Cobb Salad

I love the mnemonic device invented to help us remember the ingredients in a Cobb salad - EAT COBB.  (Egg, Avocado, Tomato, Chicken, Olives, Bacon, Bleu Cheese.)  Eat Cobb?  Don't mind if I do!  Pile all of those delicious toppings on a bed of romaine, drizzle over some chive vinaigrette, and you've got yourself a filling, healthy, and delicious lunch.  Yum!

YIELD: 4 quart-sized salads

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
• 1 small clove garlic
• 1 small shallot
• 1/2 tsp sugar
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp pepper
• 1/4 c red wine vinegar
• 1 tbsp white wine vinegar
• 1/4 c extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/4 c flax oil (or more extra-virgin olive oil)
• 2 tbsp minced fresh chives
• 1 small avocado, quartered, peeled, and sliced
• 2-4 oz cooked chicken
• 2 eggs, hard-boiled, peeled, and quartered
• 2-4 oz bleu cheese, crumbled
• 1/4 c sliced black olives
• 1 c cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
• 2-3 hearts of romaine, shredded
• 4 strips bacon, cooked, crumbled, and cooled

DIRECTIONS:

1. Make the chive vinaigrette: combine the mustard, garlic, shallot, sugar, salt, pepper, vinegars, and oils in a pint-sized mason jar.  Puree and emulsify the dressing using a handheld stick blender.  (Alternately, puree and emulsify the dressing ingredients in a blender or mini food processor.)  Stir in the chives.
2. Pack the salads: add 2 tbsp dressing to each of 4 tall quart-sized containers.  (Reserve remaining dressing for another use.)  Layer the avocado, chicken, egg, bleu cheese, black olives, tomato, and romaine in the jars.  Divide the bacon evenly among 4 snack-size zip-top bags or 2-oz jars for each salad.  Refrigerate until serving.
3. Enjoy your salad: invert your salad onto a plate or into a bowl.  Top with bacon.

TIME-SAVING TIPS: Substitute your favorite prepared herb vinaigrette for the homemade chive vinaigrette.  Substitute pre-cooked bacon and hard-boiled eggs for the cooked, crumbled bacon and home-cooked egg.

SPECIAL DIET SWAPS:  For a vegetarian salad, substitute your favorite vegetarian chicken substitute for the chicken, and smoked almonds, commercial vegetarian bacon crumbles, or coconut bacon for the cooked, crumbled bacon.  This salad is gluten-free and nut-free as-is.

Food styling, photography, and infographics by Robert Campbell.