red sauce in small bowl next to sliced avocado, sliced tomatoes, marinated onions, corn, and mushrooms over a bed of romaine on a white platter

I love this Vegan Summer Cobb! When my vegan son Patrick comes to visit, we create amazingly delicious plant-based dishes together. Like me, he loves to cook. This salad is fun because it keeps things light and delicious for summer, but it’s also versatile depending on what’s in season. The Vegan Summer Cobb features beautiful summer tomatoes, avocado, fresh cut sweet corn that barely needs any cooking, marinated mushrooms, and my vegan Smoky Red Pepper Sauce. It’s always a home run for vegans and non-vegans alike. I’ve been so inspired about vegan and plant-based food during Patrick’s visit. Ordinarily, my salads might include crispy bacon, a jammy egg, and some Sizzling Everyday Roast Chicken Breast, but with this Cobb, going vegan for the night was absolutely satisfying and delicious.

sliced tomatoes on a wood board next to bbq mushrooms on a white bowl, sliced avocado, small bowl with salt, orange dressing in a jar, marinated onions, romaine lettuce, and corn in a pan

These BBQ mushrooms will leave you wanting more

Originally I made this version with a BBQ Baked Mushroom “bacon” inspired by @bryantterry @vegetablekingdombook. Bryan uses sugar to caramelize and chipotle to add a smoky flavor. I’ve also created a fantastic version without sugar. And you can certainly substitute a shitake for these quick marinated mushrooms. Because it’s smaller, it won’t have that wow factor visually, but it will be absolutely delicious.

sliced trumpet mushrooms in glass baking dish next to quarter sheet baking try with small bowls with spice and liquids
prepare your marinated mushrooms ingredients
yellow bowl with liquid chopped chipotle peppers and spices and a metal spoon
combine the marinade ingredients in a bowl
sliced trumped mushrooms in marinade in a glass baking dish
add the sauce and sliced mushrooms to a dish and toss until fully coated
marinated sliced trumpet mushrooms arranged on a baking sheet
arrange the marinated mushrooms on a baking sheet in a single layer
mushrooms on a baking sheet in oven on top rack
add to the oven and bake
baked marinated mushrooms on a baking sheet
voila! the most delicious mushrooms

If you’ve never had King Oyster (also called Trumpet) mushrooms, this is an absolute must-do moment. They have a buttery, rich flavor, almost like lobster, and a smooth texture. They absorb garlic—or whatever flavor you add to them—very well. They’re Patrick’s favorite mushroom because they complement almost anything. They are so versatile, and their size allows you to cut them in interesting ways. 

ingredients for my fabulous vegan smoky red pepper sauce
roasting the red peppers infuses such great flavor!

This salad is perfect year round and easy to adjust to seasonal produce!

Speaking of versatile, in the summer this salad is amazing with corn, but in the spring it’s great with asparagus or peas. In the winter, it would be lovely with a beet, which you can get vacuum packed from Trader Joe’s and add a potato or roasted cauliflower. Adding this salad to your repertoire offers deliciousness year round. I can’t wait for you to start cooking!

red sauce in a small bowl on a platter with sliced avocado sliced cherry tomatoes marinated red onions corns marinated bbq mushrooms and romaine lettuce

If you make my Vegan Cobb, please rate and review it below to let me know what you think! And if you’re looking for more fun, sign up for our Friday Favorites newsletter and follow along on Pinterest, Instagram, and TikTok!

Print
clock clock iconcutlery cutlery iconflag flag iconfolder folder iconinstagram instagram iconpinterest pinterest iconfacebook facebook iconprint print iconsquares squares iconheart heart iconheart solid heart solid icon

Vegan Cobb

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star No reviews
  • Author: nocrumbsleft
  • Prep Time: 5 min
  • Cook Time: 2 hours
  • Total Time: 2 hours 5 min
  • Yield: serves 4-5
Print Recipe

Ingredients

For the Mushrooms: 

