Cobb Salad

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Who wants to eat a hot meal in the summer?  I don’t, unless it’s grilled, but most of the time I’m looking for something cold but filling for lunch.  Often times I’ll just have a sandwich or I’ll make us a salad for lunch.  However, I get tired of the same old sandwiches and I’m usually hungry again in a few hours after I have a salad.

Enter the Cobb Salad.  I’ll be honest and tell you it was the photo of this salad that drew me in.  Bright, bold colors sitting on a fresh looking bed of lettuce.  I’m all for pretty salads.  Then I read the ingredients.  It sounded like a hearty salad and I loved how it is put together in layers.

This was one of the best salads I’ve ever had.  Not only did it look great, it tasted awesome as well!  The chicken and bacon make it a great entree salad and the variety of vegetables was delicious.  The honey mustard vinaigrette was the perfect pairing for this salad.  I really enjoyed taking bites of the vegetables I wanted at a certain time and mixing different ingredients together in piles on my plate.

My husband enjoyed his salad with the blue cheese the recipe called for but I put cheddar on mine instead.  We both thought this was a great salad and I’ll be putting this on our menu plan often this summer.

Cobb Salad  (adapted from Cook’s Illustrated)
For the Vinaigrette:
1 t. Dijon mustard
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 t. honey
1/2 t. salt
1/2 t. black pepper
1 t. Worcestershire sauce
2 t. lemon juice
2 T. red wine vinegar
1/4 c. olive oil  

For the salad:
2 large eggs
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 head romaine lettuce, washed and chopped into ribbons
1 c. grape tomatoes, halved
1 medium avocado, pitted and cubed
5 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
2 oz. blue cheese (or cheddar if you don’t like blue)   
3 T. fresh chives, minced

1.  Combine all ingredients for the vinaigrette in a medium bowl and whisk to combine.  Place in the refrigerator until ready to serve.

2.  Place the eggs in a medium saucepan, cover with 1 inch of water, and bring to a boil.  Boil for 10 minutes then remove from heat, cover, and allow to sit for 5 additional minutes.  Remove the eggs with a slotted spoon and place in ice water.  Allow the eggs to stand in the ice water for 10 minutes.  Peel and slice.

3.  Cut the chicken into 1/2 inch cubes.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in  a medium skillet over medium high heat.  Saute for 5-6 minutes, turning frequently, until chicken is cooked through.

4.  Place the romaine lettuce on a large serving platter.  Place the chicken along the edge of the lettuce on one side.  Place the tomatoes along the edge of the lettuce on the other side.  Place a row of sliced eggs next to the chicken and a row of avocado next to the tomatoes.  Sprinkle the bacon, cheese, and chives in the center of the salad and serve with a side of the vinaigrette.