Hey, Welcome to my little corner of the internet Beyond the Bayou Blog. Today I will share Cobb Salad Recipe. Pull up a chair and let me tell you about how I discovered the magic of repurposing leftovers.
One day, I found myself staring into the fridge, pondering what to do with the leftover ingredients from last night’s Cobb salad. As I glanced at the diced chicken, crispy bacon, and ripe avocado, inspiration struck. Instead of the usual salad, why not turn these leftovers into something new and exciting?
I remembered a recipe I had stumbled upon for a hearty Cobb salad wrap. With a few tweaks and substitutions, I transformed those leftover ingredients into a delicious lunchtime treat. The combination of tender chicken, savory bacon, creamy avocado, and tangy blue cheese nestled inside a soft tortilla was simply irresistible.
Since then, I’ve become a leftover aficionado, always on the lookout for creative ways to breathe new life into last night’s dinner. Whether it’s tossing leftover veggies into a stir-fry or transforming roast chicken into a comforting soup, I’ve learned that leftovers are not just food waiting to be reheated, but the building blocks of culinary creativity. If you are one of them who likes salad try Deviled Egg Potato Salad and Pickled Beets and Goat Cheese Salad.
So join me on this journey as we explore the endless possibilities of leftovers and turn yesterday’s meals into today’s culinary adventures. Let’s get cooking.
What is Cobb Salad?
A Cobb salad is a classic American dish typically served as a main course. It’s a hearty salad composed of chopped lettuce, usually romaine or iceberg, topped with rows of various ingredients. These often include diced chicken breast, crispy bacon, hard-boiled eggs, ripe tomatoes, avocado slices, crumbled blue cheese, and sometimes chives or green onions. The ingredients are usually arranged in neat rows on top of the lettuce, creating an aesthetically pleasing presentation.
Cobb salad is known for its versatility, as it can be customized to suit different tastes and dietary preferences. It’s often served with a tangy vinaigrette dressing on the side, though some variations use creamy dressings like ranch or blue cheese. The salad is named after its creator, Robert Cobb, who was the owner of the Brown Derby restaurant in Hollywood, where it was first introduced in the 1930s. Today, Cobb salad remains a popular choice in restaurants and homes across the United States.
How to Make Cobb Salad Recipe?
- Prepare the Ingredients: Wash and dry all the vegetables thoroughly. Chop the romaine lettuce into bite-sized pieces and place them in a large salad bowl or on a serving platter.
- Cook the Chicken and Bacon: Season the chicken breasts with salt and pepper, then cook them using your preferred method (grilling, baking, or pan-searing) until they are cooked through. Allow them to cool slightly before dicing them into bite-sized pieces. Cook the bacon until it is crispy, then drain it on paper towels and crumble it into small pieces.
- Boil the Eggs: Place the eggs in a saucepan and cover them with water. Bring the water to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for about 10-12 minutes. Remove the eggs from the water and let them cool before peeling and chopping them into small pieces.
- Prepare the Remaining Ingredients: Dice the ripe tomatoes and avocado into bite-sized pieces. Crumble the blue cheese if it’s not already crumbled. Chop the chives or green onions finely.
- Arrange the Ingredients: Start by arranging the chopped romaine lettuce on the serving platter or in the salad bowl. Then, neatly arrange the diced chicken breast, crumbled bacon, chopped hard-boiled eggs, diced tomatoes, and diced avocado in separate rows on top of the lettuce.
- Add the Finishing Touches: Sprinkle the crumbled blue cheese and chopped chives or green onions evenly over the top of the salad.
- Season the Salad: Season the salad with salt and pepper to taste. Be mindful of the salt content of the bacon and blue cheese when seasoning.
- Serve and Enjoy: Present the Cobb salad at the table and serve immediately. Enjoy the delicious combination of flavors and textures in this classic dish.
Cobb Salad Recipe
Equipment
- Chef's Knife
- Cutting Board
- Salad bowl or serving platter
- Saucepan
- Cooking pan or grill
- Paper Towels
- Kitchen timer
- Salad tongs
Ingredients
- 6 cups chopped Romaine lettuce
- 2 chicken breasts grilled and chopped
- 8 slices cooked bacon chopped
- 4 hard boiled eggs cut in quarters lengthwise
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes halved
- 2 avocados sliced
- 4 oz crumbled Roquefort cheese
- 2 tablespoons chopped chives for garnish
- Kosher salt and ground black pepper to taste
Instructions
- First, arrange the diced chicken breast, crumbled bacon, chopped hard-boiled eggs, diced tomatoes, and diced avocado in rows on top of the lettuce.
- Sprinkle the crumbled blue cheese and chopped chives or green onions over the top of the salad.
- Season the salad with salt and pepper to taste.
- Toss the salad gently just before serving to combine all the ingredients evenly.
- Serve immediately and enjoy your delicious homemade Cobb salad.
Notes
Nutrition
Wanna Make Cobb Salad Ahead?
You can make the salad and the dressing 2-3 hours ahead of your dinner. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate. Keep the salad and dressing separate until ready to serve. Here are some make-ahead tips:
- Dressing � make this in a mason jar so you can shake it well just before serving in case it separates. Serve it right out of the mason jar.
- Lettuce can be rinsed and dried ahead (a salad Spinner works best), then refrigerate until ready to use.
- Avocado should be sliced shortly before serving since avocado tends to discolor when it comes in contact with air.
- Chicken Breast can be pre-cooked and chilled (or use meat from a store-bought rotisserie chicken to save time).
- Bacon can be browned ahead. Drain on paper towels and refrigerate until ready to use.
- Eggs�can be made several days in advance. Cook�hard-boiled eggs�and refrigerate until ready to use.
Substitute the Blue Cheese!
The cheese of choice for the original Cobb Salad is blue cheese. We used a gorgonzola blue cheese but a Roquefort or other blue cheese would work as well. If you aren�t a fan of blue cheese, a crumbled feta would work here also.
What Makes This the Best Cobb Salad?
This Cobb salad recipe hits the sweet spot: an abundance of fresh ingredients prepped in the easiest way possible. Plus, it�s dressed in the classic red wine vinaigrette that many homemade Cobb salads are missing.
What is the Best Cobb Salad Dressing?
A vinaigrette is the classic dressing for Cobb Salad. We use a homemade balsamic vinaigrette here. If you wanted to substitute the dressing, our Avocado Ranch or Jalapeno Ranch would work well. If using a creamy ranch-based dressing, I would recommend using feta cheese instead of blue cheese.
Is a Cobb Salad Healthy ?
Yes, Cobb salads are healthy and naturally low-carb and keto friendly. The caveat is usually the portion size. Because there�s a lot of protein and fat (from the avocado and blue cheese) they can be sneaky calorie bombs. Just make sure to keep to a standard portion size and you�ll be fine.
Serving Suggestions!
The presentation is really important here, as you can see in the photos. It’s such a gorgeous salad! So it’s best to serve it as shown rather than mixed.
You can drizzle half the dressing over the greens and the remaining half over the other ingredients.
Or you can arrange the salad first, present it at the table without the dressing, then pour everything into a large bowl, add the dressing, and mix.