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Home » Recipes » Course » Salads

Updated Jun 4, 2025 · This post may contain affiliate links ·

Cobb Salad with Salmon and Everything but the Bagel Dressing

If you love everything bagels, shmear and lox, but (like me) you’d like a healthier alternative, look no further than my Cobb salad with salmon and everything but the bagel dressing! It incorporates the yum of the everything bagel experience into a delicious new interpretation of Cobb salad – fresh greens, smoky salmon, creamy avocado, crunchy red onions and salty capers.

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Everything bagel cobb salad with smoked salmon and everything bagel chips

There’s just something about everything but the bagel seasoning, isn’t there? I don’t know who first thought to combine sesame seeds, poppy seeds, dried garlic and onion and put it on top of a bagel, but I’m so glad they did. And I’d like to marry the person who decided to put it in a jar and sell it, this stuff has changed my life! And, apparently, my approach to Cobb salad.

This is, of course, a very non-traditional Cobb salad, but I suspect Mr. Cobb wouldn’t be angry about it. Just like my unorthodox take on the BLT in my BLT Kale Caesar, it doesn’t discard anything that’s great about the original. It’s got the same great combo of fresh, crunchy, rich, smoky, and sharp. 

Ingredients for everything bagel Cobb salad with smoked salmon
Note: I used to include small balls of cream cheese rolled in everything but the bagel seasoning in this recipe. They are delicious, but I've found them to be unnecessary to the success of the dish. They also added a lot of trans fats. I've since re-developed the recipe to take them out, and a new photo is coming soon!

Smoked salmon and salad make a healthy pair

The biggest departure I’ve made from the traditional Cobb salad is smoked salmon. This switch really boosts the nutrition in this recipe, and cuts out the saturated fats found in chicken and bacon. Wild salmon is chock full of heart-healthy fats, vitamins, and minerals; so much so that it’s considered a superfood. It’s good for your heart, your eyes, your brain, your skin, your mood, your bones, your joints, and the list goes on and on. Even among the many healthy ingredients common in the Mediterranean diet, salmon is a superstar. 

I love salmon any way I can get it, but smoked salmon is my favorite way of adding fish into my diet. It’s not inexpensive, but thanks to its bold, smoky flavor and meaty texture, a little goes a long way. It’s also easy to find, store, and prepare. If you can, make sure your salmon is wild-caught, and comes from a sustainable fishery. My local grocery store smokes their salmon in-house, but when I can’t get there I usually buy smoked salmon at Trader Joe’s or Costco.

Everything bagel yogurt dressing being whisked together

Yogurt and everything but the bagel seasoning tops it all off

I’m basically through with heavy, fatty, mayonnaise-based dressings. I’ve been making my own salad dressings for a decade, and I maybe go through a small jar of mayonnaise a year in my house. Maybe. Greek yogurt is my usual replacement, and its tart flavor and creamy texture are the perfect pairing with everything but the bagel seasoning and lemon. I also like that using yogurt and raw honey add a dose of probiotics to the dressing to support gut health.

My everything but the bagel dressing is pretty versatile too. You can change out the lemon juice with red wine vinegar, add a little Dijon mustard, or mix in some chopped capers for a salty/briny kick. You can also use less of whatever liquid you choose and turn it into a dip for your next veggie platter, or a spread for sandwiches.  

Everything bagel salad with smoked salmon, everything bagel yogurt dressing, and everything bagel chips

Tips to make the best Cobb salad with salmon

  • Make sure your greens are fresh and crispy. Texture is really important in Cobb salad, and it begins with fresh, crispy greens. You can revive your greens by soaking them in a bowl of ice water for 20-30 minutes. I run them through a salad spinner to dry before using them. This also works well for the arugula in my arugula and roasted pepper salad.
  • Try less-than-hard-boiled eggs in your everything Cobb salad. Hard-boiled eggs are traditional, but over the last year I’ve become a fan of eggs with jammy yolks. Guess what, they are delicious in Cobb salad! I boil my eggs using this technique from AllRecipes, and I think a 7 minute boil is absolutely perfect.*
  • Take the bite out of raw onions. Raw onions are a little much for me, so I like to mellow them out a little. I slice them then put them in a bowl with some cold water and an ice cube, and soak them for 15-20 minutes. They come out crispy and sweet, but with less bite than they have before they are soaked.
  • Check whether your everything but the bagel seasoning has salt. If it already has salt, mix up your dressing without adding any additional salt, then taste and add by the pinch as needed.

