A good recipe for Cobb salad is always worth getting excited about. It looks so pretty on the plate with all the ingredients arranged in rows. I love to make this recipe using leftover ham and serve it with a dairy-free ranch dressing. You will just love this homemade ranch dressing which is the perfect addition to this filling dinner salad. If you are looking for a recipe using leftover ham, this summer salad is a great one to try!
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This makes a filling dinner salad or you could have a smaller portion as an appetizer. It is a hearty salad though and definitely filling enough to be a complete meal.
History of Cobb Salad
You might be curious about the history of this recipe for Cobb salad. After all, it’s certainly a unique recipe.
It was first created at Brown Derby in Hollywood, California, back in 1937. The name came from Robert Howard Cobb, who owned the restaurant.
He threw a bunch of ingredients together one night and added French dressing. Fast forward to today and this salad is one of the best known anywhere!
It’s a wonderful dish to make using leftovers like boiled eggs, chicken and salad ingredients that need to be used up. This recipe using leftover ham can also be made with freshly cooked chicken and bacon, as you prefer.
Ingredients Need for this Filling Dinner Salad
There is an easy way to remember what goes into a recipe for Cobb salad. That is the acronym E-A-T-C-O-B-B. The letters stand for egg, avocado, tomato, chicken, onion, blue cheese, and bacon!
However, like pretty much any recipe, the ingredients can be tweaked. I chose to add bell pepper to mine. It made a very filling dinner salad. I like the sweetness of yellow bell pepper but red, orange or even green would work, depending what you have and prefer.
Other optional ingredients which aren’t traditional include nuts, another type of cheese, olives, or cucumber. Fresh corn would be great in the summer or even home-grown radishes.
You can throw whatever you want in there and choose from a homemade ranch dressing, dairy free ranch dressing, vinaigrette or whatever you like.
Tips for the Best Cobb Salad
I like to serve the salad on a bed of Romaine. Some restaurants use mixed greens for a combination of different textures and flavours. You can use any kind of salad greens here.
The ingredients are traditionally finely diced and arranged in rows on top of the greens. If you prefer a more rustic-looking salad, you can roughly chop the ingredients and make the rows less than perfect. You’re the chef so it’s totally your call!
If you aren’t making this dairy-free, you can add cheese. Use any kind of blue cheese you prefer. Roquefort is perhaps the best choice. It’s so creamy and salty. There are other dairy-free cheese alternatives to choose from, or you could simply omit this ingredient.
The bacon, boiled eggs and chicken can be cooked just before making this recipe for Cobb salad. On the other hand, if you have some of each left over, that simplifies things! At least it’ll save you some time. This is a great recipe using leftover ham too.
How to Make a Homemade Ranch Dressing
My dairy free ranch dressing was great on this Cobb salad. The traditional choice would be vinaigrette made with oil, vinegar and mustard, but I love the creamy appeal of ranch.
For the dairy free ranch dressing, you’ll need cilantro, dairy free mayonnaise, coconut milk, garlic, shallot, cider vinegar, salt, and pepper. Use a food processor to combine all these ingredients.
Remove the cilantro leaves from the stems if you prefer or else just add them. Cilantro stems are tender and edible.
Either serve the homemade ranch dressing on the side or drizzle it on top of the salad. You could also drizzle some over and serve the rest at the table. This means those who like a lot of dressing with their salad (like me!) can add some more.
This filling dinner salad is naturally low in carbs but rich in healthy fats and protein. That’s one reason it’s so satisfying.
The exact ingredients you choose to use in the recipe as well as the dressing affect these ratios. But it’s always a great idea to enjoy a satisfying salad for dinner, since the veggies give you plenty of nutrients!
Boasting many colours of the rainbow, this is a beautiful looking dish. A great recipe for Cobb salad means you’ll be able to throw this wonderful meal together whenever you want.
If you like this filling dinner salad, you might also like Sweet Potato Kale Salad, Mexican Elote Street Corn Kale Salad with Spicy Yogurt Lime, or 20 Minute Savoury Bacon, Onion and BBQ Chicken Flatbread Pizzas.
Cobb Salad with Garlic Cilantro Ranch Dressing Recipe
Cobb Salad with Garlic Cilantro Dairy Free Ranch Dressing
Ingredients
- 8 Slices bacon chopped
- 1 Lb. chicken breast diced
- 1/2 Tsp. garlic powder
- 1/2 Tsp. salt
- 1 Cup ham diced
- 1 Cup cherry tomatoes halved
- 1 avocado diced
- 4 eggs hard boiled and diced
- 2 heads romaine lettuce chopped
- 1 yellow bell pepper thinly sliced
- 1/2 red onion thinly sliced
Cilantro Ranch Dressing
- 1 Bunch cilantro about 3 tbsp
- 1 cup mayonnaise dairy free
- 1 cup coconut milk
- 3 Cloves garlic
- 1/2 shallot small and thinly sliced
- 1 Tsp. apple cider vinegar
- 1/2 Tsp. black pepper
- 1/4 Tsp. salt
Instructions
- Hard Boil the eggs. Add eggs to 3” of water and 1 tbsp vinegar in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Cook for 5 minutes. Remove eggs and place into an ice bath for at least 5 minutes. Peel eggs under running cold water. Dice eggs and set aside in a small bowl.
- Cook the bacon in a skillet over medium high heat. Once cooked, remove bacon from the skillet and chop. Set aside. Keep bacon grease in the skillet for the next step.
- Cut chicken breasts into 1” pieces. Season with garlic powder and salt. Add to the skillet and cook in the bacon grease, about 6 minutes. Set aside in a small bowl.
- Prepare lettuce and produce. Wash and pat dry all produce. Cut cherry tomatoes in half. Cut the avocado in half, remove the pit, and dice. Thinly slice the bell pepper and red onion, then cut the thin slices in half. Set all aside into individual bowls. Chop romaine lettuce and add to a large salad bowl.
- Prepare cilantro dressing. Remove cilantro leafs from the stems and add to a food processor with shallot and garlic cloves. Puree for 10 seconds. Add to a small mixing bowl with mayo, coconut milk, apple cider vinegar, black pepper, and salt. Whisk well to combine.
- Arrange meat and produce atop the lettuce in individual sections.
- Serve immediately with a drizzle of cilantro ranch and enjoy!
Nutrition
The nutrition information provided are only estimates based on an online nutritional calculator. I am not a certified nutritionist. Please consult a professional nutritionist or doctor for accurate information and any dietary restrictions and concerns you may have.
Whether you make the original recipe for Cobb salad or you adopt some of my yummy tweaks, you’ll love it. For a recipe using leftover ham, bacon, chicken, and eggs, it tastes incredible. This is a filling dinner salad everyone is going to love.
Let me know if you make this recipe for Cobb salad with dairy free ranch dressing. You will just love this homemade ranch dressing which is the perfect addition to this filling dinner salad. If you are looking for a recipe using leftover ham, this is a great one to try! If you are a salad fan, you might want to check out this Sesame Avocado Asian Chicken Salad with Honey Ginger Dressing.
Cobb is my favorite salad! this dressing sounds very yummmm.