A couple weeks ago I made this salad as a surprise for a co-worker. Chris works from home and only comes to the office once a month. But, when she comes, on that one day, she always goes across the street and orders a Cobb Salad for breakfast. Yes, I said breakfast. Chris comes to the office at 4:30am, and by 7am, when the restaurant opens, she’s ready to eat.
So when I saw this Cobb Salad recipe from NatashasKitchen, boasting the best dressing ever, I immediately thought of Chris. She has a February birthday, and I thought she might appreciate this much more than a cake.
I made a salad for both of us, so we could have lunch together. Not having had a Cobb Salad before, I was truly surprised when I fell in love with it too.
Now, vegetables are pretty much universally the same. It’s the dressing that makes the difference here.
Chocked full of yummy vegetables, eggs, cheese, and two meats, this salad makes a filling and healthy meal. I’ll show you what’s in it, just to make your mouth water, and include the recipe at the end of the post.
Cherry tomatoes.
Crumbled blue cheese or feta. I used feta since I don’t like the taste of blue cheese. And of course bacon. Bacon makes everything taste better.
Avocado and hard-boiled egg.
Cooked chicken breast. The recipe also calls for red onion, and parsley, but I didn’t include either of those. All of this on a bed of romaine lettuce.
When it comes together, it is a thing of beauty. Along with a slice of buttered toast, there is nothing better.
You can find the printable version of this Cobb Salad at NatashasKitchen, where I found this recipe. But I’ll also list the ingredients for you here. I’ve also included a picture from NatashasKitchen if you would like to serve this as a side salad to impress your guests.
COBB SALAD WITH THE BEST COBB SALAD DRESSING
Chicken Cobb Salad Ingredients
- 6 oz bacon (6 slices) browned, and chopped
- 1 medium head romaine lettuce 5 cups chopped, rinsed and dried
- 2 cooked chicken breasts, sliced
- 2 hard-boiled eggs
- 1 large avocado, sliced
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1/2 cup red onion, thinly sliced
- 1/2 cup blue cheese, crumbled (or feta cheese)
- 2 Tbsp. parsley
Cobb Salad Dressing
- 3 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 1 Tbsp dijon mustard
- 1 garlic clove, pressed or finely minced
- 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/8 tsp black pepper
Instructions
- Sautee chopped bacon in a skillet until browned and crisp, then transfer to a paper towel lined plate to cool. Cook 2 hard boiled eggs, then peel and quarter.
- Chop, rinse, and spin dry romaine lettuce and arrange in a bowel or platter. Arrange remaining salad ingredients (chicken, eggs, avocado, tomatoes, onion, blue cheese, and bacon) in rows over the romaine, and sprinkle with finely chopped parsley.
- Transfer dressing ingredients to a mason jar and shake like crazy until mixed well. Drizzle over the salad just before serving of let guests add their own dressing to taste.
Servings: 4 people as a side salad, or 2 people as a complete meal
Calories: 711 kcal
Dodi Gregory Huss says
What a nice idea! And such a tasty and beautiful Cobb salad! I’m going to try it, but without tomatoes since they are not on my elimination diet list. Thanks, Cindy!!
Cindy Coghill says
I was so surprised myself by how good it was. Now I make it any time I have leftover chicken I need to use up. It’s quite filling, but not heavy like most meals.
I loved Natasha’s photo of it when serving it to a group. I hadn’t noticed that picture until I wrote the blog post, and now I’d like to try it for a small group. I hope you enjoy it!
Kris Peterson says
I like Cobb Salad but I don’t care for the dressing most restaurants here use. I’ll have to try yours (or rather Natasha’s)!
Cindy Coghill says
I really don’t think I’ve ever had a Cobb salad before this, or at least I don’t remember it. I always thought they came with Ranch dressing, which is not a favorite of mine. I think that is why I was so pleasantly surprised with this dressing. Hope you like it.
automatic gardener says
I showed my husband and he immediately said we should make it. I like the homemade dressing too.
Cindy Coghill says
Let me know if you both like it after you make it. I found it worth the effort to round up all the ingredients, especially if I had some already cooked leftover chicken breast.
Eliza Waters says
This looks too good to eat – I bet she loved it!
Cindy Coghill says
I know. That pic from NatashasKitchen is stunning. Something to think about next time I have company for lunch.
It was delicious, I was surprised by how good it was. Evidently Chris had had a bad birthday, and she was touched to tears. It always amazes me how little it takes to make someone’s day. I think more than what you do, its just that you’re thinking about them that matters.