*Consuming raw or undercooked meats, poultry, seafood, shellfish, or eggs may increase your risk of foodborne illness, especially if you have certain medical conditions.

Q: What type of smoked salmon should I use in this salad?

The simple answer is, whatever smoked salmon you enjoy, is available to you, and fits within your budget. There are many types of smoked salmon, and my family tried this salad with hot smoked salmon, cold smoked salmon, and lox. We liked the hot smoked salmon best, but we honestly enjoyed them all. If you can, I encourage you to find smoked salmon that is wild caught from a sustainable source. If all you can find is farm-raised smoked salmon, I believe it’s safe to eat, and while it has a slightly different nutritional profile than wild salmon, it’s still healthier than eating no salmon at all. 

This recipe will also work with fresh cooked salmon, canned salmon, and canned smoked salmon. 

Q: Where can I find everything but the bagel seasoning?

Five years ago it was everywhere! Now it's not hard to find, but it's not as ubiquitous as it was. I buy my everything but the bagel seasoning at Trader Joe's. Newman's Own brand is often available in the spice aisle at my local Kroger supermarket, as well as on Amazon.

Everything bagel yogurt dressing being drizzled on everything cobb salad with smoked salmon.

More easy fish recipes from Parsley & Parm

  • Shrimp and avocado salad
  • Grilled halibut skewers with garlic and lemon
  • Tomato and garlic poached fish (acqua pazza)
  • Sear-roasted halibut with macadamia nut pesto
  • Almond and asiago crusted rockfish

Prep ahead and storage

All of the components of this salad can be prepped up to a day ahead, except the avocado. Store the components in separate airtight containers in the refrigerator. Bring the tomatoes to room temperature before assembling your salad. Prepare the avocado and add the dressing just before serving. It’ll keep for maybe a day once the dressing has been added, but mixed greens tend to break down once they are dressed, so I don’t recommend it.

Did you make this recipe?

Let me know with a comment and a rating below! Your feedback helps me become better at developing and sharing recipes that help my readers make healthier choices. If you loved this recipe, please consider sharing it on your favorite social media platform, recipe sharing site, or saving it on Pinterest.

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5 from 21 votes

Cobb Salad with Salmon and Everything but the Bagel Dressing

Everything bagels and lox meet the classic Cobb salad, for a fresh, and healthy twist on an old favorite.
Prevent your screen from going dark
Prep Time20 minutes mins
Total Time20 minutes mins
Servings: 2
Calories: 339.9kcal
Author: Parsley & Parm

Equipment

  • small mixing bowl
  • Whisk
  • salad bowl or platter
  • salad spinner (optional)

Ingredients

For the salad:

  • 2 large handfuls of mixed salad greens
  • 1 cup cherry tomatoes halved
  • ½ avocado peeled and sliced
  • 6 ounces smoked salmon flaked
  • ½ red onion thinly sliced
  • 1 tablespoon capers
  • 2 hard or soft-boiled eggs peeled and halved lengthwise
  • Optional: everything bagel chips or croutons

For the dressing:

  • ½ cup plain Greek yogurt 2% or 5% work best
  • 1 tablespoon Everything But the Bagel seasoning
  • ¼ teaspoon onion powder
  • ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon honey
  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice or verjus

Instructions

  • Optional steps: Place the sliced onions in a bowl of cold water and set aside while you prepare the salad. If your greens need to be crisped, rinse them and place them in a bowl of ice water.
  • Whisk the dressing ingredients together in a small bowl and refrigerate until ready to use.
  • Place the Everything But the Bagel seasoning into a small, shallow bowl. Cut the two ounces of cream cheese into 12 small pieces. Roll each piece between your palms to form a small ball, then roll the balls in the seasoning to coat them all over. Set aside.
  • If you have crisped your greens, drain them and run them through a salad spinner to dry.
  • Assemble the salad in a shallow bowl or on a platter. Start by adding the greens on the bottom.
  • Over the top, either spread out or in sections, add the tomatoes, avocado, smoked salmon, eggs, and cheese balls.
  • Top the salad off with red onion and capers, the bagel chips (if using), and drizzle with the dressing. Serve extra dressing on the side.

