This popular, protein-rich salad is bursting with flavor and nutrients!
Named after a famous Hollywood restaurant owner, Robert Cobb, the Cobb salad has been around since the 1930s. Today, it’s a popular option on most American menus, usually listed alongside Caesar Salad and garden salad.
This is one of the only salads that has as much animal protein as veggies. With a delicious mix of eggs, bacon, chicken breast, blue cheese, romaine lettuce, tomato, and avocado, there’s a little something for everyone. Dressed in a rich vinaigrette, this salad is both down-to-earth and classy. Make it for yourself for lunch, or share a big bowl with the whole family.
My favorite part about Cobb salad is that it only takes 30 minutes to make, and most of that is prep work. (Boiling eggs, cooking bacon, etc.) This is super easy to whip up for a quick weekday dinner, or to make alongside other dishes for the holidays.
Is Cobb Salad Healthy?
Each ingredient in this recipe has its own benefits, from the healthy fats and fiber in avocado to the vitamin C in tomato. Plus, there’s a ton of protein! Don’t worry about not feeling satisfied after eating the Cobb; it will fill you up fast. To make it vegan, use dairy-free cheese, swap in maple syrup instead of honey and replace the meat and eggs with black beans and chickpeas. While the textures are different of course, the protein boost will still be there. Oh, and good news! There are no croutons, so this salad is 100% gluten-free.
Bacon, Eggs, and Chicken, Oh My!
While Cobb salad is traditionally made with bacon, hard-boiled eggs, and roasted chicken breast, you can also play with these proteins to suit your preferences. For example, you can make Soft-Boiled Eggs for a more ooey-gooey texture and richer flavor. When it comes to bacon, there are so many ways to cook it… You could bake it at 425, microwave it, or even twist it! And yes, you can pop it in the air fryer too. Chicken is just as versatile. You can smoke it, air fry it, grill it, or bake it, and all these options are great. If you like your chicken breaded, try this recipe and enjoy the golden brown crisp!
INGREDIENTS
- 5 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
- 3 large eggs, hard-boiled and chopped
- 1 head romaine lettuce, chopped
- 2 cups cooked chicken breast, diced
- 2 medium tomatoes, seeded and chopped
- 2/3 cup blue cheese, crumbled
- 1/4 cup chives, chopped
- 1 large avocado, peeled, pitted, and diced
- 4 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 2 teaspoons honey
- 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- Salt and pepper to taste
INSTRUCTIONS
Prep
Cook eggs and bacon; chop ingredients.
Assemble
Layer ingredients on lettuce.
Dress & Serve
Mix dressing, drizzle over salad, and serve.
Devour!
FAQs & Tips
While this salad is best enjoyed fresh, you can make it a few hours ahead of time and store in the fridge until you’re ready to serve. Just make sure to stack the ingredients properly, with the heavier and wetter ones being at the bottom of the bowl and the fresh veggies on top. I recommend keeping the animal proteins and avocado stored separately until you’re ready to serve, because this will either make the salad too soggy or cause the avocado to brown quickly. Enjoy cold or at room temperature. Leftover salad will not freeze well.
This recipe calls for a red wine vinaigrette, which is made by mixing red wine vinegar, Dijon mustard, honey, and olive oil. You could also use avocado oil for a more neutral flavor, or replace honey with maple syrup if need be. It’s scrumptiously tangy and sweet. Some chefs like to use blue cheese dressing on a Cobb salad, but since this recipe includes blue cheese, vinaigrette is the perfect condiment to freshen up the flavors.
Chef salad is considered simpler and more generic than Cobb. While they have the same base of romaine lettuce, Cobb often has more proteins while chef salad has cucumbers, carrots, cheddar cheese, and sometimes ham. I consider chef salad to be the baby sibling of Cobb.
Serving Suggestions
Cobb salad stands strong on its own, however, there are plenty of delectable side dishes to serve with it, like Easy Sweet Cornbread, Cauliflower Potato Soup, or The Best Baked Sweet Potatoes. As you can see, this salad can be part of a brilliant buffet as much as it can be enjoyed on its own.
Cobb Salad
Ingredients
- 5 slices bacon cooked and crumbled
- 3 large eggs hard-boiled and chopped
- 1 head romaine lettuce chopped
- 2 cups cooked chicken breast diced
- 2 medium tomatoes seeded and chopped
- 2/3 cup blue cheese crumbled
- 1/4 cup chives chopped
- 1 large avocado peeled, pitted, and diced
- 4 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 2 teaspoons honey
- 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
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On a large platter, arrange chopped lettuce. Top with rows of bacon, eggs, chicken, tomatoes, blue cheese, chives, and avocado.
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In a jar, combine red wine vinegar, Dijon mustard, honey, and olive oil. Season with salt and pepper, shake well to emulsify.
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Drizzle dressing over the salad just before serving.
Nutrition
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