Cobb Salad
A protein-packed composed salad of crisp romaine, chicken, bacon, hard-boiled eggs, avocado, and blue cheese, arranged in rows and finished with a homemade balsamic dressing.
- 6 oz (6 slices) bacon, chopped and browned
- 1 medium head romaine lettuce, chopped (5 cups), rinsed and dried
- 2 cooked chicken breasts
- 2 hard-boiled eggs
- 1 large avocado, sliced
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1/2 cup red onion, thinly sliced
- 1/2 cup blue cheese, crumbled (or feta or goat cheese)
- 2 tablespoons parsley or chives, finely chopped (optional)
- 3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1 garlic clove, pressed or finely minced
- 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
- Bake, air fry, or sauté the bacon until browned and crisp, then transfer to a paper-towel-lined plate to cool before crumbling or chopping. At the same time, cook 2 eggs to hard-boiled, then chill them in ice water before peeling and quartering — the ice bath stops the cooking and makes them much easier to peel cleanly.
- Chop, rinse, and thoroughly spin dry the romaine lettuce, then arrange it as a base layer across a shallow platter. Making sure the lettuce is well dried matters here, since any lingering water will dilute the dressing once it's added.
- Arrange the remaining salad ingredients — chicken, eggs, avocado, tomatoes, onion, blue cheese, and bacon — in neat rows over the lettuce, keeping each ingredient in its own strip rather than tossing everything together. Sprinkle the finely chopped parsley over the top if using.
- Transfer the balsamic vinegar, Dijon mustard, garlic, olive oil, salt, and pepper to a mason jar, seal it, and shake vigorously until the dressing looks emulsified and well combined. Drizzle the dressing over the salad just before serving, or set it out on the side so guests can add their own to taste.
Chef's Note: Arranging the toppings in rows rather than tossing them together is what gives a Cobb salad its signature look, and it's genuinely practical too — everyone can see exactly what's in each bite and portion out the ingredients they want most. This is also a great salad for using up already-cooked chicken; rotisserie chicken or the meat from an Instant Pot whole chicken both work just as well as freshly baked breasts.
Shaking the dressing in a sealed jar is an easy way to get a properly emulsified vinaigrette without dirtying a whisk and bowl, and it keeps well in the fridge for several days if you want to make it ahead. Hold off on dressing the whole platter until just before serving, since the lettuce and avocado will wilt and brown if it sits dressed for too long.
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