Cobb Salad
Updated Oct. 17, 2023
- Total Time
- 50 minutes
- Rating
- Notes
- Read community notes
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Ingredients
Yield:4 servings
- 1small shallot, thinly sliced into rings
- 3tablespoons red-wine vinegar
- Kosher salt and ground pepper
- 1tablespoon whole grain or Dijon mustard
- 3tablespoons olive oil, plus more as needed
- 4large eggs
- 10ounces thick-cut bacon (about 8 strips)
- 12ounces boneless, skinless chicken breast (about 2 medium breasts)
- 1head romaine lettuce, torn into bite-sized pieces or coarsely chopped
- 6ounces small to medium tomatoes (about 6), sliced or quartered
- 1avocado, thinly sliced or chopped
- 4ounces blue cheese, crumbled
- 3tablespoons finely chopped chives
For the Dressing
For the Salad and Assembly
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)
724 calories; 55 grams fat; 17 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 26 grams monounsaturated fat; 7 grams polyunsaturated fat; 15 grams carbohydrates; 8 grams dietary fiber; 5 grams sugars; 44 grams protein; 1190 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
Powered byPreparation
- Step 1
Make the dressing: Cover shallot rings with vinegar and season with salt and pepper. Let sit for 5 minutes to lightly pickle the shallots and infuse the vinegar. Add mustard and 3 tablespoons olive oil and, using a fork, whisk to blend. Season with salt and more pepper, if needed.
- Step 2
Bring a small pot of water to a boil. Gently lower in 4 large eggs and boil for 8 minutes. Remove from heat and run cold water over to quickly chill. (You could throw a few ice cubes into the bowl as well.) Once the eggs are properly chilled, peel them and set them aside until you’re ready to assemble the salad.
- Step 3
Meanwhile, cook bacon in a large skillet over medium heat until crispy on both sides, 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer bacon to a paper towel-lined plate and let cool. Once cool enough to handle, coarsely chop bacon and set aside.
- Step 4
Drain all but roughly 2 tablespoons bacon grease from the skillet. (Toss the drained grease or reserve for another purpose.) Season chicken with salt and pepper and cook in the same skillet over medium–high heat until well browned on both sides and cooked through, 12 to 15 minutes. Transfer chicken to a large plate or cutting board.
- Step 5
Transfer any drippings (you should have at least 2 tablespoons) from the skillet to the bowl with the vinaigrette and whisk to blend, adding more olive oil if desired.
- Step 6
Once chicken is cool enough to handle, shred it into bite-sized pieces. (Alternatively, chop or slice it into bite-sized pieces.) Slice or chop the hard-boiled eggs.
- Step 7
Arrange lettuce in your largest serving bowl or platter. Drizzle about half the dressing over the lettuce and toss to combine; season with salt and pepper.
- Step 8
Arrange the chicken in the center of the bowl or platter in a straight line. Place the tomatoes on one side and the eggs on the other. Place the avocado next to the eggs, and the blue cheese next to the tomatoes. Sprinkle bacon in the center of the bowl. Spoon remaining dressing over the top and sprinkle with chives.
Private Notes
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Cooking Notes
sundevilpeg
It's far easier and less messy to bake the bacon on a foil-lined half-sheet pan, fitted with a rectangular cooling rack. Bake the bacon at 375 for about half an hour, or longer if you like it crispier. Freeze the unused pieces in zip-lock freezer bags. It's far less greasy, and the pieces are flatter and more uniform - plus no bacon grease film all over the kitchen.
Patricia
Put eggs in pot with water 1" above level of eggs. Bring to a boil. Turn burner off, cover pot and let sit for 15 minutes. Drain, cool, and peel. Not tough whites when done this way.
Syl
As an old Hollywood senior who had the joy of eating many times at the old Brown Derby in question, I can say this recipe is not only inaccurate in ingredients but in plated presentation. Attached is the Cobb Salad I had brought to table dozens of time and have continued to serve throughout the intervening decades. Yours is nice but.....sorry...but I can't call yours a Brown Derby Cobb Salad. http://lostrecipesfound.com/brown-derby-cobb-salad/
Chris
Bacon Tip: I usually fry a whole pound of bacon until almost done. Drain, freeze, also saving some of the bacon fat. That way I always have both on hand for salads, eggs, etc. To use the frozen bacon, put paper towel on a dish and zap in the microwave until desired crispiness is achieved. Blot with the towels (a lot more grease will have melted). Cool so it crisps up, and crumble. Be careful not to burn the bacon. It cooks a bit more after the buzzer beeps.
jill
This was delicious for a light dinner. I think you could improvise if you don't have all the ingredients or something else in your fridge that looks appealing, maybe black olives or even anchovies. Next time I may sprinkle the avocado with some fresh lemon juice to give it more impact. I will definitely make it again.
Robert
With all due respect, your salad might be more "authentic", but Alison's is, for me, more refined and appetising.
