Cobb Salad with Mixed Greens and Red Wine-Honey Vinaigrette

I’ve been making Cobb Salad regularly since my kids were in high chairs. When they were little, I was never really a fan of making a separate “kid-friendly” meal, so I just made them the same thing we were having and served some or all of it deconstructed on a plate – probably on those cute plates with the dividers, which honestly sound fun even as an adult.

Looking back, while I wasn’t deliberately trying to serve meals focused on protein, fat, and fiber, that’s exactly what much of what the kids ate ended up being. Not being big fans of the kid’s menu in restaurants either, we often did something similar when eating out – ordering a protein like chicken and getting sides of broccoli or whatever vegetables made sense. We rarely had to rely on the nuggets, pizza, pasta, or grilled cheese fare that is so standard on kids’ menus.

Anyhow, a Cobb salad perfectly lends itself to a wonderful family dinner. It also makes a great dish to serve when entertaining. I like to dress the lettuce along with a few of the heartier ingredients, like the chicken and cherry tomatoes, which also benefit from a good toss with the dressing. Then I set the remaining ingredients out for everyone to add to their salad as they like.

Cobb salad often comes with a heavy, creamy dressing that can weigh down all of the delicious ingredients. I prefer a lighter version made with red-wine vinegar and a touch of honey. I also like to get as many colors into a day as possible, so adding mixed greens and radicchio only adds to the list of colorful plants on the plate. As for the cheese, we do love a good, stinky blue cheese every now and then, but this is often swapped for feta or goat cheese because those are what we tend to keep in the refrigerator and use most often.

All of this is to say that Cobb salad is one of my very favorite salads to eat on a regular basis.

Side note: My husband and I met over 28 years ago on a blind date at West Hollywood’s Brown Derby, the birthplace of the original Cobb Salad. While neither of us ordered the Cobb salad that night (he had the portobello burger, and I have no idea what I had), the Cobb salad has held a special place in my heart for nearly three decades.

Hope you enjoy my take on the Cobb Salad.

Warmly,
Christina

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Cobb Salad with Mixed Greens and Red Wine-Honey Vinaigrette

A fresh, protein-packed Cobb Salad made with romaine, arugula, and radicchio, tossed lightly in a red wine-honey vinaigrette and topped with chicken, crispy bacon, blue cheese, avocado, and eggs. Balanced, satisfying, and perfect as a main-course salad for four.

Prep Time30 minutes mins

Cook Time15 minutes mins

Course: Main Course, Salad

Keyword: cobb salad

Servings: 4 servings

Author: Christina Shoup

Ingredients

For the Salad

• 4 large eggs
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 8 slices bacon chopped
• 2 –3 cups cooked chicken breast diced or shredded (rotisserie works well)
• 2 romaine hearts torn into bite-size pieces
• 2 cups arugula
• 1 small head radicchio thinly sliced
• 12 ounces cherry tomatoes halved
• 2 ounces blue cheese crumbled (about ½ cup)
• 2 avocados halved, pitted, and cut into ½-inch pieces

For the Red Wine–Honey Vinaigrette

• ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
• 2 tbsp red wine vinegar
• 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
• 2 tbsp minced shallot, about 1 medium
• 2 tsp Dijon mustard
• 1 tsp honey
• 1 tsp kosher salt or to taste
• ½ tsp Freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

Cook the eggs:

• Place eggs in a saucepan and cover with cold water by 1 inch. Bring to a boil, turn off heat, cover, and let sit for 10–12 minutes. Transfer to an ice bath to cool. Peel and cut in half.

Cook the bacon:

• In a skillet over medium heat, cook chopped bacon until crisp. Transfer to a paper towel–lined plate to drain.

Make the vinaigrette:

• In a jar, add olive oil, red wine vinegar, lemon juice, shallot, Dijon mustard, honey, salt, and pepper. Place a tight fitting lid on and shake vigorously until emulsified. Taste and adjust seasoning.

Toss the salad base:

• In a large bowl, combine romaine, arugula, radicchio, cooked chicken, and cherry tomatoes. Add several tablespoons of vinaigrette and toss gently to lightly coat.

Plate and finish:

• Divide the dressed salad base evenly among four plates. Top each with blue cheese, bacon, avocado pieces, and eggs. Drizzle lightly with additional vinaigrette and finish with freshly ground black pepper.

Notes

• Rotisserie chicken keeps this salad weeknight-friendly.
  
• Dress the greens lightly – you want them coated, not weighed down.
  
• Extra vinaigrette keeps well in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.