Classic American Cobb salad

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the famous Cobb salad is a type of garden salad known for its meticulously arranged stripes of various ingredients. It is a delicious, albeit somewhat old fashioned salad with a rainbow of colors that works as a shared starter or a main dish.

 

classic cobb salad in a bowl next to a jar of french vinaigrette and a gold fork in a napkin
With its origins rooted in 1930s Los Angeles, this salad boasts a vibrant medley of colors, textures, and flavors, challenging the notion that salads are simply for the health-conscious. A classic cobb salad has lettuce of course, but also bacon, avocado, cheese, and plenty of more tasty ingredients. And what better way to fuse all of these tasty ingredients? Why a tangy and fresh dressing of course!

 

In this article I’m going to give you my recipe for a basic vinaigrette, but you can pair a Cobb salad with any dressing you prefer, from an umami packed miso salad dressing to a tart and fruity blackcurrant dressing!

What Is A Cobb Salad?
A Cobb salad is an American garden salad likely invented in the 1930s at the Brown Derby restaurant in Hollywood. The owner at the time was Robert Howard Cobb and it is said that he invented it late at night by mixing together a bunch of leftovers from the line and tossing it in some French dressing.

 

It was so good he started serving it in the restaurant, where the signature presentation we know today was set.

There are traditionally seven toppings plus romaine lettuce and dressing, but you can get creative and substitute things as you see fit when you make this salad at home.

 

Ingredients:
  • 1/2 head romaine
  • 1/2 head Boston lettuce
  • 1 small bunch frisée (curly endive)
  • 1/2 bunch watercress, coarse stems discarded
  • 6 slices bacon
  • 2 ripe avocados, seed removed, peeled, and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
  • 1 whole skinless boneless chicken breast (about 3/4 pound total), halved, cooked, and diced (see How to Poach Chicken)
  • 1 tomato, seeded and chopped fine
  • 2 hard-boiled large eggs, separated, the yolk finely chopped and the white finely chopped (see How to Make Hard Boiled Eggs)
  • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives
  • 1/3 cup red wine vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon Dijon-style mustard
  • 1 to 2 teaspoons sugar
  • Salt and pepper
  • 2/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 1/2 cup finely grated Roquefort

 

Method
Cook the bacon:
in a skillet on medium heat until crisp on both sides. Remove from skillet and lay out on paper towels to absorb
the excess fat. Allow the bacon to cool. Crumble the bacon and set aside.
Toss the various lettuces:
In a large salad bowl, toss together well the various lettuces and watercress.
Compose the salad:
Arrange the chicken, the bacon, the tomato, and the avocado decoratively over the greens and garnish the salad
with the chopped egg and the chives.
Make the vinaigrette:
In a small bowl whisk together the vinegar, the mustard, and salt and pepper to taste, add the oil in a slow stream,
whisking, and whisk the dressing until it is emulsified.
Stir in the Roquefort. Add sugar to taste, 1/2 teaspoon at a time. Whisk the dressing. Serve separately or toss in
with the salad.

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