Cobb Salad (Easy Summer Meal)

Cobb salad is a classic salad that is full of flavor and is super satisfying, and it is simple to throw together for a quick meal.

If you use some leftover or already-cooked chicken it is a no-cook assemble-only meal. 🙌🏻 And I love having these types of meals in my back pocket, especially in the summer. 😎 Easy peasy for the win!

You could use leftover rotisserie chicken or grilled chicken breasts. There are lots of Instant Pot options that I have used in this recipe too: leftover whole chicken, chicken thighs or chicken breasts (👈🏻 what I normally use).

For the eggs, I used my Instant Pot hardboiled eggs. I have a stovetop version of hardboiled eggs here too if you need it.

I also took a shortcut with the bacon and used Trader Joe’s precooked, nitrate-free bacon, which is our favorite. 😋 The rest of the prep time is used to chop everything up and sprinkle it on top.

What is Cobb salad named after?

According to Wikipedia, Cobb salad came about in the 1937 at the Hollywood Brown Derby restaurant, where it became a signature dish. It is named for the restaurant’s owner, Robert Howard Cobb. The legend is that Cobb had not eaten until near midnight, and so he mixed together leftovers he found in the kitchen, along with some bacon cooked by the line cook, and tossed it with their French dressing.

The hallmark of a Cobb salad is lining up everything in neat little rows. It makes it kind of fun to make your perfect bite as you grab from the little piles with your fork. 🤓

What does Cobb salad have in it?

There are many variations, but usually a Cobb salad has chicken, bacon, avocado, eggs, Roquefort cheese, tossed in a vinaigrette.

I took a few liberties with mine, as usual. 💁🏼‍♀️ I used a shredded cheese that is a mix of Swiss and Gruyere (from Trader Joe’s). You can use any cheese you like. Lots of people use blue cheese, but I only like blue cheese mixed with sweet flavors.

I have also seen that most places serve this salad with a red wine vinaigrette. Wikipedia said the original was with French dressing. I like mine with homemade ranch dressing. If I have ranch already made, I’ll use that.

For this post, though, I used my easiest go-to dressing, which is some simple lemon juice and olive oil mixed with salt and pepper.

The salad already has so much flavor that it really doesn’t need a complicated dressing to be delicious. Usually I just squeeze the lemon on, drizzle the olive oil, and then sprinkle the salt and pepper on top of the salad. And I usually don’t measure anything.

For the purpose of this recipe I did measure and whisk everything together, and honestly it did not make much of a difference.🤷🏼‍♀️ So do whichever you prefer!

Tools Used to Make Cobb Salad

Note: These are Amazon affiliate links.

• Knife
• Cutting board
• Measuring cups and spoons

Cobb Salad Recipe

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Cobb Salad

Cobb salad is a classic salad that is full of flavor and is super satisfying, and it is simple to throw together for a quick meal.

Course Salad

Cuisine American

Keyword cobb salad

Prep Time 15 minutes

Servings 1

Calories 774 kcal

Author Marjorie @APinchOfHealthy

Ingredients

• 4 cups mixed greens (I used romaine and butter lettuces)
• 5 ounces chicken breast (cooked)
• 1/4 cup shredded Swiss and gruyere cheese blend (or cheese of your choice)
• 2 Tablespoons bacon bits
• 1 hardboiled egg diced
• 3/4 cup grape tomatoes halved
• 1/2 avocado diced
• 1 Tablespoon lemon juice (more or less, to taste)
• 1 Tablespoon extra virgin olive oil (more or less, to taste)
• salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

1. Make a bed of greens on a plate, and sprinkle the toppings in rows on top.

2. For the dressing, you can either whisk together the lemon juice, olive oil, salt and pepper. Or you can squeeze the lemons on the salad directly, drizzle with oil and add salt and pepper (especially S&P to the unsalted items: eggs, tomatoes and avocado)

3. Serve immediately

Recipe Notes

I also enjoy this with my homemade ranch dressing.

Nutrition Facts

Cobb Salad

Amount Per Serving

Calories 774 Calories from Fat 477

% Daily Value*

Total Fat 53g 82%

Saturated Fat 14g 70%

Cholesterol 327mg 109%

Sodium 632mg 26%

Potassium 1685mg 48%

Total Carbohydrates 20g 7%

Dietary Fiber 8g 32%

Sugars 4g

Protein 56g 112%

Vitamin A 69.4%

Vitamin C 84.8%

Calcium 40.3%

Iron 16.6%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.