Cobb Salad Recipe | Downshiftology (2024)

Cobb salad is a classic American salad with chicken, bacon, hard boiled eggs, tomatoes, avocado, lettuce and blue cheese. I’m such a fan of this salad as it’s easy, wholesome and filling.

In terms of salad dressing, I’m opting for my simple red wine vinaigrette (also known as my Greek Salad Dressing). But my Lemon Vinaigrette or Dijon Vinaigrette would also be amazing. It’s up to you!

When it comes to quintessential American salads you really can’t beat a Cobb salad. Named after Robert Howard Cobb, a restaurant owner who whipped this salad up late one night with leftovers, it’s the salad I order most frequently in restaurants. Why? Because I know it’s naturally gluten-free (though I always double check), it’s flavorful, filling and let’s be honest…because it has bacon.

Cobb salads are protein packed salads with baked chicken, hard boiled eggs and bacon. That means you’ll stay full and this salad can definitely be considered a full-meal, not just an appetizer or side salad.

If you prep the chicken, eggs and bacon ahead of time (you know I’m a fan of meal prep) this salad becomes incredibly easy to make.

It’s just a matter of adding the lettuce to a bowl and topping with the ingredients listed below. And while you don’t have to line all the ingredients up as I did, it always makes it fun and pretty to serve that way. Perfect for a dinner party!

Cobb Salad Recipe Video

Cobb salads are easy to make and assemble, but it always helps to watch a quick step-by-step video. Give it a watch below!

Ingredients in a Cobb Salad

So what goes into a Cobb salad? There’s 7 classic ingredients in a Cobb salad:

• Lettuce: I use a combination of romaine and leafy green lettuce, but you can also use watercress, endive or iceberg lettuce. Cobb salad is usually a mix of greens, so feel free to use your favorites.
• Bacon:There’s something so divine about putting crispy bacon on a salad. When I’m cooking up several slices of bacon, I always cook bacon in the oven(which I highly recommend). It’s easy, no mess and no fuss.
• Chicken: To make amazing chicken for your salad, you’ll need to bust out the seasoning! I’ve added a generous amount of herbs to my chicken for that extra burst of flavor. In fact, it’s the same baked chicken I make on my first meal prep video.
• Hard Boiled Eggs:I’d say 12-minute hard boiled eggs are the standard. But I boiled mine a little bit less at 11-minutes so the yolk was just a smidge softer. Watch my video on making the perfect hard boiled eggs (and see the egg chart) to choose your favorite time.
• Tomatoes:I halved grape tomatoes but cherry tomatoes would also be great. Either way, I usually make sure my tomatoes are bite sized so I can get a good mix of all the ingredients on a fork.
• Avocado: If you haven’t noticed, I love avocado. It’s naturally anti-inflammatory, full of fiber and the healthy fat adds just the right creaminess to the salad.
• Blue cheese: No Cobb salad would be complete without blue cheese! There are actually several different types of blue cheeses. You may have heard of Roquefort (France) which has a very strong flavor or Gorgonzola (Italian) which is much milder. Choose whichever you prefer.

And if you’re interested in a non-classic Cobb salad…give my turkey Cobb salad a try! You know I’m all about those delicious variations.

What’s the Best Dressing for a Cobb Salad?

Traditionally, Cobb salad is served with a red wine vinaigrette and that’s what I’m using today. It’s light and fresh! Because this is a hearty salad, ranch dressing and other cream-based dressings can be a little thick and heavy, so I’d steer clear of those.

Is a Cobb Salad Healthy?

Yes, Cobb salads are healthy and naturally low-carb and keto friendly. The caveat is usually the portion size. Because there’s a lot of protein and fat (from the avocado and blue cheese) they can be sneaky calorie bombs. Just make sure to keep to a standard portion size and you’ll be fine!

More Healthy Salad Recipes You’ll Love

• Egg Salad
• Chicken Salad
• Berry Spinach Salad
• Lentil Salad with Cucumber
• Greek Salad
• Broccoli Salad
• BLT Salad