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Strawberry Cobb Salad with Fried Feta and Tarragon Dressing is the ultimate spring salad. A true salad that satisfies, this hearty, healthy lineup is fresh, flavorful, and filling.
If you’re a Cobb salad lover, this recipe is for you.
I kept a few of the Cobb essentials—cheese, avocado, and hard-boiled eggs—then incorporated a few of my favorite spring ingredients to give the salad a seasonal twist.
- Alongside the classic Cobb lineup, you’ll find juicy strawberries, crunchy radishes, and lots of fresh herbs.
- I also swapped the blue cheese for pan-fried feta, which makes the salad downright crave-worthy.
- And to tie it all together, a creamy tarragon vinaigrette that adds brightness to each bite.
Between the crunchiness of the radishes, the creaminess of the avocado and feta, the satisfaction factor of the eggs, plus the sweetness of the strawberries, it’s truly a salad that satisfies.
How to Make a Strawberry Cobb Salad
This salad comes together in just 30 minutes, making it 100% weekday-approved.
However it’s also impressive enough for entertaining–especially for Sunday brunch or a casual lunch al fresco. (Side of rosé strongly encouraged!)
The Ingredients
- Lettuce: Use any lettuce (or mix of lettuces) you like! I prefer the crispiness and crunch of romaine, however mixed greens would also play well with the other salad contenders.
- Strawberries: For a juicy pop of sweetness, strawberries balance the bite of the herbs and dressing beautifully. If making this salad out of strawberry season, chopped apples are a great substitute.
- Feta: Lightly frying the feta in olive oil makes it undeniably rich and creamy. You can also do this with halloumi or paneer.
- Eggs: For a satiating punch of protein and heart-healthy fats.
- Avocado: To double down on the creaminess and make the salad extra satiating.
- Radishes: Optional, however I love the spice and crunch they add. Alternatively, you can use snap peas, jicama, or even radicchio.
- Herbs: I love a mix of fresh dill and tarragon in this salad. If you’re not familiar with tarragon, it has a sharp, licorice-like flavor similar to fennel and anise. The flavor bodes particularly well with the sweetness of strawberries.
- Dressing: A simple mix of olive oil, white wine vinegar, tarragon, garlic, and either yogurt or mayo forms of the base of the dressing. I also like to add a pinch of sweetener to balance the vinegar, such as granulated white sugar or honey.
The Directions
Step 1: Prepare the Tarragon Dressing
In a medium bowl or jar, combine olive oil, white wine vinegar, yogurt or mayo, tarragon, garlic, sugar, salt, and pepper; whisk well to combine. 
Step 2: Fry the Feta
Pat feta dry with a paper towel, and cut into 1/4-inch thick pieces. Add cornstarch to a shallow bowl. Dredge each piece of feta in cornstarch, coating all sides.
Heat olive oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Once the oil is shimmering, arrange feta pieces in pan. Cook for 2 minutes, until golden and crisp underneath. Gently flip, and cook 1 to 2 more minutes. Use a spatula to transfer feta to a plate.
Step 3: Assemble Cobb Salad
Arrange lettuce in a large serving bowl or platter. Drizzle with half the dressing and toss well to combine. Scatter the fried feta, avocado slices, eggs, strawberries, and radishes over lettuce. Lightly season with salt and pepper, and spoon remaining dressing over the top. Garnish salad with fresh chopped dill.
How Healthy is a Cobb Salad?
Cobb Salads can surprisingly be quite nutritious. They’re rich in protein from the eggs, heart-healthy fats from the avocado, and micronutrients from the fruits and vegetables.
I’d also say they’re one of the most satiating salads in the game.
Other Cobb Salad Toppings:
Either in place of, or in addition to, the ingredient lineup for this salad, here are some other Cobb salad topping suggestions:
- Sliced tomatoes
- Crumbled bacon
- Grilled chicken or shrimp
- Raw or pickled red onion
Make-Ahead and Storage Tips:
- Make-Ahead: The tarragon dressing can be made up to 3 days ahead. Store in an airtight jar in the refrigerator.
