This is our favorite CobbSalad complete with hard-boiled eggs, creamy avocado, crisp center-cut bacon, tender cherry tomatoes, buttery edamame, sweet corn, and rich goat (or feta) cheese. Top this salad with a simple blender vinaigrette made with fresh herbs. This tangy homemade dressing is the star of this salad -- everyone goes crazy for it!
OPTIONAL RECIPE SHORTCUTS: *Either leave out the chicken or add rotisserie chicken. Rotisserie chicken saves time and energy, plus it's delicious and tender. You can also use any leftover grilled chicken.*Use store-bought hard-boiled eggs. While hard-boiled eggs are simple to make, they can be time consuming and sometimes frustrating to peel. A lot of stores sell prepared hard-boiled eggs if you'd like to cut down on some prep time. See Note 2. *Microwave bacon. Another shortcut is to buy pre-cooked bacon for this salad. Warm it through, according to package directions and it's ready to go.
DRESSING: See Note 1. Add the red wine vinegar, dijon mustard, garlic, parsley, cilantro, salt and pepper (I use about 1/2 teaspoon each; add to taste preference), and sugar to a small blender container. Blend until smooth and then add in the olive oil. Pulse to emulsify, being careful to not over-blend; as soon as it's incorporated stop blending. Taste and adjust the dressing to personal preference (salt, pepper, sugar). Transfer to a jar and refrigerate until ready to use. Shake before topping the salad.
OPTIONAL GRILLED CHICKEN: Place the chicken breasts (halved horizontally) in a large plastic bag and pour 1/3 of the dressing (just eyeball it) on top. Seal without air and knead the dressing into the chicken. Refrigerate for 30 minutes up to 4 hours. (Don't do longer than 4 hours or the acidity from the vinegar starts to "cook" the chicken.)
OPTIONAL GRILLED CHICKEN CONT.: Remove the chicken from the bag and discard the marinade. Cook on a grill (or in a grill pan) over medium-high heat for 4-5 minutes on each side or until the juices run clear (160 degrees F on a food thermometer). Remove the chicken from the grill and tent with foil. Let it rest and cool a bit for about 10 minutes and then slice or chop into bite-sized pieces. See Note 1.
PREP SALAD TOPPINGS: Peel and dice or slice the hard-boiled eggs (See Note 2), cook and crumble or finely dice the bacon, boil the edamame according to package directions and drain, halve the grape tomatoes, and dice the avocado. (Optional: squeeze some fresh lemon to keep from browning.), Prepare the corn (drain from can, grill fresh corn, or thaw frozen corn -- See Note 3). Place the lettuce in a large bowl or platter.
SERVE: Layer ingredients on the lettuce. Add feta or goat cheese. Drizzle dressing, adding to preference, right before eating (do not dress anything you want to keep leftover, as the dressing doesn't sit well with this salad -- See Note 4).
Notes
Note 1: I've included the option to add some grilled chicken to this salad. If you want to add grilled chicken, make the entire dressing recipe and use 1/3 of the dressing to add to the grilled chicken. If you don't want the chicken, you can halve the dressing recipe (or make it all and store in an airtight container in the fridge for 1 week).Note 2: Place eggs in a large saucepan/pot. Cover them with cold water by 1 inch. Cover pan with a lid and bring the water to a rolling boil over high heat. Once the water has reached a boil, set the timer for 6 – 7 minutes and continue to boil over medium-high heat. Using a slotted spoon, transfer them to a large bowl with ice cold water and let them cool for a couple of minutes. (Or place under cold running water). Peel the eggs and chop or slice for this salad.Note 3: To grill corn on the cob, I have detailed directions in this Elote post. I generally use 1 ear sweet corn and grill it on an indoor grill pan for this recipe. Let it cool, cut off the cob and add it in.Note 4: This salad doesn’t sit very well with the dressing, avocado, cheese, and eggs mixed into it. If you aren't planning to eat the entire salad at one sitting, combine salad, toppings, and dressing for only what you’ll be eating at this time. If you keep the dressing and toppings separate, this salad can store in the fridge for up to 3 days (with the exception of the avocado). The avocado browns and takes on an odd texture, so I add half the avocado one day and place the other half in a plastic bag (squeeze some lemon or olive oil on the exposed side) in the fridge until I’m ready to prepare another serving.Nutrition information doesn't include optional grilled chicken and 1/3 cup dressing set aside for it.