Rediscover this American classic!
Is it a salad or a work of art? The Cobb salad, famous for the way its components appear in rows across a bed of chopped greens, is as much a feast for the eyes as it is for taste buds. All the different colors—vibrant red tomatoes, golden chunks of chicken, deep-brown bacon, bright white and yellow eggs, the blue veins in the creamy cheese—are like an artist’s palette. And just like artists combine colors to produce a thing of beauty, all the delicious ingredients in a Cobb salad produce a singularly beautiful eating experience.
While it’s not clear who decided that the ingredients in Cobb salad should appear in rows, foodie historians agree that the salad was invented in the 1930s in Hollywood at the Brown Derby restaurant. There are a couple of different stories for how it came about, but one claims that the restaurant’s owner, Robert Cobb, was hungry late one night and put together this salad by using up items he found in the cooler. He shared his concoction with his friend Sid Grauman (of Grauman’s Chinese Theatre), and Mr. Grauman liked it so much, he returned the next day and asked for “the Cobb salad.” Another story has it that the Brown Derby chef created the salad with ingredients he knew his boss liked and then named it after him. Either way, the first Cobb salad was not dressed with oil and vinegar, as our recipe calls for, but with a French Dressing (try it—it’s really good!).
There are so many reasons to recommend this Cobb salad, in addition to how impressive it looks when you set it on the table. First, it is the manifestation of Aristotle’s famous saying, “The whole is greater than the sum of its parts.” Yes, we love chicken, and we love hard-boiled eggs, and we love blue cheese, etc., but when we eat a Cobb salad, it is the way that all the ingredients merge that makes the dish a unique whole. The crispy bacon, soft egg, savory chicken, rich blue cheese, crunchy romaine, and creamy avocado all join together in the tangy mustard vinaigrette to produce a literal symphony in your mouth.
Customize Your Cobb
Not everyone loves every item in a classic Cobb salad. But never fear! There are lots of creative ways to add, subtract, or switch out ingredients and still get the full pleasure of this iconic salad.
If you want to add a layer of flavor to your Cobb salad, try cooking the chicken in fat leftover from cooking your bacon. But if you’re not a fan of chicken, cut Roasted Turkey Breast into bite-size chunks, or even substitute cooled Sautéed Shrimp for the poultry. For Cobbs without eggs, use cubed extra-firm tofu instead (the texture is practically identical!). Some people don’t really like blue cheese, but you can use goat cheese, which has a similar soft crumble and texture, or any kind of cheese you like. If you’re not fond of cheese but still crave a component with deep flavor, add a row of black or green olives. You can also use Turkey Bacon instead of the pork variety, or even plant-based bacon. And if you’d like a touch of sweetness, try this Honey-Mustard Dressing in place of the vinaigrette in our recipe.
How To Make Ahead And Store
Many of the individual components of the Cobb salad can be prepped ahead of time and stored separately in airtight containers, but slice the avocado and chop the tomatoes just before serving. Once the salad is assembled, it will keep tightly wrapped in plastic wrap in the fridge (without the dressing) for up to 3 days (though we recommend placing the avocado in a container with some lemon juice so it doesn’t brown).
Serving Suggestions
Cobb salad may have been invented as a late-night snack, but it really is a meal in itself. Still, it does need some companions, doesn’t it? I think so! I love to serve Cobb salad with a warm and crunchy appetizer, like these Fried Artichoke Hearts with Yogurt Herb Dipping Sauce, or a warm and creamy side dish like Polenta topped with Sautéed Onions. Cobb salad is also great with soup, especially this Lemon-Lentil Soup, along with some delicious Focaccia for dipping.
You can take your Cobb other places, too! Make it Mediterranean by switching out the chicken for flaked Mediterranean Baked Salmon, adding a row of Roasted Chickpeas, substituting this Marinated Feta for the blue cheese, and drizzling the whole salad with this Greek Dressing. Or how about a Latin version of the Cobb Salad with Mexican Chicken, a bright and really flavorful row of Esquites (Street Corn), crumbled cotija cheese, and Cilantro-Lime Dressing?
Cobb Salad
Ingredients
- 3 large eggs
- 6 slices bacon
- 1 head romaine lettuce chopped
- 2 cups cooked chicken breast diced
- 2 medium tomatoes seeded and chopped
- 3/4 cup blue cheese crumbled
- 1/4 cup chives chopped
- 1 large avocado peeled, pitted, and diced
- 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Place eggs in a saucepan and cover with cold water. Bring to a boil, cover, and remove from heat. Let sit for 10-12 minutes. Cool, peel, and chop.
- In a skillet over medium-high heat, cook bacon until crisp, about 7-10 minutes. Drain, crumble, and set aside.
- On a large platter, arrange chopped lettuce. Top with rows of bacon, eggs, chicken, tomatoes, blue cheese, chives, and avocado.
- In a jar, combine red wine vinegar, Dijon mustard, and olive oil. Shake well. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Drizzle dressing over the salad just before serving.
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