Cobb Salad: An American Classic
Cobb Salad is one of those dishes we rarely see in Britain.
But I think this hearty, main course salad, a classic in its US home, is one more of us really ought to try.
With chicken, bacon, avocado, eggs, tomatoes and blue cheese, all on a bed of greens, Cobb Salad is a satisfying bowlful.
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ORIGINS OF THE COBB SALAD
Weirdly, I first heard of Cobb Salad via one of my favourite US comedy shows, Curb Your Enthusiasm.
In the episode Trick or Treat, the show’s writer and star Larry David (who plays a version of himself) gets into an argument with his friend Cliff Cobb who claims his grandfather invented the Cobb salad.
While there are different stories about the origin of the salad, the majority view seems to be that it came about by chance. It’s said that the chef at the Hollywood Brown Derby made it for the owner, Robert Cobb, out of various leftovers late one night.
INGREDIENTS
But I really don’t care where the truth lies. What matters is that it’s a great main course salad with plenty of gutsy flavours.
At the base of the salad is a mix of greens. Actually, that’s not obvious from the images here as they’re covered with so many good things.
In the classic Cobb Salad, the greens usually consist of romaine and iceberg lettuce, watercress and endive. I just use what I have and a mix I like is romaine lettuce along with shredded cavolo nero (black cabbage or Tuscan kale) which we grow in our garden.
The other constants are: chicken breast, hard-boiled eggs, avocado, bacon, tomatoes and blue cheese. Luckily, I happen to adore all those things, and together they’re sensational.
Cobb Salad is good for using leftover chicken, but I cooked two skin-on breasts for the one you see here. For extra flavour, I browned the chicken in the pan I’d used to crisp the smoked streaky bacon. I finished the chicken breasts in the oven then set them aside while I prepped the rest of the ingredients.
Strictly speaking, the blue cheese should be Roquefort. However, I prefer Stilton or Dovedale Blue or Buxton Blue. The latter two just happen to be from the village where I live, made by the Staffordshire Cheese Company and are excellent.
THE DRESSING
Most recipes for Cobb Salad call for a simple red wine vinaigrette containing plenty of mustard. Some versions include blue cheese crumbled into the dressing. I like the idea of squeezing even more cheese into the salad, but don’t fancy a lumpy dressing.
So, instead of just whisking everything together, I use a stick or immersion blender. This makes a slightly creamy dressing with the cheese well incorporated.
SERVING COBB SALAD
You could just mix all the salad ingredients together, dress and serve. But I think it’s much nicer to group all the different elements.
First, I toss the salad leaves in half the dressing and divide them between the bowls. Next, I lay chicken slices (you can dice it if you prefer) in a line down the centre. Then I put a line of quartered egg and a line of chopped avocado down one side and the tomatoes and cubed cheese down the other.
I like my bacon good and crispy in salads so it crumbles and I can use it almost as a condiment. That goes on next, mainly over the chicken, followed by the remaining dressing drizzled over everything.
To be absolutely correct, chives should be sprinkled over the top to finish the Cobb Salad. But when they’re not in season in my garden, I substitute a mix of chopped parsley and spring onion.
Whether, over in the US, they’d think my version very authentic, I don’t know. But what I am sure about is my Cobb Salad, satisfying and full of flavour, is one of the best main course salads you can get.
And, as Larry David might say, I think that’s pretty, pretty, pretty good.
Cobb Salad
This hearty, main course salad from the USA really deserves to be better known in Britain. With chicken, bacon, avocado, eggs, crispy bacon and blue cheese, all on a bed of greens, Cobb Salad is a satisfying bowlful.
Ingredients
For the dressing
- 1 tbsp mustard (French or Dijon)
- 3 tbsp red wine vinegar
- 0.5 tsp garlic granules optional
- 1 tsp sugar optional
- 20 g blue cheese e.g. Roquefort, Stilton crumbled
- 5 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- salt & pepper to taste
For the salad
- 8 handfuls mixed lettuce/greens e.g. romaine & kale shredded
- 2 cooked chicken breasts, sliced or diced
- 3 eggs, hard-boiled shelled & quartered
- 1 large ripe avocado peeled, stoned & diced
- 14 cherry tomatoes halved
- 100 g blue cheese e.g. Roquefort, Stilton cubed
- 3 rashers smoked streaky bacon fried or grilled until crisp
- 1 tbsp chives or parsley and spring onion finely chopped
Instructions
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Put all the ingredients for the dressing in a suitable container and, using a stick/immersion blender, whizz until combined and smooth. Taste, and add more seasoning, vinegar or oil if needed.
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Mix half the dressing with the lettuce/greens and distribute among two bowls.
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Lay the chicken in a line down the centre of the bowls. Add lines of egg, avocado, tomato and cheese alongside the chicken. Crumble over the crispy bacon.
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Drizzle over the rest of the dressing. Sprinkle with the chives or spring onion and parsley then serve.
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