- To Store: It’s best to store the salad undressed so the lettuce stays crisp. If you do dress it, I would try to consume it within 24 hours.
More Spring Salad Recipes to Try:
Mediterranean Lentil Salad
Salmon Couscous Salad with Feta Dressing
Easy Lemon Artichoke Orzo Salad
If you give this Strawberry Cobb Salad a try, snap a pic and tag #dishingouthealth on Instagram so I can see your beautiful creations. I also really appreciate readers taking the time to leave a rating and review!
Strawberry Cobb Salad with Fried Feta and Tarragon Dressing
Equipment
- Medium skillet
- Mixing bowls
Ingredients
Tarragon Dressing
- 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 3 Tbsp. mayonnaise or full-fat yogurt
- 2 Tbsp. white wine vinegar
- 1 Tbsp. finely chopped fresh tarragon (sub dill or chives)
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 1 tsp. honey
- 1/4 tsp. each kosher salt and black pepper
Strawberry Cobb Salad
- 2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 (8-oz.) block feta cheese
- 3 Tbsp. corn starch
- 1 head (or 2 hearts) romaine lettuce, torn into bite-sized pieces or coarsley chopped
- 4 hard-boiled eggs, halved or sliced
- 1 ripe avocado, thinly sliced or chopped
- 1 1/2 cups thinly sliced strawberries
- 1/3 cup julienned radishes (optional)
- 3 Tbsp. roughly chopped or torn fresh dill
Instructions
- Prepare Tarragon Dressing:In a medium bowl or jar, combine olive oil, white wine vinegar, yogurt or mayo, tarragon, garlic, honey, salt, and pepper; whisk well to combine.
- Pat feta dry with a paper towel, and cut into 1/4-inch thick pieces. Add cornstrach to a shallow bowl. Dredge each piece of feta in cornstarch, coating all sides.Heat olive oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Once the oil is shimmering, arrange feta pieces in pan. Cook for 2 minutes, or until golden and crisp underneath. Gently flip, and cook 1 to 2 more minutes. Use a spatula to transfer feta to a plate.
- Arrange lettuce in a large serving bowl or platter. Drizzle with half the dressing and lightly season with salt and pepper; toss well to combine. Scatter the fried feta, avocado slices, eggs, strawberries, and radishes over lettuce. Spoon remaining dressing over the top. Garnish salad with fresh chopped dill and extra cracked black pepper.
Notes
- Make-Ahead: The tarragon dressing can be made up to 3 days ahead. Store in an airtight jar in the refrigerator.
- To Store: It's best to store the salad undressed so the lettuce stays crisp. If you do dress it, I would try to consume it within 24 hours.
Nutrition
I calculate these values by hand to ensure accuracy, however expect up to a 10% variable depending on food brands.
This was AMAZING!!! The fried feta really took it over the top. Delicious!
Delicious! Used Greek yogurt, dill as a sub for the tarragon and then roughly 3 ozs of sautéed pancetta as an additional garnish (as suggested). Wonderful spring salad, loved it! Enjoyed it as a main course, will be making again… company worthy for sure. Thank you Jamie!
Hi, Connie! I’m so glad you enjoyed this one! Thank you for taking the time to come back and leave a review!
This was one of the best salads I’ve ever made! It is very versatile – easy for a simple lunch and beautiful enough to make for guests. I’ll definitely make again!
This salad was so good! Made it last week and my husband is already asking when we can make it again. I’ve never fried feta before but it was very easy and so tastey.
This was my first time making a tarragon dressing or frying feta and both made this salad so, so good. My boyfriend loved it, too, and said that it was like a salad you would order at a restaurant.
Hi Kelsi – I’m so glad you enjoyed this one! Thanks for taking the time to leave a review!
Made this salad for our Easter brunch and it was absolutely delicious! Full of vibrant flavor and so colorful. Everyone loved it! Can’t wait to make it again.