One of America’s favorite salads, a good Cobb is all about the presentation. (And the bacon.) A cross between a French salade composée and a classic American BLT, the Cobb salad is so packed with toppings that it’s basically an entire meal.
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What Is a Cobb Salad?
Cobb salad is a composed salad, with ingredients that are sliced, chopped, or grated and arranged in stripes over a bed of mixed greens. Traditionally, the lettuces are romaine, iceberg, endive, and watercress, which all get topped with lines of crispy bacon, crumbled Roquefort cheese, shredded cheddar, hard-boiled eggs, avocado, chopped chicken or turkey, and tomato. The whole thing then gets dressed with red wine vinaigrette and sprinkled with chives.
The History of the Cobb Salad
The Cobb salad was invented in Los Angeles in the 1930s. The legend goes that Bob Cobb, owner of celebrity hangout The Brown Derby, was looking for a midnight snack one night in 1937 and composed this salad out of bits and pieces from the walk-in. Some also say executive chef Robert Kreis created the salad as a regular menu item and named it after his boss. Whatever the case, Cobb salad is forever associated with the now-closed L.A. restaurant and movie stars of yesteryear.
Quick and Easy Cobb Salad Recipe
makes
4prep time
40 mintotal time
40 minIngredients
For the salad dressing:
For the salad:
- 1
Make the dressing: In a small bowl, combine mustard, garlic, Worcestershire sauce, vinegar, and lemon juice. Whisk in oils and season to taste with salt and pepper.
- 2
Assemble the salad: In a large bowl, mix together romaine, iceberg, endive, and watercress to evenly distribute.
- 3
Arrange the tomatoes, chicken, eggs, avocado, bacon, cheddar, and Roquefort in neat rows on top of the bed of greens. Briefly whisk the dressing to re-emulsify if necessary, then drizzle lightly over the salad. Sprinkle chives on top and serve with remaining dressing on the side.
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