Recipe video above. The mighty Cobb Salad! Don't skip the blue cheese. It's what makes this a Cobb Salad, and not just another chicken salad. :) Love the presentation on a big platter with the ingredients in neat rows. Serve Dressing on the side for everyone to help themselves (better than tossing each item individually).
Prep Time15 minutesmins
Cook Time20 minutesmins
Chicken cooling20 minutesmins
Course: Main, Salad meal
Cuisine: American, Western
Keyword: Chicken Salad, cobb salad
Servings: 4
Calories: 706cal
Author: Nagi
Ingredients
Chicken:
400g/14 ozchicken breast (2 pieces)
1/4tspcooking/kosher salt
1/4tspblack pepper
Cobb Salad:
200g/7ozstreaky bacon strips
4x 9 minute boiled eggs, quartered
12cupscos / romaine lettuce(1 large head, 2 small), chopped (or other crispy lettuce)
2large tomatoes, cut into 8 wedges then halved (or 250g/8oz cherry tomatoes halved)
2avocados, cut into large pieces
200g/7ozgorgonzola dolce (my favourite) or roquefort (traditional), crumbled (or other blue cheese - Note 1)
2tbspchives, finely chopped
Dressing:
1tbspdijon mustard
5tbspextra virgin olive oil
5tbspapple cider vinegar(sub white wine or red wine vinegar)
3/4tspcooking/kosher salt
1/4tspblack pepper
2tbspeschallot(US: shallot), very finely minced
1/2tspwhite sugar
Instructions
Dressing: Shake ingredients in a jar.
Flavour chicken: Poach chicken using this method (20 minute foolproof-guaranteed-juicy). Cool to room temperature then cut into 2cm / 0.75” cubes. Toss with salt, pepper and 2 tablespoons of Dressing. Set aside.
Crisp bacon: Place bacon strips in a non-stick pan (not heated, no oil). Turn heat onto medium high - as the pan heats up, the fat will begin to melt. Cook for 2 minutes until golden, turn and cook the other side for 1 1/2 minutes until golden. Drain on paper towels. Once cool and crisp, chop into 1.5cm / 0.6" pieces.
Assemble: Spread lettuce on a large platter. Arrange the ingredients on top in the Cobb Salad signature neat rows: egg, bacon, avocado, tomato and chicken. Crumble blue cheese across the top, sprinkle with chives. Pour dressing into a jug.
Serving: Let everybody help themselves to the salad and Dressing!
Notes
1. Blue cheese - It ain't Cobb Salad if it ain't got blue cheese on it! :) I love using creamy gorgonzola because it smears on everything so it sort of becomes part of the dressing. Hence why the dressing is a little tangier than traditional vinaigrettes - you need it, to cut through the richness of blue cheese.Blue cheese newbies - Suggest using a milder blue cheese like Blue Castello. Adamantly against blue cheese? Feta or goats cheese would be my picks, and suggest adding an extra tablespoon of oil into the dressing to make it a little less tangy.Nutrition per serving. Shave off 60 calories by using turkey or lean bacon. And the blue cheese accounts for 130 calories. Totally makes it!!