  •   2 tablespoons light olive oil
  •   2 tablespoons raw cane sugar
  •   1 teaspoon molasses
  •   1 tablespoons chopped canned chipotle chile
  •   1 teaspoon smoked paprika
  •   1/4 cup tamari
  •   8 ounces trumpet mushrooms, cut lengthwise into 1/8-inch-thick slices

For the Vegan Smoky Red Pepper Sauce (or use your favorite vegan dressing):

  •   2 medium red bell peppers
  •   1 teaspoon of extra-virgin olive oil
  •   1 ½ teaspoon kosher salt
  •   ¼ teaspoon freshly ground pepper
  •   1 cup vegan mayonnaise 
  •   1 tablespoon hot sauce
  •   ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper 
  •   1 tablespoon red wine vinegar

For the salad:

  •   ½ batch of Marinated Red Onions, ½ cup of Marinated Red Onion Oil 
  •   Vegan Spicy Red Pepper Sauce (see below for recipe)
  •   3 cups corn kernels, cut off the cob or frozen
  •   2 cups of cherry tomatoes, sliced 
  •   1 -2 avocados, chopped 
  •   2 small romaine lettuce hearts (about 8 ounces total), halved lengthwise
  •   Kosher Salt 

Instructions

Make the Mushroom Bacon:

  1. Preheat the oven to 225°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. 
  2. In a large bowl, whisk together the safflower oil, sugar, molasses, chipotle, paprika, tamari, and 1/4 cup water. Add the mushrooms and toss to coat well. 
  3. Spread the mushrooms on the prepared baking sheet and bake for 2 hours. Remove from the oven, transfer to a cooling rack, and let cool completely.

This mushroom bacon recipe is slightly modified and “reprinted with permission from Vegetable Kingdom: The Abundant World of Vegan Recipes by the Bryant Terry, copyright © 2020. Published by Ten Speed Press, an imprint of Penguin Random House.” The recipe originally calls for safflower oil but I use light olive oil. 

Photography copyright: Ed Anderson © 2020

Get Bryant Terry’s Vegetable Kingdom here

 

Make Vegan Smoky Red Pepper Sauce (if making):

  1. Preheat the broiler and raise the oven rack to 5 or 6 inches below the heat source.
  2. Put the bell peppers on a baking sheet and drizzle evenly with the olive oil. Sprinkle ½ teaspoon of the salt and black pepper over them. Broil until charred about 15 minutes. Flip the peppers over and broil, flipping every 5 minutes until completely charred, 10 to 15 minutes more. Remove the peppers from the oven and let cool.
  3. Remove and discard the charred skin, seeds, and stems and transfer the flesh from the peppers to a blender or food processor. Add the mayonnaise, vinegar, the remaining 1 teaspoon of salt, the hot sauce, and the cayenne and blend until smooth. 
  4. Serve immediately or store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

Make the Corn: 

  1. In a large pan over medium heat add extra virgin olive oil and add corn. Sprinkle with salt, to taste. Stir continually until golden brown for about 5 minutes. 

Assemble your salad platter:

  1. Start by placing the romaine lettuce hearts on the platter. Sprinkle thoroughly with salt and drizzle with the marinated onion oil.
  2. Layer the tomatoes, avocados, corn, and bacon mushroom. 
  3. Top the entire salad with Marinated Red Onion and serve with Vegan Smoky Red Pepper Sauce.

 

Notes

choosing, storing, and cleaning mushrooms 

If possible, choose loose mushrooms over prepackaged. This allows you to examine each one before buying. Your mushrooms should look healthy, without discoloration, so put them back if they are slimy. You also want them to smell fresh and earthy, so avoid sour-smelling mushrooms at all costs. I store them in the refrigerator inside a breathable container like an open plastic bag or a lidded container that is only partially covered. Be sure to use mush­rooms within a few days because they go bad quickly. 

In order to avoid waterlogging your mushrooms, gently wipe them with a damp paper towel when cleaning. I know this is a tedious process, but it is worth it to maintain the integrity of your mushrooms. If you are in a rush, you can quickly rinse them in cold water and immedi­ately pat them dry with paper towels.