American
Classic Cobb Salad
Neat rows of seared chicken, crisp bacon, hard-cooked egg, avocado, tomatoes and blue cheese over greens with a tangy red wine vinaigrette.
- Hearty main-dish salad
- Prep components ahead
- Tangy homemade vinaigrette
The Cobb salad was born in a Hollywood restaurant kitchen and has stayed an American favorite ever since. It is a meal in a salad, with something rich, crunchy, creamy or fresh in every forkful. We sear the chicken in a little reserved bacon fat for extra savor and dress the greens lightly before arranging the toppings in bold stripes. Bring it to the table composed, then toss it all together with the remaining vinaigrette.
Instructions
Place the eggs in a saucepan and cover with cold water by 1 inch. Bring to a boil, cover, remove from the heat and let stand for 11 minutes. Transfer to ice water for 5 minutes, then peel and chop.
Cook the bacon in a large skillet over medium heat for 8 to 10 minutes, turning occasionally, until crisp. Drain on paper towels, crumble, and pour off all but 1 tablespoon of the fat.
Pound the chicken breasts to an even 3/4-inch thickness and season both sides with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.
Return the skillet to medium heat and cook the chicken in the reserved bacon fat for 5 to 7 minutes per side, until golden and an instant-read thermometer registers 165 degrees F in the thickest part. Rest for 5 minutes, then dice.
Whisk the vinegar, Dijon, garlic and the remaining salt and pepper in a small bowl, then slowly whisk in the olive oil until emulsified.
Toss the romaine and watercress with 3 tablespoons of the vinaigrette and spread over a large platter.
Just before serving, halve, pit and dice the avocado.
Arrange the chicken, bacon, eggs, tomatoes, avocado and blue cheese in neat rows across the greens.
Sprinkle with chives and serve with the remaining vinaigrette on the side, tossing at the table if you like.
Test kitchen tips
- Cook the eggs, bacon and chicken up to 2 days ahead and refrigerate separately; the salad then assembles in 10 minutes.
- Dice the avocado last and toss it with a few drops of the vinaigrette to slow browning.
- Use leftover roast turkey instead of chicken, or swap the blue cheese for sharp white cheddar if blue is too strong for your crowd.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 610
- Protein
- 42g
- Carbs
- 12g
- Fat
- 45g
- Fiber
- 6g
- Sugar
- 4g
- Sodium
- 980mg
Nutrition values are estimates calculated per serving. See our disclaimer.
