Tips From The Betty Crocker Kitchens
- tip 1 The traditional way to serve a cobb salad is with the ingredients arranged in rows on lettuce as pictured.
- tip 2 Fry and crumble the bacon, and cook, cool and chop the eggs the night before you plan to serve this satisfying salad.
- tip 3 On a time budget? Look for crumbled blue cheese and ready-to-go salad blends at your grocery store.
What Is A Cobb Salad
Cobb salad is a type of chopped salad. Instead of tossing all the ingredients together, the salad is composed, and each topping is placed separately on the lettuce. Although the ingredients sometimes vary, its usually made with lettuce, chicken, bacon, hard-boiled eggs, tomatoes, avocado, blue cheese and a red wine vinaigrette.
How To Assemble A Cobb Salad
Start by grilling the chicken and corn at the same time . Once theyre both done, let them rest for a few minutes before cutting the chicken into bite-sized pieces and slicing the kernels off the ears of corn.
While you wait for the grilled chicken and corn to cool down, make the dressing by blending the ingredients in a blender. Slowly drizzle in the oil as the blender runs to it can fully incorporate.
Combine the lettuce and veggies in a bowl and drizzle the dressing on top. Toss to coat, then divide the salad veggies into separate bowls. Top each bowl with the chicken, bacon, eggs, chives, and goat cheese, then enjoy!
Also Check: How To Make Tuna Salad With Fresh Tuna
You May Like: Pasta Salad Recipes With Mayo
What Is The Difference Between Chef Salad And Cobb Salad
Chef salad and Cobb salad are very similar. They both typically include, meat, cheese, hardboiled eggs, and bacon. We typically base our decision of which salad to make on our current stash of ripe avocados! Cobb salad calls for different meat and cheese, and includes those avocados. Rather than a creamy dressing, you are most likely to find a vinaigrette dressing on your Cobb salad. Really, we love them both!
What Kind Of Dressing Do You Put On A Cobb Salad
I decided to make my own bleu cheese dressing for my salad because I knew it would taste best and, well, I have a food blog. Oh yes, it was good.
One mustnt forget the additional crumbled bleu cheese on top. Present your salad like this, but be sure to give it a good toss before serving.
I crave this salad. If you make one salad this summer, please oh please let it be this one!
Recommended Reading: How To Make Fresh Tuna Salad
Whats In A Cobb Salad
A good Cobb salad contains lots and lots of toppings, all chopped up into bite-sized pieces. The lettuce base gets a burst of flavor and texture by using several types varietiesromaine, butter, Boston, frisee, endive or watercressbut you can use any type of lettuce you happen to have on hand. Just make sure to chop the lettuce into pieces that are small enough to fit on your fork.
As far as the toppings go, the classic preparation includes chicken, bacon, hard-boiled eggs, tomatoes, avocado and blue cheese. Its important to cook the chicken, bacon and eggs far enough in advance to let them cool, as hot toppings will cause the lettuce to wilt. You can use any method you like to cook the chicken. We like pan-roasted or grilled chicken breasts to ensure the chicken stays juicy as it cooks.
Faqs And Expert Tips For Cobb Salad
Where is Cobb Salad From?
Cobb salad was invented at the Hollywood Brown Derby restaurant in Los Angeles California in the late 1930s. It is named so after the restaurant owner Robert Howard Cobb. It is said that Cobb created the dish using leftovers from the restaurant kitchen for a late-night meal.
What is in an authentic Cobb salad?
The greens in an authentic Cobb are romaine, watercress, endive and chopped iceberg lettuce. On top are rows or sections of fried chicken , bacon, hard-boiled eggs, scallions or chives, tomatoes, avocado and Roquefort cheese. The dressing is typically a classic French-style red wine vinaigrette with Dijon mustard and minced shallot. Some versions also include cheddar cheese.
How can I make this even lower in calories?
