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This Cobb Salad recipe is the perfect entree salad recipe. It’s also a great way to use up leftover Easter ham and hard-boiled eggs.
Cobb Salad Recipe
Why is it called Cobb salad?
There are a couple of theories as to how the Cobb salad received its name. Both theories involve a man named Robert Cobb, who owned a restaurant called the Hollywood Brown Derby. The story goes that Robert Cobb had not eaten all day, and at midnight he went into his kitchen and used the leftovers he could find and added in some cooked bacon then tossed it with their French salad dressing.
The second theory suggests that Robert Kreis, the executive chef at the Hollywood Brown Derby restaurant, created the salad and named it in honor of Robert Cobb. Either way, I sure am grateful the Cobb salad was created!
What is the Cobb in a Cobb salad?
A little bit of this and a little bit of that is what you will find in a Cobb salad. The salad was created using what was on hand, which included a variety of lettuce, hard-boiled eggs, bacon, avocado, chicken, and Roquefort cheese. It is a beautiful and filling salad that never disappoints.
What is the difference between a chef and a Cobb salad?
A chef salad and a Cobb salad both have lettuce, cheese, meats such as chicken and bacon, and hard-boiled eggs. However, what sets the Cobb salad apart is the addition of tomatoes and avocado.
Additionally, a Cobb salad typically uses a mix of lettuce types. The Cobb salad usually has a more elaborate flavor due to the type of cheese used, bitter greens, and avocado. The chef salad is typically considered a starter to the meal whereas, the Cobb salad is often considered to be the main dish.
My #MomBrain Story
When I made this Cobb Salad recipe, I was in a wicked rush. I had only a matter of minutes to finish this entrée salad recipe, photograph it, and get my family fed before my hubby and daughter had to get out the door.
I was super sleep deprived (as usual), the baby was being high maintenance (I held him while making this entire salad recipe), and I needed dinner on the table like 5 minutes ago. Oi!
I quickly layered the salad on my platter, styled the shot, and snapped away. I remember thinking to myself:
Wow, these photos are actually going to look AWESOME!
I got my family fed while I cleaned up the kitchen and then sat down to eat. I grabbed my camera so I could scroll through the photos.
Before I could take my first bite of Cobb salad, it hit me. I had forgotten to put the SD card back into my camera! I had NO photos, NONE! I think I cried. No, I cried.
I took a deep breath, collected myself, got up, and took the photos you see here in this post. The salad is a jumbled mess, and nowhere near as pretty as my styled shots. But you know what? It was still delicious and restaurant-quality!
Luckily for you, I recently updated the picture of this salad, and you can now see it beautifully layered as it should be!
If you’re looking for more entree salads, then try this Rotisserie Chicken Greek Salad and Loaded Burger Salad.
Hard-Boiled Eggs Week
With Easter on its way, I thought that it was best to dedicate an entire week to Hard Boiled Eggs! You’ll find this recipe and more recipe ideas and uses for Hard Boiled Eggs.
BONUS: This Cobb Salad recipe uses both hard-boiled Easter eggs and leftover Easter ham!
Cook’s Note – Cobb Salad Recipe:
- If you want a creamier dressing to go with this salad, then look no further than this Homemade Blue Cheese Dressing is a delicious choice.
- Most Cobb Salad recipes include chicken, but I decided to mix things up and add leftover ham from Easter. If you don’t like ham, feel free to use chicken or turkey instead.
- I like to put a little extra blue cheese into my dressing. If you’d rather not just leave it out, it will still taste amazing!
- I love this Cobb Salad recipe because it uses up leftover ham AND Easter eggs. Woot, woot!
- I hate when I use only some of the herbs I bought for a recipe because the rest usually go to waste in the refrigerator. After all, I forgot about them. They’re so stinkin’ expensive! What I love about this recipe is that it uses an entire clamshell of chives, and none go to waste!
- I like to pass the dressing with this salad instead of dressing it on the platter. This way, if there’s extra, it won’t go to waste because it’s already dressed.
Cook’s Tool – Cobb Salad:
- food processor
- large mixing bowl
- salad platter
ONE YEAR AGO: Samoa Dessert Lasagna
TWO YEARS AGO: Sheet Pan Stir Fry Chicken Teriyaki
THREE YEARS AGO: Healthy Carrot Cake Muffins
Cobb Salad Recipe
Ingredients
FOR THE COBB SALAD DRESSING:
- ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
- ¼ cup red wine vinegar
- 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 large garlic clove
- ½ teaspoon salt optional
- ¼ teaspoons black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon granulated sugar
FOR THE SALAD:
- 8 cups romaine lettuce washed, dried, and chopped
- 4 cups watercress washed, dried, and stems removed
- 1 ounce package chives sliced thin
- 2 large avocados pitted and cubed
- 1 pint grape tomatoes
- 3 large hard-boiled eggs quartered
- 8 ounces of bacon about 8 pieces, cooked and crumbled
- ½ cup crumbled blue cheese
- 1 cup leftover ham cut into bite-sized pieces
Instructions
FOR THE DRESSING:
- Add all of the dressing ingredients in a food processor and process until smooth, scraping down sides as necessary.
FOR THE SALAD:
- In a large bowl, combine the chopped romaine and chives. Give it a quick toss and spread it out on a platter.
- Layer all the topping and serve with the dressing.
krysprincess says
that salad looks really good i love salad.
Sara says
That salad looks yummy it looks easy to make
Mai Tran says
CANNOLI CREAM is definitely what I need to try this weekend. This salad dish is so easy! Thanks for sharing.
krysprincess says
the cobb salad recipe looks so good
Lori webb says
I am a lover of cobb salad. will have to try.
Sarah Averett says
This really is the best cobb salad ever! It’s packed full of all of my favorite things. Thanks for the recipe!!
Jillian says
I am so glad that you loved it!
Taryn says
Cobb salad is my go-to restaurant pick! I love that I can make it at home. Great recipe!
Julie Carlyle says
Thanks so much for such a fabulous salad recipe!
It’s always fabulous to have a choice of salads 🙂
Thanks for sharing
Julie
michele h peterson says
Cobb salad always reminds me of travelling to the US as I rarely see it in other countries! It’s one of my favourite salads so thanks for this handy recipe. I did NOT know the difference between a cobb and a chef salad so double thanks!
Jillian says
You’re so welcome, enjoy!
Rosa says
What a gorgeous, heart, delicious salad!! Will be making this one again and again!
Jillian says
So glad that you loved it! Thanks for stopping by!
Noelle says
Love this recipe! Perfect for my spring salad list, can’t wait to try it out 🙂 Looks so light and refreshing!
Dayna says
YUM! The best cobb salad recipe!