This recipe is an easy way to make a classic Cobb salad. It also includes a simple red wine vinaigrette, the traditional Cobb salad dressing.
About This Recipe
This Cobb salad is loaded with all of the tasty traditional Cobb toppings: avocado, bacon, blue cheese, tomatoes, chicken, red onion, chives, and hardboiled eggs.
It also includes a simple recipe for a red wine vinaigrette dressing.
Cobb salad is a go-to for when you're craving a satisfying salad and don't want to spend a lot of time cooking. It's always a crowd-pleaser and can be easily customized to what you (or your guests) like best.
How to Make Cobb Salad
Cobb salad looks impressive but is super simple to make. First you'll cook your bacon and chicken and while it cooks you can chop up your toppings and make your dressing.
Salad assembly is easy: add a base layer of lettuce and then add your toppings. Pour in the dressing and toss just before serving.
Popular Questions About The Recipe
What Dressing Should Be Used With Cobb Salad?
Red wine vinaigrette is the traditional Cobb salad dressing; but you could also use any other light vinaigrette or opt for a creamier alternative like ranch or Blue cheese.
The recipe at the bottom of this page includes an easy way to make a red wine vinaigrette (mix together olive oil, red wine vinegar & dijon mustard).
Should a Cobb Salad Be Tossed?
This comes down to personal preference, but usually Cobb salads are tossed before serving.
An exception might be if you are serving people who have different tastes and want to serve toppings on top (or separately) so that people can serve themselves the toppings they prefer.
Can You Make Cobb Salad Vegetarian?
There are two elements of Cobb salad that are not vegetarian: chicken & bacon. To make this salad vegetarian, leave out the chicken & bacon. You could also add in more hard boiled eggs instead of these meat items.
How to Store Cobb Salad
- In the fridge: cover and store your Cobb salad in the fridge for up to 3 - 5 days. Store your salad without dressing to avoid the lettuce becoming soggy.
- In the freezer: it's not recommended to freeze this recipe as there are many fresh ingredients that will lose their texture.
PRO TIP: use a salad spinner to spin your lettuce and remove any moisture before assembling your salad. This will keep your lettuce fresher for longer.
Print
Cobb Salad
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 4 - 5 servings 1x
Description
An easy way to make a classic Cobb salad with all of the traditional toppings. PLUS a simple recipe for red wine vinaigrette.
Ingredients
- 4 slices bacon
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts (about 1 pound)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 6 cups chopped romaine lettuce
- 4 hard boiled eggs, quartered
- 1 avocado, diced
- 1 cup halved cherry tomatoes
- ½ cup blue cheese crumbles
- ¼ cup sliced red onion
- 2 tablespoons chopped chives (for garnish)
Red Wine Vinaigrette:
- ½ cup olive oil
- 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 2 teaspoons dijon mustard
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425°F. Place the bacon on a baking sheet lined with foil. Once the oven is preheated, cook the bacon for 15 - 20 minutes, until cooked and crispy. Crumble or chop into pieces once cooked.
- As the bacon cooks, in a small bowl, mix together the paprika, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Sprinkle this mixture onto both sides of the chicken breasts.
- Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add the chicken and cook, covered, 5 - 6 minutes on each side. The chicken should be cooked through to 165°F and no longer pink in the middle. Let the chicken rest for 10 minutes and then slice into thin strips.
- In a small bowl or jar, whisk together the dressing ingredients until emulsified (fully mixed & thickened).
- Add the lettuce to a large bowl and then top it with all of the salad ingredients except for the chives. Drizzle the dressing on top and toss.
- Sprinkle the chives over the salad and serve.
Notes
- Eggs: it's easiest to buy store-bought hardboiled eggs, but you can also make your own. Here's how to make perfect hardboiled eggs: instructions here.
- Dressing: you can make your own or use store-bought dressing. Red wine vinaigrette is the traditional choice for Cobb salads (this is what is included in the recipe), but you could also use balsamic vinaigrette.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Cuisine: American
Keywords: cobb salad, salad, bacon, chicken, romaine, red wine vinaigrette, classic, easy, lunch, dinner, eggs, hard boiled eggs, avocado, blue cheese
Looking for more healthy salad ideas? Check out the fresh, Italian-inspired Antipasto Salad.
For our entire healthy dinner collection, click here: Healthy Dinners.
Joan Breckwoldt
Great recipe, thank you!
★★★★★
Marie
Great salad. Love the dressing. Any idea how many calories?
★★★★★
Marlynn Richards
This is one of my favorite salads to order and restaurants and I have finally found a great recipe to make this at home. Turned out so good!
★★★★★