Best Cobb Salad With Balsamic Shallot Vinaigrette Recipes

COBB SALAD

Cobb Salad image

While the origins of a Cobb salad are still up for debate, what goes into one is fairly absolute: tender chicken breast, tangy tomatoes, perfectly hard-boiled egg and, perhaps most important, crispy bacon. This classic version relies on crumbled blue cheese and ripe avocado for creaminess, rather than a cheese or buttermilk-based dressing, making way for a mustardy shallot vinaigrette. The way each of the ingredients is prepared will depend on personal preference: Are you a chunky, chopped salad kind of person? Or do you prefer your lettuce torn and tomatoes sliced? Here, the torn and sliced approach is taken for a more elegant visual, but feel free to make it your own. It also halves nicely if you're cooking for two.

Provided by Alison Roman

Categories dinner, lunch, weekday, salads and dressings, main course

Time 50m

Yield 4 servings

Number Of Ingredients 13

Ingredients

1 small shallot, thinly sliced into rings
3 tablespoons red-wine vinegar
Kosher salt and ground pepper
1 tablespoon whole grain or Dijon mustard
3 tablespoons olive oil, plus more as needed
4 large eggs
10 ounces thick-cut bacon (about 8 strips)
12 ounces boneless, skinless chicken breast (about 2 medium breasts)
1 head romaine lettuce, torn into bite-sized pieces or coarsely chopped
6 ounces small to medium tomatoes (about 6), sliced or quartered
1 avocado, thinly sliced or chopped
4 ounces blue cheese, crumbled
3 tablespoons finely chopped chives

Steps:

Make the dressing: Cover shallot rings with vinegar and season with salt and pepper. Let sit for 5 minutes to lightly pickle the shallots and infuse the vinegar. Add mustard and 3 tablespoons olive oil and, using a fork, whisk to blend. Season with salt and more pepper, if needed.
Bring a small pot of water to a boil. Gently lower in 4 large eggs and boil for 8 minutes. Remove from heat and run cold water over to quickly chill. (You could throw a few ice cubes into the bowl as well.) Once the eggs are properly chilled, peel them and set them aside until you're ready to assemble the salad.
Meanwhile, cook bacon in a large skillet over medium heat until crispy on both sides, 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer bacon to a paper towel-lined plate and let cool. Once cool enough to handle, coarsely chop bacon and set aside.
Drain all but roughly 2 tablespoons bacon grease from the skillet. (Toss the drained grease or reserve for another purpose.) Season chicken with salt and pepper and cook in the same skillet over medium-high heat until well browned on both sides and cooked through, 12 to 15 minutes. Transfer chicken to a large plate or cutting board.
Transfer any drippings (you should have at least 2 tablespoons) from the skillet to the bowl with the vinaigrette and whisk to blend, adding more olive oil if desired.
Once chicken is cool enough to handle, shred it into bite-sized pieces. (Alternatively, chop or slice it into bite-sized pieces.) Slice or chop the hard-boiled eggs.
Arrange lettuce in your largest serving bowl or platter. Drizzle about half the dressing over the lettuce and toss to combine; season with salt and pepper.
Arrange the chicken in the center of the bowl or platter in a straight line. Place the tomatoes on one side and the eggs on the other. Place the avocado next to the eggs, and the blue cheese next to the tomatoes. Sprinkle bacon in the center of the bowl. Spoon remaining dressing over the top and sprinkle with chives.

Nutrition Facts : @context http, Calories 738, UnsaturatedFat 35 grams, Carbohydrate 16 grams, Fat 56 grams, Fiber 8 grams, Protein 43 grams, SaturatedFat 18 grams, Sodium 1189 milligrams, Sugar 5 grams, TransFat 0 grams

COBB SALAD WITH BALSAMIC SHALLOT VINAIGRETTE

Cobb Salad with Balsamic Shallot Vinaigrette image

Provided by Julie Loria

Categories Salad Chicken Egg Fourth of July Super Bowl Father's Day Lunch Vinegar Blue Cheese Bacon Fall Spring Summer Shallot

Yield Makes 4 servings

Number Of Ingredients 17

Ingredients

Balsamic shallot vinaigrette
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons minced shallots
Salad
2 8-ounce skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 8-ounce romaine hearts, washed, dried, and torn into bite-sized pieces
2 large ripe tomatoes, seeded and diced
2 ripe avocados, pitted, peeled, and diced
8 strips turkey bacon, cooked and coarsely chopped
2 hard-boiled eggs, coarsely chopped
1 cup (4 ounces) crumbled reduced-fat blue cheese

Steps:

1 To make the vinaigrette, combine the vinegar, salt, and pepper in a blender. With the machine running, gradually add the oil. Add the shallots and pulse briefly to combine. Pour into a serving bowl and set aside.
2 Pound each chicken breast half between 2 heavy duty plastic bags with a flat meat pounder to an even 1/2-inch thickness. Season with the salt and pepper. Heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium high heat. Add the chicken and cook, turning halfway through cooking, until golden brown on both sides, about 6 minutes. Add ¼ cup water, reduce the heat to medium-low, and cover. Simmer until the chicken feels firm when pressed in the center, about 8 minutes. Uncover, increase the heat to high, and cook until the liquid is evaporated and the chicken is sizzling, about 1 minute. Transfer chicken to a carving board and let cool. Cut the chicken into bite-sized pieces.
3 Spread the lettuce on a large platter. Top with the chicken, tomatoes, avocados, bacon, hard-boiled eggs, and blue cheese arranged in rows. Serve immediately, with the vinaigrette passed on the side.