Cobb Salad

About This Recipe

Cobb salad is famously a composed salad, its ingredients arranged in distinct rows across a bed of chopped lettuce rather than tossed together, a presentation said to have originated at the Brown Derby restaurant in Hollywood. Every component is finely diced to a consistent size, so a single forkful can capture a bit of chicken, bacon, egg, avocado, tomato and blue cheese all at once, the arrangement making it easy to portion as you eat. Dressed with a simple red wine vinaigrette, the salad's real appeal is in its balance of textures and flavors — creamy avocado and egg against crisp bacon and sharp blue cheese — making it a substantial main-course salad rather than a light side.

Ingredients

Serves 4

• 2boneless chicken breasts(cooked and diced)
• 6slices bacon(cooked and chopped)
• 3hard-boiled eggs(chopped)
• 2avocados(diced)
• 2tomatoes(diced)
• 1/2 cupcrumbled blue cheese
• 1 headromaine lettuce(chopped)
• 1/3 cupolive oil(for dressing)
• 2 tbspred wine vinegar(for dressing)
• 1 tspdijon mustard(for dressing)
• 1/2 tspsalt(for dressing)

Instructions

1. 1

   Prepare the components

   Cook and dice the chicken, cook and chop the bacon, hard-boil and chop the eggs, and dice the avocado and tomato.

2. 2

   Arrange the lettuce

   Spread the chopped romaine lettuce as a base on a large platter.

3. 3

   Arrange the toppings

   Arrange the chicken, bacon, egg, avocado, tomato and blue cheese in neat, distinct rows across the lettuce.

   Arrange the ingredients in distinct rows rather than mixing them — this composed presentation is what defines a proper Cobb salad.

4. 4

   Make the dressing

   Whisk olive oil, red wine vinegar, mustard and salt together.

5. 5

   Serve

   Drizzle with dressing just before serving, or serve it on the side.

Variations

• •

  Turkey can substitute for chicken, especially popular around Thanksgiving as a way to use leftovers.

• •

  Some versions add watercress or chives to the lettuce base for extra flavor.

• •

  Adding cooked shrimp alongside or instead of chicken is a common seafood variation.

Storage

Store components separately in the refrigerator for up to 2 days; assemble and dress just before serving to keep everything looking and tasting fresh.

Frequently Asked Questions