There are several ways to cut the calories in this dish. As written each serving has 575 calories which is still lower than the average cobb by more than 50 calories. Furthermore, we opted for heart-healthy mono-unsaturated fats by cutting back on some of the saturated fats and using olive oil in the dressing. But if you want to make this lower in calories still, the easiest way to do so is to use my Creamy Blue Cheese Dressing instead of the vinaigrette. While a creamy dressing is not authentic, it will save 211 calories per serving! You can also remove the egg yolk to save an additional 30 calories each. With both of these changes, your salad will be 334 calories.
Is Cobb Salad healthy?Can this be made ahead?
Don’t Miss: How To Make A Cobb Salad
Cobb Salad Recipes To Try
Your search ends here. These Cobb salads are healthy, hearty, and easy to throw together for lunch or dinner. From basic Cobbs with the usual suspects to unexpected new takes on the classic salad, youll find something for everyone in this collection of our best Cobb salad recipes.
Classic Cobb salad, but with a Southern twist. This take on a Cobb salad has all the essential ingredientsfrom hard-boiled egg to bacon and blue cheesebut with a few special Southern additions: Black eyed peas and Cornbread Croutons. Once you try this regional take on a storied salad, you may never go back to the original.
The rumor goes that this hearty salad that eats like a meal was coined the Cobb Salad at the world famous Brown Derby in Hollywood in 1937, named after the restaurants owner Robert Howard Cobb. It quickly became a signature dish for good reason its healthy and addictive.
Salad. Salad doesnt have to be boring. Salad Recipes can be vibrant, flavorful, healthy, decadent, and fun! From lettuce salads to chicken salad to potato and pasta salad, the sky is the limit when creating these unique and fresh recipes.Once youve found a salad recipe that you love, theres no turning back.
Directions Preheat the oven to 400°F. Preheat the grill MEDIUM-HIGH. Place the bacon on a baking sheet. Place the baking sheet in the oven and cook for 18-20 minutes, or until it reaches desired crispiness.
Also Check: Avocado Chicken Salad Wendys
We Give This Homemade Cobb Salad An Eleven Out Of Ten Stars
Crispy, panko-crusted chicken, crumbled bacon, creamy avocado, perfect six-minute eggs and sharp blue cheese lay together atop a bed of crunchy romaine and thenbecause youre JUST THAT GOODyou pour homemade buttermilk dressing over the whole beautiful mess. And thats the moment, the day, the hour that youll never forgetthe one when your family began to beg to have salad for dinner.
You May Like: New York Times Cobb Salad
Recommended Reading: Best Place To Buy A Salad
Why Is It Called Cobb Salad
There are several different stories about this particular matter, but the most popular one tells about Hollywoods Brown Derby restaurant and its signature dish around its opening in 1929. There are some differences in terms of who invented salad in the first place. Some people claim that the inventor was the restaurants chef Robert Kreis even though the salad got its name after the owner of the restaurant, Robert Cobb. On the other hand, some people believe that it was Cobb himself who came up with the Cobb salad almost a decade after the opening of the restaurant, in 1937.
Why We Love This Healthy Cobb Salad Recipe
Please dont ask me to choose my favorite salad. But if pressed I would have to put a good Cobb salad at the top of the list.
What is not to love about a big beautiful composed salad with loads of satisfying protein, bold blue cheese dressing, and all my favorite veggies? The answer is, not much! I really do love everything about Cobb salad. Well, except that most cobb salads from restaurants are far too high in fat, calories and sodium!
Thats why I set out this month to re-invent a traditional Cobb. My goal was to make my recipe lower in calories and saturated fat, but still satisfying enough to keep me full for hours and with all that delicious taste of traditional Cobb salad with bacon and blue cheese!
Serve these epic composed salads as an entree for dinner or as a healthy lunch. My family loves these as is, but if your family is not a fan of blue cheese, you can choose another one of my healthy homemade salad dressings to use instead of the blue cheese vinaigrette. Our Classic Ranch with Greek Yogurt would be great!
