tropical Greens Cobb Salad
If you garden in Florida or any hot climate, you already know that summer can make it hard to grow traditional salad greens like lettuce. That’s why I love making familiar recipes with a garden-grown twist — like this Tropical Greens Cobb Salad. It still has all the classic Cobb flavors you love, but I’m mixing in heat-tolerant tropical greens from my garden to make it more nutrient-dense and Florida-friendly.
This is one of my favorite ways to use lesser-known edible plants, because the meal feels familiar, but you’re also using what you grow and naturally expanding your palate.
Watch the video version of this recipe: coming soon
Why Use Tropical Greens in a Cobb Salad?
Tropical greens tend to be more heat tolerant and more nutrient-dense than lettuce. In my garden, I rely heavily on greens like:
- Katuk
- Moringa
- Longevity Spinach
- Okinawan Spinach
- Surinam Spinach
- Sissoo Spinach
- New Zealand Spinach
- Molokhia
All of these greens have mild flavors, which makes them easy to blend into everyday meals without overpowering the salad.
Salad Greens Ratio
I walk around my garden and harvest from all the tropical greens that I have to make a salad mix. Sometimes I use only the tropical greens. Other times I will mix it at 1 part tropical greens to 2 parts lettuce.
Ingredients
For the Salad
Big bowl of tropical greens + lettuce
1/2 red onion sliced and soaked in cold water to remove bitterness
1/2 cup of thick cut bacon, cooked and diced
1 cup cooked chicken bites
1 whole avocado, diced
1/2 cup cherry tomatoes, sliced in half
1/2 cup cucumbers diced
1/4 cup of pepitas
1/3 cup Crumbled Blue Cheese
Other toppings for the salad: sweet corn, diced hard boiled eggs, sunflower seeds, chopped walnuts, sliced almonds, sliced sweet bell peppers, diced ham, and green onions.
For the Dill + Garlic Chive Ranch Dressing
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup buttermilk or regular milk
3 TBS fresh chopped dill
1 TSP fresh chopped parsley
1 TSP fresh chopped garlic chives or regular chives
1/2 TSP onion powder
1/2 TSP salt
1/4 TSP fresh cracked black pepper
3 TSP freshly squeezed lemon juice
Step-by-Step Directions
Step 1: Prep the Tropical Greens
Start by stripping the tropical green leaves off the tougher stems. Discard the stems, because for salads you want the tender leaves only.
Chop your lettuce into bite-sized pieces.
Add all your greens to a salad spinner, rinse well with water, and spin until dry. Then transfer the greens to a large salad bowl.
Step 2: Make the Dill + Garlic Chive Ranch Dressing
Homemade dressing takes this salad to the next level, and this ranch is one of my favorites.
In a bowl, combine the mayonnaise, sour cream, and buttermilk.
Add the herbs: dill, parsley, and garlic chives.
Stir in the onion onion powder, salt, and black pepper.
Finish with a squeeze of fresh lemon juice, then whisk until smooth and creamy.
This dressing is bright, herby, and fresh, and it pairs perfectly with tropical greens and classic Cobb toppings.
Step 3: Add Your Cobb Toppings
Now it’s time to build the salad.
Top your greens with the toppings of your choice.
Step 4: Dress and Serve
Drizzle the ranch dressing over the salad, or serve it on the side so everyone can add their own.