Notes

  • I use this technique from AllRecipes to boil my eggs. I prefer them with jammy or soft yolks for this salad, but you can cook your eggs to your liking.
  • You can use any type of salmon in this salad, including hot smoked, cold smoked, lox, fresh cooked salmon, or canned salmon. It’s all good!
  • Most everything but the bagel seasoning brands contain salt already. If your dressing seems under seasoned, add salt by the pinch to taste.

Need more servings?

To adjust a recipe for more or fewer servings, hover your cursor over the number servings on the recipe card. This will bring up a slider that you can move to the number of servings you want to make.

Nutrition*

Calories: 339.9kcal | Carbohydrates: 19.6g | Protein: 30g | Fat: 16.6g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2.7g | Monounsaturated Fat: 8.3g | Trans Fat: 0.01g | Cholesterol: 186.5mg | Sodium: 1291.6mg | Potassium: 819.2mg | Fiber: 4.6g | Sugar: 9.1g | Vitamin A: 1697.8IU | Vitamin C: 48.7mg | Calcium: 135mg | Iron: 3mg

*All nutritional values are estimates only. They are calculated by an online resource.

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Reader Interactions

Comments

    5 from 21 votes

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    Recipe Rating




  1. Maayke Meerhof says

    March 18, 2025 at 5:02 am

    5 stars
    I love the dressing! Do you think I can use regular yogurt instead of Greek yogurt?

    Reply
    • Lisa says

      March 18, 2025 at 10:30 am

      I'm glad you like it! Yes, you can use regular yogurt, just make sure it's plain and not sweetened. Enjoy!

      Reply
  2. Tisha says

    March 17, 2025 at 1:50 pm

    5 stars
    The dressing was a fantastic addition to the salmon! It turned out to be such a great salad!

    Reply
    • Lisa says

      March 18, 2025 at 10:30 am

      Thank you for your comment! I'm glad you liked it :).

      Reply
  3. Ashleigh says

    March 17, 2025 at 12:19 pm

    Looks so yummy! I can’t wait to try it out.

    Reply
    • Lisa says

      March 18, 2025 at 10:30 am

      I can't wait to hear what you think! I hope you love it.

      Reply
  4. Laurie Griggs says

    March 17, 2025 at 11:51 am

    5 stars
    What a great salad. I want to take a bite now. Pinning for future reference!

    Reply
    • Lisa says

      March 18, 2025 at 10:31 am

      Yay! Thanks so much! Enjoy!

      Reply
  5. Parker Dunlavey says

    March 17, 2025 at 11:08 am

    This looks SO good! I’d love to try it with chicken too

    Reply
    • Lisa says

      March 17, 2025 at 11:30 am

      It will work with any protein. Enjoy!

      Reply
  6. Lex says

    March 17, 2025 at 10:37 am

    5 stars
    I love salads! Can’t wait to try this one!

    Reply
    • Lisa says

      March 17, 2025 at 11:30 am

      I hope you love it!

      Reply
  7. Swathi says

    March 16, 2025 at 1:05 pm

    5 stars
    Cobb salad is really tasty, my family enjoyed it. Thanks for sharing this.

    Reply
    • Lisa says

      March 17, 2025 at 11:31 am

      I'm so glad you all enjoyed this recipe!

      Reply
  8. Sonja says

    March 14, 2025 at 11:43 am

    5 stars
    I honestly started drooling seeing this salad. And that does not happen often. Love the creativity of making essentially my favourite bagel in salad form!

    Reply
    • Lisa says

      March 14, 2025 at 2:20 pm

      Thank you!

      Reply
  9. Marie-Pierre says

    March 14, 2025 at 12:40 am

    5 stars
    Everything but bagel seasonning is everywhere these days, I need to figure how to import this over in Spain. This salad was great without but I bet it would be even more exquisite with!

    Reply
    • Lisa says

      March 14, 2025 at 10:25 am

      I'm glad you enjoyed it! Everything bagel seasoning is really easy to make, there are recipes all over the internet. Here's one I like: https://www.loveandlemons.com/everything-bagel-seasoning/

      Reply
  10. Juyali says

    March 13, 2025 at 7:10 pm

    5 stars
    Loved this salad! The smoked salmon and everything bagel dressing were a perfect combo.