If you are looking for more Cobb inspiration, try our Fall Harvest Cobb Salad, Grilled Corn and Peach Cobb Salad or this Southwest Kale Cobb Salad for some non-traditional but equally delicious entree salads! And dont miss my classic Garden Salad if you are a fan of healthier classic salads.
You May Like: To Go Salad Dressing Container
Cobb Salad With The Best Dressing
Easy Chicken Cobb Salad with the best homemade Cobb Salad Dressing! This protein-packed salad is a meal in itself loaded with crisp lettuce, juicy tomatoes, chicken, bacon, boiled eggs, creamy avocado and crumbled blue cheese.
You will want the easy Balsamic Vinaigrette on all of your salads. Watch the video tutorial below and you will be craving it.
This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy.
Tips For Best Results
Make sure the lettuce is super dry Nothing ruins a salad like watery greens. It dilutes the dressing and flavor, and also wilts the lettuce faster. Make sure to dry the romaine thoroughly, and even better, wash it ahead of time so it has plenty of time to dry.
Use the freshest ingredients possible Produce loses its flavor as it ages, so be sure to use the freshest ingredients. It makes a big difference.
Make the chicken, egg, and bacon ahead of time Salads like this taste better when they are cold. If possible, make and chill the chicken, hard boiled eggs, and bacon ahead of time so they dont warm up the greens.
You May Like: Red Robin Cobb Salad Nutrition
What Kind Of Dressing Goes On A Cobb Salad
I made a salad dressing with olive oil, red wine vinegar, dijon mustard, Worcestershire sauce, garlic, lemon juice, sea salt, and pepper. Any time Im making a salad dressing, I do this as a trick: I just dump all the ingredients in a mason jar, seal with a lid, then give it a shake. Its easy to drizzle over top of your salad, and you can seal with the lid and store the extra dressing in the fridge.
Homemade salad dressings are always my go-to choice. I dont buy salad dressings from the store anymore why? because theyre expensive for what youre getting, the ingredients arent nearly as good of quality as if you were to make it at home, annnd store-bought dressings are loaded with sugar! So save yourself some money and learn to make your own salad dressings from scratch.
How To Keep The Dressing From Separating
A salad dressing creates an emulsion by mixing two ingredients that dont typically combine and keeping them suspended. Most dressings are semi-permanent emulsions, meaning eventually, they separate over time. Mustard helps to keep a longer suspension and acts as an emulsifying agent. You can also use a small amount of mayonnaise if storing the dressing for longer than a few hours.
Pin this recipe to save for later
Recommended Reading: Whole30 Salad Dressing To Buy
Cobb Salad Recipe Variations
- My family actually prefers this with this homemade ranch instead of the vinaigrette. The vinaigrette is just more traditional. I love both, just go with what you prefer.
- Replace a few handfuls of romaine lettuce with watercress.
- Opt for a tablespoon or two of minced chives in place of red onion.
- Use cheddar cheese in place of blue cheese. Roquefort or feta are other good options.
- Hard boil eggs in water instead of steaming if you prefer that method.
- Add nuts or sunflower seeds for a light crunch.
- Finish with croutons.
Read Also: California Pizza Kitchen Thai Crunch Salad
How To Make Cobb Salad
- Make cobb salad dressing: In a small mixing bowl whisk together olive oil, red wine vinegar, lemon juice, dijon, honey, garlic, and season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Chill in refrigerator while preparing salad ingredients.
- Cook the bacon: Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a rimmed 18 by 13-inch baking sheet with aluminum foil.
- Lay bacon strips in a single layer on the baking sheet. Bake in preheated oven until crisp, about 12 20 minutes. Drain on paper towels, then chop.
- Hard steam the eggs: Add 1-inch of water to a 4 quart pot or saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat.Add eggs, cover with lid and let cook 14 minutes. Transfer to a bowl of ice water right away.
- Let rest 15 minutes, then peel eggs and chop.
- Prepare salad: Layer lettuce into a large salad bowl or among five serving plates. Top with bacon, eggs, tomatoes, onions, avocado and blue cheese.
