Chopped Cobb Salad Recipe

I built my Chopped Cobb Salad around one unexpected ingredient that quietly changes the way a classic comes together.

I never thought a Chopped Cobb Salad could surprise me until I mixed smoky bacon with creamy diced avocado and watched them argue for attention. This Cobb Salad Recipe isn’t the polite bowl you get at a catered lunch, it’s messy, confident, and makes you curious about why something so simple feels new.

I like how the flavors push and pull, and somehow you keep finding tiny moments that taste like a secret. You’ll want to poke it, taste it, maybe call me and ask what I did wrong because it somehow works.

Ingredients

• Romaine lettuce: Crunchy, low calorie, good fiber and vitamin A, helps add fresh crisp texture.
• Mixed salad greens: Bitter and peppery notes, packed with vitamins, adds color and leafy nutrients.
• Chicken breast: Lean protein, fills you up, helps muscle repair, very neutral flavor.
• Bacon: Salty, smoky, high in fat and flavor, use sparingly for indulgence.
• Avocado: Creamy, rich in healthy fats, adds silkiness and keeps you satisfied.
• Eggs: Eggs add protein and yolk richness, earthy flavor, boost satiety.
• Blue cheese: Bold, tangy, creamy, high in sodium, small amounts go a long way.
• Dressing: Olive oil and vinegar dressing adds tangy, smooth mouthfeel, heart healthy fats.

Ingredient Quantities

• 6 cups romaine lettuce, chopped (about 2 heads)
• 2 cups mixed salad greens, roughly chopped
• 12 oz cooked chicken breast shredded or diced about 2 cups
• 6 slices bacon, cooked crisp and chopped
• 4 large eggs, hard boiled and chopped
• 2 ripe avocados, peeled and diced
• 2 medium tomatoes, seeded and diced or 1 1/2 cups cherry tomatoes halved
• 4 oz blue cheese, crumbled
• 2 scallions, thinly sliced
• 2 tbsp fresh chives or parsley, chopped
• 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 3 tbsp red wine vinegar
• 1 tsp Dijon mustard
• 1 small garlic clove, minced
• 1 tsp honey, optional
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

How to Make this

1. Wash and chop the lettuces: roughly chop 6 cups romaine and 2 cups mixed greens, spin or pat dry so the dressing clings, then put in a large bowl or on a wide platter.

2. Cook the bacon until super crisp (pan or oven at 400 F for 15–20 minutes works great), drain on paper towels and chop into bite sized pieces.

3. Hard boil 4 eggs: place in cold water, bring to a boil, then simmer 9 minutes, transfer to an ice bath 5 minutes, peel and chop. This keeps yolks creamy, not chalky.

4. Prep the proteins and veg: shred or dice 12 oz cooked chicken into ~2 cups, halve cherry tomatoes or dice 2 medium tomatoes, peel and dice 2 ripe avocados, thinly slice 2 scallions, and chop 2 tbsp fresh chives or parsley. Toss avocado with a little of the dressing or a splash of the red wine vinegar to slow browning if you like.

5. Make the dressing: whisk 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil, 3 tbsp red wine vinegar, 1 tsp Dijon mustard, 1 small minced garlic clove, 1 tsp honey if you want a touch of sweet, and salt and fresh cracked pepper to taste. Taste and adjust; more vinegar for tang, more oil to mellow.

6. Crumble 4 oz blue cheese into a bowl so it mixes easier later and reserve a few big crumbles for garnish.

7. Chop everything together for the chopped style: stack sections of romaine, mixed greens, chicken, bacon, eggs, avocado, tomatoes, scallions and herbs on the board and give a coarse chop with a chef knife until pieces are bite sized. Dont over-chop; you want texture.

8. Transfer chopped salad to the serving bowl, drizzle most of the dressing over and toss gently but thoroughly so every bite gets dressed. Add more dressing as needed, but go easy, you can always add more.

9. Fold in most of the blue cheese, save some for garnish, finish with extra cracked pepper and a sprinkle of chopped chives or parsley. Serve immediately so the avocado stays fresh and the bacon stays crisp.

10. Leftovers tip: keep dressing separate and store salad in an airtight container; add dressing just before serving so greens dont get soggy.

Equipment Needed

1. Chef’s knife (8 to 10 inch), sharp, you’ll use it for the chopping and the coarse cut.
2. Large cutting board, roomy enough to stack the lettuces and proteins.
3. Salad spinner or several clean kitchen towels to dry the greens so dressing clings.
4. Large mixing bowl or wide platter for tossing and serving the chopped salad.
5. Skillet or rimmed baking sheet plus tongs or a spatula for cooking and handling bacon.
6. Saucepan for boiling eggs and a medium bowl for an ice bath to stop cooking.
7. Whisk and measuring cups/spoons, or a jar with a tight lid to shake the dressing.
8. Small bowls for the blue cheese and prepped ingredients, plus salad tongs or a big serving spoon.

FAQ

Chopped Cobb Salad Recipe Substitutions and Variations

• Chicken breast: swap in rotisserie chicken, shredded turkey breast, or for a vegetarian twist use roasted chickpeas or firm tofu — quick, same protein, less fuss.
• Bacon: try pancetta, smoked turkey bacon, or crispy tempeh or mushrooms if you want a plant based crunch.
• Blue cheese: substitute feta, goat cheese, or even sharp cheddar for a milder tang that most people like.
• Avocado: if you need a swap use diced cucumber or green apple for freshness, shelled edamame for protein, or a few spoonfuls of hummus or Greek yogurt for creaminess.

Pro Tips

1) Make the dressing in a jar and shake it like crazy, way easier than whisking and it stays stable so the oil and vinegar dont separate; taste and tweak salt before you dress the salad.
2) Keep the bacon extra crisp by cooling it on a wire rack so air circulates, and if it softens later just pop it in a hot oven for a few minutes to re-crisp.
3) Save the avocado for last, toss it with a splash of acid or the dressing and fold in gently right before serving, or leave halves with the pit on till the final chop to slow browning.
4) Cut everything to similar bite size so each forkful has a little of everything, and remember blue cheese is salty so taste before adding extra salt, reserve big crumbles for the top for nicer texture.