A composed American chopped salad of grilled chicken, bacon, hard-boiled egg, avocado, blue cheese, and tomato in neat rows.
Cobb salad is a classic American composed salad, its ingredients -- grilled chicken, crispy bacon, hard-boiled egg, avocado, blue cheese, and tomato -- arranged in distinct rows over chopped lettuce rather than tossed together, a presentation style that's become as iconic as the salad's flavor combination. It was reportedly created at the Brown Derby restaurant in Hollywood in the 1930s by owner Robert Cobb, who improvised the dish from leftover ingredients in the restaurant's kitchen. The technique that matters for Cobb salad is the arrangement and the dicing: ingredients are diced into small, uniform pieces and arranged in neat, separate rows or sections across the salad, allowing diners to see and choose their preferred ratio of each component before mixing. A simple, sharp vinaigrette, often red wine vinegar-based, is drizzled over just before serving to tie everything together without overwhelming the individual ingredients. Served as a substantial main-course salad, Cobb salad has become a fixture of American restaurant and home cooking menus, valued for its satisfying combination of protein, creamy avocado, sharp cheese, and crisp bacon in one composed dish.
Serves 4
Whisk olive oil, red wine vinegar, dijon mustard, salt, and pepper together until emulsified.
Spread chopped romaine as a base on a large platter.
Arrange diced chicken, bacon, egg, avocado, tomatoes, and blue cheese in distinct rows or sections over the lettuce.
Scatter scallions over the top.
Drizzle the vinaigrette over the entire salad just before serving, or serve on the side.
Serve immediately, tossing at the table if desired.
Dice all the ingredients to a similar small size so the salad has a consistent, balanced texture in every bite once mixed.
Arrange components in neat rows for the classic Cobb presentation, letting diners see exactly what they're getting before tossing.
Dress the salad just before serving to keep the lettuce crisp and prevent the avocado from browning.
Add crumbled feta instead of blue cheese for a milder flavor.
Use grilled shrimp instead of chicken for a different protein.
Add corn kernels for extra sweetness and texture, a common modern addition.
Best assembled and eaten the same day. Store individual components separately in the fridge up to 2 days and assemble just before serving to keep everything fresh and crisp.
Cobb salad is widely credited to Robert Cobb, owner of the Brown Derby restaurant in Hollywood, who reportedly created it in the 1930s from leftover ingredients in the kitchen, and it has since become a staple of American restaurant menus nationwide.
Prepare all the components ahead and store separately, then arrange and dress the salad just before serving to keep everything fresh.
Boil eggs for about 10-11 minutes, then transfer to an ice bath immediately to stop cooking and make peeling easier.
Yes -- feta or a milder cheese works if blue cheese isn't to your taste, though the tangy sharpness of blue cheese is a defining traditional element of the dish.
Per serving (380g / 13.4 oz) · 4 servings total
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