Cobb Salad

This low-FODMAP Cobb salad keeps the classic chicken, bacon, egg, tomato, and blue cheese lineup but replaces onion with scallion green tops and builds the maple-mustard dressing on garlic-infused oil.

Prep 20 min

Cook 20 min

Serves 4

Gluten-free

Ingredients

For the salad:

• 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 400g / 14 oz)
• 1 tbsp garlic-infused olive oil, plus extra for the pan
• 4 slices bacon (check the label for no added onion or garlic)
• 4 large eggs
• 6 cups (about 200g) chopped romaine or cos lettuce
• 1 cup (150g) cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1/2 cup (about 60g) crumbled blue cheese (aged cheese is low in lactose; keep to roughly 40g per serving and check the Monash app)
• 1/2 avocado, diced (hold to about 30g, roughly 2 tbsp, per serving)
• 2 tbsp scallion (spring onion) GREEN tops only, thinly sliced
• Salt and black pepper

For the maple-mustard dressing:

• 3 tbsp garlic-infused olive oil
• 1 tbsp red wine vinegar (or apple cider vinegar)
• 2 tsp Dijon mustard (plain, no garlic in the ingredients)
• 2 tsp pure maple syrup
• Salt and black pepper

Instructions

Cook the chicken and bacon

1. Pat the chicken dry and season both sides with salt and pepper. Heat 1 tbsp garlic-infused oil in a skillet over medium heat.
2. Cook the chicken 6 to 8 minutes per side, until the thickest part reaches an internal temperature of 165 F (74 C). Rest for 5 minutes, then slice.
3. Cook the bacon in the same pan (or a separate one) until crisp, about 3 to 4 minutes per side. Drain on paper towels and chop.

Boil the eggs

1. Place the eggs in a saucepan and cover with cold water. Bring to a boil over high heat.
2. Once boiling, cover the pan, remove it from the heat, and let it sit 10 to 11 minutes. Transfer the eggs to ice water, then peel and quarter.

Make the dressing

1. Whisk the garlic-infused oil, vinegar, Dijon, maple syrup, and a pinch of salt and pepper in a small bowl until it emulsifies. Taste and adjust the salt or vinegar.

Assemble

1. Spread the lettuce across a large platter or divide it among 4 bowls.
2. Arrange the chicken, bacon, egg, tomatoes, avocado, and blue cheese in rows on top.
3. Scatter the scallion greens over everything and drizzle with the dressing just before serving.

Tips & Substitutions

• Check the bacon label. Many cured bacons add onion or garlic powder. Choose a brand made with just pork, salt, sugar, and cure, or lean on extra chicken instead.
• Swap the blue cheese. If blue cheese is too sharp, aged cheddar works, or use a small amount of feta. Feta carries its own portion limit, so check the Monash app.
• Keep avocado in check. Avocado is only low-FODMAP in small amounts. Hold each serving to about 30g (2 tbsp), or leave it out entirely.
• Use the scallion greens only. The green tops are low in fructans, while the white bulb is not. Slice off and discard the white part.
• Pick a plain mustard. Some Dijon and prepared mustards blend in garlic. Read the label, or use a yellow mustard you have already checked.
• Prep it for lunches. Store the dressing separately and dice the avocado fresh so nothing browns or turns soggy before you eat.

Why This Works

• Garlic flavor without fructans. The fructans in garlic do not dissolve in oil, so garlic-infused oil carries the taste while leaving the FODMAPs in the discarded solids.
• Scallion greens replace onion. The green tops give the sharp onion note a Cobb salad needs, without the fructans found in onion bulbs and scallion whites.
• Aged cheese is low in lactose. Blue cheese loses most of its lactose during production, so a standard crumble stays within a low-FODMAP serving.
• Maple syrup instead of honey. Maple syrup sweetens the dressing without the excess fructose in honey. Keep the drizzle modest and check the Monash app for current tested serving sizes.

Storage

Store the cooked components in separate airtight containers in the fridge for up to 3 days, and keep the dressing in its own jar. Cooked chicken and bacon freeze well for up to 2 months; thaw them in the fridge overnight. Toss the salad and add the avocado and dressing only when you are ready to eat, since dressed greens and cut avocado do not hold well.

Not sure about an ingredient? The FODMAP Foods app rates 1,000+ foods low, moderate, or high FODMAP, with the safe portion for each, so you can cook with confidence.