his cobb salad is not just a classic, it’s a satisfying meal packed to the brim with chicken, bacon, avocado, blue cheese, and a whole lot more.

I love salads that have a lot of “stuff” in them, and this classic cobb salad fits the bill. It has everything you could want—lettuce, chicken, bacon, avocados, tomatoes, hard-boiled eggs, and blue cheese, all tossed in tangy red wine vinaigrette. The origin of the salad has different accounts, but the most popular story dates back to 1937 when Robert Cobb, the owner of the Brown Derby restaurant in Hollywood, CA, found himself hungry after closing time. He scavenged the fridge and stumbled upon a mix of leftovers—lettuce, tomatoes, avocado, cheese, and hard-boiled eggs. Adding some bacon, he tossed it all together with dressing, creating the iconic Cobb salad, which quickly became a signature dish of the restaurant.

What makes it really special is that, instead of using plain poached or grilled chicken, which can be a bit boring, the chicken is cooked in the rendered fat from the bacon – a technique I borrowed from a New York Times recipe by Alison Roman. Not only does it add a surprising amount of flavor to the salad, but it also makes full use of all of the ingredients. Go ahead and cook some extra bacon; it’s impossible to resist the temptation to sneak a few bites while you put the rest of the salad together.

What You’ll Need To Make Cobb Salad

A traditional Cobb salad is made with lettuce, chicken, bacon, avocados, tomatoes, hard-boiled eggs, blue cheese, and red wine vinaigrette. There are various accounts of how the salad came to be, but according to most, the story goes that one night in 1937, Robert Cobb, the owner of the Brown Derby restaurant in Hollywood, CA was hungry after all the restaurant patrons had left. He went digging in the fridge late-night and pulled out a variety of leftovers – lettuce, tomatoes, avocado, cheese, and hard-boiled eggs. He also grabbed some bacon to add to the mix, tossed everything together with some dressing, and created what we now know to be a Cobb salad. Supposedly, it became the one of the restaurant’s signature dishes.

Step-by-Step Instructions

Step 1: Make the Dressing

Combine the shallot, vinegar, oil, mustard, salt, pepper, and sugar in a medium jar with a tight-fitting lid.

Screw on the lid and shake vigorously to emulsify. (Alternatively, whisk the ingredients together in a bowl.)

Step 2: Cook the Bacon & Chicken

In a medium nonstick skillet over medium heat, cook the bacon.

Stir occasionally until crisp, 6 to 8 minutes.

Use a slotted spoon to transfer the bacon to a paper towel-lined plate to drain, leaving the fat in the pan.

Season the chicken with the salt and add to the bacon fat in a single layer.

Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until cooked through, 3 to 5 minutes. Using the slotted spoon, remove the chicken to a plate and set aside to cool.

Step 3: Assemble the Salad

Put the romaine, chicken, and the tomatoes in a large mixing bowl. Give the dressing a shake to re-emulsify, then add three-quarters of it to the bowl; toss gently to combine. Add more dressing, little by little, until the greens are dressed to your liking. Taste and adjust seasoning, if necessary.

Arrange the salad mixture on a serving platter or plates. Sprinkle the hard-boiled eggs, avocado, blue cheese (if using), and reserved bacon over the salad. Pass the pepper mill at the table.

Note: This recipe has been written by Jenn Segal and republished on MudMatter with Author’s Permission. Please find the original link here – Cobb Salad.