    Reply
    • Lisa says

      March 14, 2025 at 10:23 am

      I'm so glad you enjoyed it :).

      Reply
  11. Erica Mills says

    July 24, 2024 at 3:21 pm

    This is really interesting, You’re a very skilled blogger. I’ve joined your feed and look forward to seeking more of your magnificent post. Also, I’ve shared your site in my social networks!

    Reply
  12. Kim says

    June 11, 2024 at 2:51 pm

    5 stars
    The cream cheese balls are a brilliant addition to this salad. Best salad ever.

    Reply
  13. Chenee says

    June 11, 2024 at 2:49 pm

    5 stars
    Everything bagel seasoning makes everything better. This looks out of this world.

    Reply
  14. Ashley says

    June 11, 2024 at 11:56 am

    5 stars
    Wow! There are so many amazing flavors packed into this gorgeous kitchen sink-style salad. Will be making it again!

    Reply
  15. Charah says

    June 11, 2024 at 9:53 am

    5 stars
    Great recipe, adding this to my weekly menu. thanks for sharing this.

    Reply
  16. Lauren says

    June 11, 2024 at 9:03 am

    5 stars
    This salad was different but very delicious! The smoked salmon, cream cheese and bag seasoning went along perfectly with the dressing and other salad ingredients. I would make this again!

    Reply
  17. Rebecca - Glutarama says

    July 19, 2022 at 12:11 am

    5 stars
    What a fascinating recipe and write up, love the idea of this salad - this is definitely NOT a boring salad!

    Reply
    • Lisa says

      July 20, 2022 at 12:43 pm

      Aw, thank you so much! I hope you enjoy it!

      Reply
  18. Mihaela | https://theworldisanoyster.com/ says

    May 11, 2022 at 1:34 am

    5 stars
    I love the dressing, and salad is my favourite dinner in the summer months - light, healthy, filling, and so TASTY! Adding your recipe to my to-do list:)

    Reply
  19. Gina Abernathy says

    May 10, 2022 at 6:56 am

    5 stars
    I have some Everything Bagel in my pantry right now. I'll pick up some salmon this week and make this for a tasty and light dinner. Yum- can't wait!

    Reply
    • Lisa says

      May 10, 2022 at 9:27 am

      I hope you enjoy it!

      Reply
  20. nancy says

    May 09, 2022 at 8:07 pm

    5 stars
    everything bagel seasoning really does make everything better and tastier! great mix of ingredients! so healthy and simple!

    Reply
    • Lisa says

      May 10, 2022 at 9:26 am

      Thank you!

      Reply
  21. Emily Flint says

    May 09, 2022 at 6:18 pm

    5 stars
    Um, these everything bagel spice cream cheese balls are AMAZING! What a brilliant idea. Never mind the delicious salad, thanks for all of the great tips!

    Reply
    • Lisa says

      May 10, 2022 at 9:26 am

      Right? I'm obsessed with the cheese balls LOL. Enjoy!

      Reply
  22. Jean says

    May 09, 2022 at 4:24 pm

    5 stars
    this makes a great meal for our brunch, thanks I only have lemons and used it.

    Reply
    • Lisa says

      May 10, 2022 at 9:26 am

      You are welcome! I'm glad you enjoyed it!

      Reply
  23. Mallory says

    May 09, 2022 at 12:58 pm

    5 stars
    Delicious! Thanks for sharing!

    Reply
    • Lisa says

      May 10, 2022 at 9:24 am

      Any time! Enjoy!

      Reply
  24. Rosanna Stevens says

    May 09, 2022 at 12:37 pm

    5 stars
    Oh my gosh the cream cheese balls covered in Everything But The Bagel Seasoning...be still my beating heart I could eat this like popcorn. Loved this take on a Cobb salad. Thank you for this!

    Reply
    • Lisa says

      May 10, 2022 at 9:24 am

      Haha! That was the inspiration for the whole recipe, basically. It's so yum! Enjoy!

      Reply

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Hi, I'm Lisa!

I’m a midlife foodie on a mission to eat healthier—without giving up the foods I love.

Parsley & Parm is all about big flavor, fresh vegetables, olive oil, whole grains, and healthy proteins…with zero diet vibes.

I believe healthy eating should be about what you do eat—not what you can’t. Guidelines replace rules. Balance beats restriction. And fresh, seasonal veggies always steal the show.

More about me→

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