LaurenE
This recipe is more than the sum of it's parts. Vinaigrette is on point- using the same pan for bacon -> chix -> drippings for vinaigrette is key. It's a great salad to serve deconstructed and let people make it how they want. Delicious for weeknight or even w/guests. Sub'd scallions for chives, which worked well. 2nd time I made this, I added blanched green beans, which went nicely (you could likely add any crisp veg you have excess of).
Sarah P
Made this meatless by subbing roasted oyster mushrooms for the bacon and roasted chickpeas for the chicken. 10/10 *chefs kiss*
Over filled freezer
I buy cooked bacon at reputable supermarkets that have buffets. It is usually about $8/pound. I used to buy premium bacons, but the after cooking weight made it very expensive. Make the experiment yourself, weighing raw bacon to cooked bacon.
Craig
Excellent. It does halve nicely. I added a slice of naan and it made an excellent dinner for two.
RoyFlash
For a Summer evening with 3 other couples, I wanted to prepare one of my favorite Thai salads, but a quick late survey said no spice!" so I turned to this Salad, first time preparing, and with some side Thai dipping sauce and it was a HIT! My Thai...Cobb Salad...yes I really did say that....
Marcia
Well I agree with Laura and Marlen - doesn't anyone keep up with the latest science on saturated fats? Look at the bacon label - it's not just sat. fats although to hear all the nutritionists rant, you'd think it was - and eggs, in spite of what some would have us believe, are a perfect food. Nutrient dense and delicious.
Laura
I agree its healthy. All good fats Bemily.
Sheldon Brodsky
The origin of the Cobb Salad is not up for debate!! It was created by Bob Cobb, who owned the famous Brown Derby restaurant in Hollywood!!
CR
A staple in my house. LOVE this salad. Can easily make without the bacon and chicken if you want a veggie friendly option. I usually make it as one large chopped salad. When I do add chicken, I've either marinated and grilled chicken or just bought a roasted chicken from the grocery store to shred. One tip is to make without the avocado and add that at the last minute on top - that way if you have extra, you can save for the next day without the avocado turning brown
Steve
This is a superb salad with so many robust flavors. Love the mustardy vinaigrette. I used leftover cooked chicken and fried up some croutons in the bacon drippings. Wonderful!
nicapple
Took another commenters advice and chopped and froze extra pieces of bacon, as I don’t eat bacon often at all. Made exactly as outlined and it turned out perfectly. What a great and filling salad! I will say, I’ll probably double the dressing recipe next time.
A
Everyone knows Bob Cobb invented this salad.
J Lin
Such a good go-to salad. I've made this like 5 times in a single month alone. I prefer dicing up everything and tossing before serving. And also—Chinese sausage, Spam, and even sliced deli meats make great swaps for the bacon if that's more accessible for you! :)
Amanda
FOR DRESSING: Double the entire recipe Add 2 tablespoons of Dijon mustard AND 2 tablespoons Add honey to taste (approx. 2 tablespoons) Will want to add a decent amount of pepper
BARRY Miller
Had no idea the origin Mr. Cobb's salad was debatable. Ms Roman's "classic" version relies on whatever it relies, but indicating it has been assembled is a stretch on the imagination. BTW: Where do all the recipe makers find this 6 ounce chicken breasts?
V.H.
Have made this several times---the dressing is wonderful. When I don't have shallots on hand, I've substituted red onions with great results. I don't really measure the ingredients precisely and it always tastes amazing. Can't go wrong with this recipe.
QD
Made this meatless by adding sliced sub dried tomatoes in place of the bacon and omit chicken. Use the oil from sun dried tomato in the dressing as well. I also added sliced cucumber for extra crunch. It’s a stunning salad plate.
LotaRain
Delish! Forgot to buy a tomato so added some red bell pepper for color. Definitely bake bacon in oven. Prepared HB Eggs using Kenji Alt-Lopez’s method of steaming for 12 minutes and chilling in ice water a minimum of 15 minutes for easy peeling.
Lisa, MSW
We loved this. We always keep hard boiled eggs in the fridge so we were set here. The only adjustment I’d make is instead of 3 tbsp of red wine vinegar use 2. Other than that this was a nice summer dinner for my family! And we have enough for tomorrow night.
DKLA
This is a lovely cobb and makes a great lunch presentation for guests. I didn't change anything. Cooking the chicken in the bacon fat and then adding that oil to the dressing really ups the umami! Do it!
Julia
The dressing is delicious. Layers of flavour.
j martin
Check out cobb salad recipe in Saveur magazine which claims to be like the original at The Brown Derby. It has chicory (escarole), romaine, bibb, and watercress for the lettuce, very nice. Doesn't use the bacon fat in the dressing ,thank goodness, but otherwise is pretty similar. I prefer roast chicken to poached or sauteed.
Rebecca
This was a big hit with my family. It’s corn season, so I cut the kernels off of four cobs and sautéed them in some of the bacon fat with salt and pepper, as well as steamed new potatos, both of which went on warm. We all loved the combination of textures, flavors and hot and cold. I’m also not a big blue cheese fan, but I love cambazola, which added a touch of creaminess w/o too much blue for me.
Valerie
Made this pretty much as is. Great salad and dressing. Daughter requested the recipe and I also made it again within 2 weeks--we were craving it!
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