Cobb Salad with Ranch Dressing

A Cobb Salad made with all fresh ingredients and an easy to prepare Ranch Dressing is a wonderful and healthy way to enjoy a lunch or a main dish.

A Cobb Salad or any salad for that matter is best when you use fresh ingredients. Having said that, using left-overs from previous meals or open a tin or jar here or there, is perfectly fine as well.

Making a Cobb Salad with Ranch Dressing does not have to take a long time to prepare. Prepare the individual ingredients in a certain order to save time. You can clean and chop all the raw ingredients, while you cook the remaining ingredients.

How to Make Cobb Salad with Ranch Dressing

• Started with chicken. Keep it simple with just salt and pepper, or use an interesting or favorite spice blend. Like Mojo Seasoning or Smoked Coffee Rub. The chicken takes the longest to cook and it also has to cool. Of course you can use deli sliced chicken or you can buy pre-cooked grilled chicken when you want to save time. As far as cooking the chicken yourself, I recommend to grill it or pan-cooking to get crispy and flavorful chicken meat.
• Prepare the corn. Bring water and salt to a boil and cook the corn on the cob for about 10 minutes. Then cut the corn off the cob. You can also first cut the cooked corn off the cob and then cook it.
• Cook the bacon or pancetta. You can do this in a skillet or in a sheet pan in the oven. Both will work, just make sure the end result is crispy.
• Cook the egg. Boil 4-10 minutes, depending on how hard you like your egg to be.
• Prepare the simple and quick vinaigrette; oil, vinegar, salt and pepper. You can still add some extra flavor by choosing a flavored oil and a wine vinegar.

Alternative Dressings

• Caesar Dressing: garlic, anchovies, lemon juice, Dijon mustard, Worcestershire sauce, mayo, Parmesan, salt, and pepper.
• Thousand Island Dressing: mayo, ketchup, hard-boiled egg, vinegar and sweet pickle relish.
• Creamy Italian Dressing: vinegar, lemon juice, olive oil, mayo, honey, garlic and herbs like basil, oregano, parsley, thyme.
• A more involved dressing would be a ranch dressing, however ….. I used a ready made dry mix, called Roswell Buttermilk Ranch Dressing (this is not paid advertising). You only have to add milk and mayo and you’re done. You can even make it ahead of time and store it for a couple of days in the fridge.

The chicken, corn, bacon and egg can all cook together, so they’re ready at the same time. While all this cooking takes place….

Chop the vegetables/fruit and cheese(s)

• Green lettuce. All varieties possible from romaine to a fancy lettuce mix.
• Tomatoes. Normal size tomatoes, that you quarter or cut even smaller or use cherry tomatoes.
• Avocado. Slice or cube
• Carrot. Cut in sticks on small cubes
• Cucumber. Slice, cut in stick, or cubes. Leave skin on for color.
• Onion. I am not a fan of raw onion, so not in this Cobb Salad, but add sliced or diced onion if you like.
• Blue cheese. Many options again. I would suggest going with a relatively strong blue cheese, like Roquefort, Danish Blue, Maytag Blue, or Point Reyes Original Blue.
• Cheddar cheese or Gouda Cheese. Also many options, and I would select a cheese that has some age to it. It will add to the flavor combination.

How to serve a Cobb Salad with Ranch Dressing?

1. Serve the salad the way I show in the pictures, with ingredients cut in relatively large pieces.
   1. I like to keep the cuts large, so you can see what’s in the salad.
   2. You can also chop the individual ingredient in much smaller pieces, all about the same size and crumble the eggs, bacon and blue cheese. A different look.
2. Mix the salad before serving or leave the mixing up to each person on their plate.
   1. I like to serve the salad unmixed; all ingredients in their own spot on top of the lettuce. This way you can add ingredients specifically for 1 person. E.g. more than 1 cheese, so people who don’t like blue cheese have an alternative.
   2. Not mixing the salad looks prettier than mixed.
3. Serve the dressing separate from the salad, this way each person can decide whether they want to use dressing and how much.

Alternatives and Substitutes

• Salmon instead of chicken; smoked or cooked
• Add red onion rings
• Add pine nuts, pecans or walnuts
• Add grilled tofu
• Try Halloumi or goat cheese instead of blue cheese

Whatever you decide, it will be a great and delicious salad that’s also healthy and filling.