Buckle up, Cobb salad is FULLY loaded, ready to fill you up and make you crave (yes, yearn!) a salad for your next lunch or dinner. Juicy chicken chunks, creamy hard-boiled eggs and avocado, crispy bacon, sweet-popping tomatoes and tangy cheese, top greens mixed with a tangy lemon vinaigrette.
Eating a salad with a meal shouldn’t feel like punishment when you’re striving to make healthy choices.
Instead of leaving you starving an hour later, Cobb lettuce will fill and satiate.
- Cobb Salad is packed with protein and nutrient-dense toppings and healthy calories.
- Yes, it’s okay to put some bacon in a salad too. It’s balanced with a light dressing and veggies like this delicious BLT Minced Salad.
For a fun fall cobb salad version with butternut squash, apples, and cranberries, you’ll love this harvest salad.
Best dressing for Cobb salad
I keep the traditional Cobb Salad light with a simple homemade dressing made with lemon juice, olive oil, Dijon, and salt and pepper.
- This dressing recipe is perfect for a Cobb salad or really any other green salad like arugula salad and steak salad.
- Healthy Cobb Salad Dressing is fresh and tangy but not overpowering, allowing each ingredient to stand out.
- The cheese, ripe avocado, and hard-boiled eggs add plenty of creaminess and richness, so there’s no need for a buttermilk or blue cheese dressing.
For another healthy salad dressing, check out my Greek Yogurt Caesar Dressing.
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An easy way to whip up homemade salad dressing is to use a mason jar. Simply put all the ingredients in the jar, put on the lid and shake.
How to Make the Best Cobb Salad Recipe
If you’re just interested in the presentation, feel free to have fun arranging the Cobb Salad ingredients in a striped pattern on the green.
Or chop, throw, grab your fork and GO!
The ingredients
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After hard-boiling your eggs, soak them in a bowl of cold water for 10 minutes. This makes peeling easier.
- romaine. Fresh romaine adds a nice crunch and is an essential ingredient in a chopped salad. Avoid tasteless iceberg lettuce.
- arugula. While romaine is the traditional green for Cobb salad, tossing it in with some arugula adds a nice peppery flavor.
- tomatoes. Use cherry or grape or other diced tomatoes of your choice.
- avocado. With omega fatty acids and healthy fats, the avocado makes the salad filling and nutritious.
- Cheese. While blue cheese is the classic choice for a Cobb salad, feta also pairs well if you’re in the “I hate blue cheese” camp.
- chives. Chopped, fresh herbs are an easy way to brighten up and add flavor to a salad. The chives along with the bacon are perfection.
The directions
- Cook the chicken and bacon.
- Hard boil the eggs.
- Whisk together the dressing ingredients.
- Slice tomatoes and eggs, dice avocado.
- Mix the vegetables with some dressing.
- Arrange toppings and spoon additional dressing on top. ENJOY!
storage tips
- To store. Refrigerate leftover Cobb lettuce in an airtight storage container for up to 3 days.
Meal prep tip
- Bacon, eggs, and chicken can be made up to 2 days in advance and the dressing can be made up to 5 days in advance. Store components in the refrigerator.
- Hold the tomato and avocado until just before serving to keep them fresh.
What to serve with the Cobb salad
- Salad dressing shaker. A handy investment in making your own salad dressing.
- Small whisk. A 9 inch whisk is easy to maneuver and I use more than one large whisk 99% of the time.
- salad spinner. Quick way to clean and dry your vegetables thoroughly, and can also be used to wash fruit!
Welcome to your new craving: Cobb salad is here.
frequently asked Questions
Cobb and chef’s salads are similar compound salads with vegetables, hard-boiled eggs, meat, and greens. Unlike the chef’s salad, the Cobb salad also includes tomatoes, blue cheese, and avocado, and the chef’s salad is usually served with diced ham.
There are several methods to hard boil eggs. Instant Pot Boiled Eggs are easy, or you can gently place eggs in a pan of boiling water on the stovetop and simmer for 8 to 9 minutes. Be sure to dip the boiled eggs in an ice bath to shell them.
The alleged inventor of the Cobb salad is Robert Cobb of the Hollywood Brown Derby restaurant, who tossed the Cobb salad with the rest of the ingredients in the kitchen, to the surprising delight of hungry diners.
For the salad:
- 2 medium chicken breast cooked and diced*
- 6 slices Thick-cut bacon cooked and diced**
- 4 Big Eggs***
- 1 head of romaine lettuce roughly chopped into bite-sized pieces (about 4 cups)
- 3 cups arugula about 3 ounces
- 1 Cup Cherry or grape tomatoes or diced tomatoes of your choice
- 1 medium avocado
- 2 ounces mild blue cheese or feta cheese crumbled, about 1/3 cup
- 2 tablespoon chopped fresh chives
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Prepare the chicken and bacon (see recipe notes). Put aside.
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Hard Boil Eggs: Bring a medium saucepan of salted water to a boil. Gently lower the eggs into the boiling water. Let the eggs simmer at this low, gentle simmer, adjusting the heat as needed, 8 minutes for lightly jammed yolks, or up to 9 minutes for fully set yolks. While the eggs are cooking, prepare an ice bath. Once the eggs are done cooking, use the slotted spoon to gently dip the eggs into the ice bath. Use the back of the spoon to gently crack open each shell, then place back in the water (this will make the eggs easier to peel). Peel the eggs and cut into thin slices or cubes.
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Make the dressing: In a small bowl or measuring cup with spout, whisk together lemon juice, oil, mustard, salt, and pepper.
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Just before serving, halve the cherry tomatoes. Cut the avocado into 3/4 inch cubes.
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Assemble the Salad: On a very large serving platter, arrange the romaine lettuce and arugula. Lightly drizzle the dressing, then toss to moisten and combine the veggies evenly. Sprinkle with some salt and pepper. Arrange the chicken in a straight line in the middle. Lay the egg slices in rows on one side and the bacon on the other side. Place the avocado next to the bacon and the tomatoes next to the eggs. Scatter the blue cheese and chives on top. Spoon on a little extra dressing. Enjoy immediately, with additional dressing if desired. (You can also skip the fancy block presentation, toss it all together in a giant bowl, and dive in.)
Portion: 1from 4Calories: 594kcalCarbohydrates: 9GProtein: 29GFat: 49GSaturated Fatty Acids: 14GPolyunsaturated fat: 7GMonounsaturated fatty acids: 25GTrans fats: 0.1GCholesterol: 246mgPotassium: 838mgFiber: 4GSugar: 2GVitamin A: 1673ieVitamin C: 24mgCalcium: 147mgIron: 2mg
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More filling salads
Yes, you can have salad as a main course!