- Whisk dressing again then pour over salad and serve.
Read Also: Plant Based Diet Salad Dressing
How Do You Make Summer Cobb Salad
- Heat up the grill to medium high heat. Drizzle the cob of corn and the chicken breasts with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and grill. Cook the chicken on both sides until cooked through and rotate the corn every 3 minutes until charred all over. Once cooled, slice chicken and cut corn off the cob.
- Cook up the bacon in a fry pan over medium heat until crispy. Drain on a paper towel lined plate. Chop up when cooled.
- Make the dressing by whisking together the oil, vinegar, lime juice, Dijon, honey, zest, basil, salt and pepper.
- Place the green in a large bowl, top with the corn, chicken, bacon, hard boiled eggs, avocado, berries, and cheese. Drizzle on vinaigrette and toss. Serve immediately.
What Is Cobb Salad
It is a classic American salad with lettuce, tomato, avocado, blue cheese, chicken, boiled egg, and bacon. Then its arranged beautifully in a dish and served with a red wine vinaigrette dressing.
Some say a chef at the Brown Derby Restaurant in Los Angeles invented the Cobb Salad in 1938, which then became their signature dish. However, it is not clear if restaurant owner Robert Cobb, or his chef, Paul J. Posti, developed the recipe.
Others claim that Robert Kreis, Brown Derbys executive chef, created the recipe and named it in honor of Robert Cobb.
Anyway, more importantly, we can enjoy this delicious salad now because of them. So let me give a special thanks to whoever really discovered this recipe.
Read Also: Is Chicken Salad Chick Healthy
Dont Forget The Cheese
Blue cheese is the classic choice in a cobb salad. The soft marbled blue curds have a characteristic aged moldy flavor from the Penicillium roqueforti strain used during manufacturing. You can use similar types of cheese like Roquefort, Stilton, or Gorgonzola. Try feta or goat cheese for a more mild yet tangy taste. Cheddar and Monterey Jack are popular firm options without the strong taste.
Ingredients For The Blue Cheese Vinaigrette
A lot of Cobb salads have a whole row of crumbled blue cheese on them. I find this too powerful in flavor and unnecessary added saturated fat and calories.
To make this recipe healthier, I made a Blue Cheese Vinaigrette which is essentially a French dressing with red wine vinegar, olive oil and shallot with the addition of crumbled blue cheese mashed into it. This helps make a little blue cheese go a long way!
For the dressing you will need:
- 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon minced shallot, minced
- 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
Re-stir the dressing just before drizzling over the salads, dividing evenly. Season with freshly ground pepper.
Don’t Miss: Can Eating Salad Help You Lose Weight
Cook The Eggs And Chicken Breast
In addition to the bacon, you need some chicken breast and hard boiled eggs.
I always have chicken breast on hand via my Crockpot Chicken Breast method, so I have protein available to add to salads like this. All you have have to do is place boneless, skinless chicken breasts into the bottom of a slow cooker and season with salt, herbs, spices, or whatever youd like.
Then set it to low and let it cook gently for a few hours.
My Grilled Chicken Breast is also fantastic here.
Heres my tutorial for easy peel hard boiled eggs. In a nutshell, place eggs in boiling water for 13 minutes, then place in an ice bath for a minute to chill, and peel.
Why Youll Love This Recipe
Hearty and filling While most salads only have enough heft to be served as a starter or side to a meal, this can be the whole meal in and of itself. The same could be said for this Steak Salad.
Very nourishing meal A plate of this hits all the different nutrient components. You get plenty of protein, healthy fats, fiber, and vitamins all in one bowl.
Most of it can be made ahead You can make most of the various ingredients ahead of time so that all you have to do is mix it all together before serving.
Versatile You can bring in a few seasonal ingredients here very nicely, like adding some leftover Roasted Butternut Squash in the fall.
With the right ingredients on hand, this can be made in less than 10 minutes.
Read Also: How Many Carbs In Chicken Salad