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Whoa.
Before you get too excited about these vegetables, I should confess I only had a few bites. I haven’t completely turned my back on you — I’m just picky.
Veggies make me nervous sometimes. They can make me sweat, give me a rash, overwhelm my taste buds, even bring tears to my eyes. You know, the usual drama.
That said, I do love a cobb salad now and then. Why? Because it’s often loaded with bacon, cheese, and plenty of non-vegetable goodies — which makes it much more appealing to me.
I made this one with grilled chicken for my husband.
Without the chicken, he jokes, he might start growing horns and shrinking into a tiny, big-eared munchkin. At least that’s what he likes to imagine. On the bright side, he could then drive around in the fleet of die-cast cars that have taken over our house.
On a bed of green leaf lettuce I arranged colorful rows of red onion, bacon, tomato, hard-boiled egg, grilled chicken, and avocado. The presentation is pretty and makes a simple salad feel special.
I’m sure it isn’t hard to guess which parts I helped myself to. The avocado was the real star — finding a perfectly ripe avocado in Pittsburgh in January felt like a small victory. I might have exaggerated the price a little, but it was worth it.
Sometimes vegetables can be beautiful. Sometimes I wish I liked them more. But if they were chocolate instead, I would never complain. Actually, that’s always true.
Because this is a hearty salad, we like a lighter, citrus-forward dressing to balance the richness. It lets the bacon and avocado shine without weighing the dish down.
Cobb Salad
Serves 1
Ingredients:
- 2 cups green leaf lettuce
- 3 oz grilled chicken, chopped
- 4 slices bacon, fried and chopped
- 2 beefsteak tomatoes, chopped
- 1/2 red onion, thinly sliced or chopped
- 2 hard-boiled eggs, chopped
- 1/2 avocado, chopped
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Method: Layer the green leaf lettuce on a shallow plate. Arrange the chopped ingredients in rows or sections over the lettuce for a classic cobb presentation. Season with salt and pepper and drizzle with the citrus dressing below just before serving.
Dressing:
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons lime juice
- 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
- 1 teaspoon sugar (or a pinch of honey)
- 1/8 teaspoon salt (adjust to taste)
Whisk the dressing ingredients together until combined. Taste and adjust acidity or sweetness as needed. A simple citrus-forward dressing keeps the salad bright and complements the richer components like bacon and avocado.
Have you made cobb salads before? What fun or unusual additions do you like to include? Personally, if it’s a vegetable, I’ll admit I might pass — but if you add bacon, cheese, or even the occasional indulgence, I’m definitely interested.