Cobb Salad with Shallot Vinaigrette
Cobb Salad with Shallot Vinaigrette is one of our favorite main course salads. I start this salad by roasting chicken breasts coated in herbs and seasonings. Then, I lay the sliced chicken on top of Spring greens along with blue cheese, avocado, cherry tomatoes, hard-boiled egg slices, and crispy bacon. Finally, I drizzle everything with my Shallot Vinaigrette. We like this salad for several reasons. First of all, I like that this salad is a complete meal. I serve the salad with bread, but I don’t have to make any side dishes. Secondly, I like that I can make this salad ahead of time. I really like to make dinner early in the day; it makes my evenings so much easier and more relaxing. And, lastly, we all love the tender chicken, crispy bacon, and zesty vinaigrette.
THE EQUIPMENT I USED
- A Salad Spinner- Use this to dry your salad greens. If your greens are too wet, the vinaigrette won’t cling to them.
- A Food Processor- You’ll need this to make the dressing for the Cobb Salad with Shallot Vinaigrette
THE INGREDIENTS NEEDED FOR COBB SALAD with Shallot Vinaigrette
- Chicken- Use boneless chicken breasts. I always use Bell and Evans chicken, because I find it to be the most tender.
- Lemon Juice- Be sure to use freshly squeezed lemon juice.
- Lettuce- I used spring greens, but you could also use romaine lettuce.
- Blue Cheese- I like to store my blue cheese in the freezer. Then, I just defrost it before I want to use it.
- Mustard- use Dijon mustard.
HOW I MADE MY SALAD
- First, I roasted the chicken breasts. Take care to not overcook them.
- Next, I made the dressing for the Cobb Salad with Shallot Vinaigrette
- Finally, I covered the platter with lettuce, and then arranged the chicken, bacon, eggs, cheese, and veggies on top.
If you like big salads, you need to try this delicious Cobb Salad with Shallot Vinaigrette.
Cobb Salad with Shallot Vinaigrette
Equipment
- Food processor
Ingredients
- 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 1 tbsp. balsamic vinegar
- 1 tbsp. fresh lemon juice
- 1 tbsp. fresh thyme leaves
- 2 tbsp. each extra virgin olive oil and unsalted butter
- 1 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
- ½ tsp. sugar
- ¼ tsp. each kosher salt, paprika, and black pepper
- 4 eggs
- 4 cups Spring mix lettuce
- 1 cup halved cherry tomatoes
- 1 avocado, sliced
- 1 cup blue cheese, crumbled
- 4 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
For the Shallot Vinaigrette:
- ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
- ¼ cup red wine vinegar
- 2 tbsp. honey
- 1 tbsp. minced shallots
- 1 tbsp. Dijon mustard
- 1 clove grated garlic
- ¼ tsp. black pepper
Instructions
- Begin by roasting the chicken: Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Put the chicken in a small baking dish and sprinkle the herbs, seasonings all over the chicken. Add the olive oil and butter to the tops of the breast, and drizzle on the balsamic vinegar and lemon juice. Bake for twenty minutes or until the chicken is no longer pink in the middle. When the chicken is done, chop the breasts in half inch pieces.
- Meanwhile while the chicken cooks, hard boil the eggs. Place the eggs in a two-quart saucepan and cover them with cold water. On high heat, bring the water to a boil. Then, turn down the heat, and simmer the eggs for 15 minutes. Drain the eggs and peel them under cold running water. Slice the eggs in half inch pieces, and chill.
- Also, make the vinaigrette by processing all the ingredients in a food processor
- Put all the spring greens in a large bowl, or on a large platter. Arrange the cooked chicken, bacon, avocado, eggs, blue cheese, and tomatoes in rows on the spring greens. Drizzle on as much dressing as you like.
