Low Carb Cobb Salad with Coconut Bacon + the Ultimate Fat-Burner Salad Dressing

Looking for easy low carb lunch recipes that will keep you satisfied and energized until dinnertime?

This Low Carb Cobb Salad with Coconut Bacon + the Ultimate Fat-Burner Salad Dressing makes a great keto lunch to take with you to work or school.

It’s very filling, packed with flavor and really rich in healthy fats – great to beat sugar cravings!

Instead of the traditional ‘bacon & blue cheese’ cobb salad, I’ve come up with a vegan version that contains smoked tofu and the most irresistible coconut bacon. If you like coconut, beware: these crispy coconut bacon bits are truly addictive! You can sprinkle them on top of salads and vegetable dishes, add them to stews for a subtle smoky touch, serve them as a nibble with drinks, or enjoy them as a salty snack on the go.

Not a fan of tofu? Replace it with softly boiled eggs, smoked mackerel or grilled chicken breast.

Now let’s talk about the salad dressing… It’s insanely delicious and only has 3 main ingredients: MCT oil, apple cider vinegar and Dijon mustard. That’s it! Just put them in a jar, close the lid, give it a good shake and enjoy. I love this ‘fat-burner’ mustard dressing on salads, stir-fries, roasted veggies… and I even have it as a pre-dinner snack with raw vegetables like carrot, celery, cherry tomatoes and zucchini.

Pure C8 MCT oil from coconut is a really powerful ingredient to use. As I talked about in this blogpost on mental health, it helps me tremendously to beat sugar cravings and stay satisfied in between meals (no more hangry Julie lol ;-)), resulting in more mental clarity and inner peace.

The second ingredient in this fat-burner sauce is apple cider vinegar. Scientific studies have shown that it can help to maintain a healthy weight by lowering blood sugar levels, reducing your appetite and need for sugary snacks, and improving insulin sensitivity (which is key to use fat as a fuel source). It is also said to have anti-aging properties and anti-bacterial power.

Just one thing to be cautious of: just like lemon juice and other vinegars, apple cider vinegar is very sour to your teeth. Don’t go sipping on apple cider drinks all day long, but limit your use to a few times a week to protect your enamel. Never have it straight up, but always dilute it in a lot of water, or use it in cooking with other ingredients. Rinse your mouth with water after a meal and you could even add a little baking soda to the water if you like using lemon/lime juice or apple cider vinegar in order to restore the natural pH-balance in your mouth. Never brush your teeth right after a meal either, but wait 1 hour or longer. Natural gum with birch-wood xylitol helps for healthy teeth and gum too. Ok, enough dentist talk!

On a more personal note…

How are you doing? Did you have a good Summer? It seems to have flown by so fast this year! I have no idea what the rest of the year will look like and what will happen in the world, but I’m trying to take life day by day and be more flexible, quite a challenge for me (I’m a bit of a control freak :)). If you’ve been feeling scared, worried or just a bit ‘off’ lately, check out this blogpost with 7 tips to improve your mental health.

Now more than ever, I feel the need to get out into nature, go for daily walks with our miniature dachshund Mr. George, eat healthy, take cold showers and be gentle with myself. The first few months of ‘lockdown’ have proven to be challenging for my mental health, with quite a few ups and downs this Summer, but I feel more grounded and hopeful now, trying to trust that everything will work out for the greater good of all concerned (something a very special friend once told me).

I hope you and your family are safe and healthy, I send you a big hug and I hope you will enjoy this colorful meal!

Love x
Julie

Low Carb Cobb Salad with Coconut Bacon + the Ultimate Fat-Burner Salad Dressing (Vegan, Vegetarian or Flexitarian, Gluten Free, Dairy Free)

DIRECTIONS:

Coconut bacon

1. Preheat the oven to 350 °F (180 °C).
2. Put the tamari, lemon juice, smoked paprika and cayenne pepper in a mixing bowl. Stir well with a spoon.
3. Add the coconut flakes and make sure each flake gets coated with the marinade.
4. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Put the marinated coconut flakes on the lined baking sheet. Bake for 15 minutes, stirring the coconut flakes every 5 minutes to prevent them from burning.
5. Take the coconut bacon out of the oven and leave it to cool completely so it can turn crunchy (it will be a bit softer when you first take it out of the oven). Store in a mason jar in a cool, dark place so it stays crunchy.

Fat-Burner Salad Dressing

Combine MCT oil, apple cider vinegar and mustard in a small glass jar, together with pepper and sea salt to taste. Close the jar and shake well. Taste and adjust seasoning if desired. You could also add mustard seeds for extra flavor and crunch.

Low Carb Cobb salad

1. Heat the olive oil in a large frying pan or grilling pan, cut the tofu into slices and bake until golden brown. You can also grill the tofu in the oven or on the barbecue.
2. Halve the cherry tomatoes, cut the radishes into quarters, the cucumber into sticks and the avocado into slices. Sprinkle with lemon or lime juice if desired.
3. Assemble the cobb salad: mixed lettuce, cherry tomatoes, radishes, cucumber and sprouts. Top with grilled tofu, coconut bacon and finely chopped chives if desired. Serve with mustard dressing.
4. Big appetite? Add ½ small beetroot (raw of cooked) and a softly boiled egg.

JULIE’S TIPS & TRICKS:

• Feel free to replace the tofu with softly boiled or poached eggs, free-range turkey, chicken, (smoked) mackerel, canned sardines…
• Want to keep it vegan but soy free? Replace the tofu with ‘lupeh’ (looks a bit like tempeh but it’s made from lupini beans) or ‘hempfu’ (looks more like tofu, it’s made from hemp seeds).
• The fat-burner salad dressing will stay fresh for at least 1 month in a glass jar in the refrigerator. I usually make 10 times the amount and store it in the fridge. You can also store it in the freezer for several months.
• This coconut bacon recipe makes 3 cups (= 12 generous servings). I love having it on hand to use on top of salads, vegetable dishes or as a savory snack or nibble. You can store leftovers in an airtight glass jar in a cool dark place for up to 3 months. After a while it will get softer but you can always put it back in the oven for 5 minutes or so to make it crunchy again.

What would you like to see more of on the blog?

• Easy lunch recipes?
• Low carb breakfast ideas?
• Sugar free desserts?
• Food prep tips to save time in the kitchen?
• Tips on how to get started with keto/a low carb lifestyle?
• Tips on how to beat sugar cravings?
• More tips on how to take care of your mental health or feel good in your body?

Let me know by leaving a comment down below.

Nutritional value (per person, with tofu + 4 tablespoons coconut bacon)
Carbohydrates 8.9 g, Protein 17.6 g, Fats 52.3 g, Calories 600.6 kcal

Nutritional value (per person, with tofu + 4 tablespoons coconut bacon + 1 egg + ½ small beetroot)
Carbohydrates 12.2 g, Protein 23.8 g, Fats 57.1 g, Calories 686.4 kcal

Nutritional value (per serving of coconut bacon = 4 tablespoons)
Carbohydrates 1.8 g, Protein 2 g, Fats 12.9 g, Calories 135.7 kcal

Nutritional value (per tablespoon fat-burner salad dressing)
Carbohydrates 0.1 g, Protein 0.1 g, Fats 8.5 g, Calories 81 kcal