Salmon Cobb Salad ~ a twist on a classic main course salad that proves that salad can complete with tacos or pizza any night of the week!
For my first main course salad challenge of the month of March I’ve chosen a golden oldie, the Cobb salad.
If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it, and that’s how I feel about the cobb salad, at least to a point 😉 The original cobb salad recipe was introduced the 1930s at Hollywood’s Brown Derby restaurant, and quickly become an American classic. The salad has hung around this long for a simple reason, it’s good! I ‘m staying more or less faithful to the original today with one simple little variation ~ I’m swapping out the chicken for salmon, a pretty good trade if you ask me. The rest is true to the original, even the dressing, which is simple but oozes old school restaurant charm.
What is in a Cobb Salad?
- chicken (I’m using salmon)
- a combination of romaine lettuce, endive, and watercress greens
- boiled eggs
- bacon
- crumbled blue cheese
- avocado
- tomatoes
- red onion (not traditional but I think essential)
- the dressing is a red wine and mustard vinaigrette, which is very close to the original Cobb salad dressing recipe.
What’s the difference between a chef and a Cobb salad?
They’re both similar main course salads topped with meats and cheese, but the Cobb specifically features the above mix of lettuces, avocado, and tomato. A chef salad will sometimes contain other meats like ham, turkey and roast beef, and is traditionally served with thousand island dressing.
One of the must haves on a Cobb salad is boiled eggs. And while in past years they would have been hard boiled, modern tastes lean more toward jammy centers.
How to cook eggs to jammy perfection…
- Bring a pot of water to a boil.
- Lower your eggs into the boiling water carefully.
- Cook exactly 6 1/2 minutes, no more, no less, set your timer!
- Place the eggs directly into an ice bath for 2 minutes (Thanks Bon Appétit for this genius method)
- Put the eggs back in the drained pan and shake them vigorously against each other and the side of the pan, don’t be afraid! The network of small cracks will allow you to peel the eggs effortlessly.
- Don’t slice until ready to use, the jammy yolk will dribble 🙂
- Enjoy, or store for up to 3 days
- Note: if you’re concerned about eating runny eggs, use pasteurized eggs, which can be found right in your supermarket. Or cook your eggs longer, from 8, 10, to 12 minutes which will produce hard cooked eggs.
The mix of greens for a Cobb salad is interesting, and not ones that I would ordinarily think to throw together:
Romaine: stays super crunchy without ever wilting and makes a great base for a bulky salad like this.
Endive: curly endive is a frilly leaved green with a slightly bitter flavor. It adds great texture to the mix.
Watercress: possibly my favorite green, it has a peppery flavor and it’s packed with nutrients.
Is Romaine safe to eat?
- Yes. And no. It’s complicated.
- As of 3/19 the vast majority of romaine is completely safe, but there is still some uncertainty about the few farms in Central and Northern California where the recent contamination was traced to.
- There’s new labeling going into effect that will assure you that your lettuce is safe, look for it.
- When in doubt, ask your produce manager, that’s what they’re there for. My grocery store only stocks safe romaine, so I feel comfortable eating it.
6 Lettuces you can substitute for romaine ~
- iceberg
- arugula
- spinach
- green leaf or red leaf lettuce
- Boston or bibb lettuce
- little gem lettuce
I hope you enjoy this first installment of my March Main Course Salad Challenge 🙂 I’ve already got a few ideas bouncing around for next Wednesday, but if you’ve got a favorite, or if there’s something you’d love to see me tackle, let me know in the comments.
Reader Rave ~
“I had this on my mind when I saw your post. Today I stopped and got all the ingredients and we are now enjoying it along with roasted garlic bread. Made it as directed. The dressing is fantastic! Thank you for sharing your recipe.” ~ Fern
Salmon Cobb Salad
Ingredients
- 4 handfuls of chopped romaine lettuce
- 2 handful endive chopped
- 2 handful watercress trimmed
- 1/2 lb cooked salmon broken into large flakes
- 6 -8 slices crisp bacon crumbled or broken
- 4 boiled eggs sliced in half
- a few 1/8 inch thin slices of red onion
- 1/2 cup crumbled blue cheese
- about 8-10 cherry tomatoes or strawberry tomatoes, cut in half
- 1 avocado sliced (squeeze lemon juice over all the exposed areas to prevent browning)
vinaigrette (feel free to double the recipe for extra dressing)
- 4 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard
Instructions
- Make sure your greens are rinsed and dried. Add them to a large wide salad bowl.
- Add the salmon to the center of the bowl. Surround it with the crumbled bacon, eggs, sliced onions (separate the rings as you add them) cheese, tomatoes, and avocado.
- To make the dressing shake the ingredients together in a mason jar until they combine into a creamy emulsion. Taste and adjust in any way you like.
- Dress the salad at the table, tossing it optional. I like to leave it as is, and let people serve themselves.
notes and variations
notes:
If you'd like to cook your salmon for this salad: preheat your oven to 400F andline a baking sheet with foil or parchment. Lay out the salmon and brush lightly with oil and season with salt. Bake for about 20 minutes, or just until the fish flakes. I sometimes add a squeeze of lemon or top the fish with a couple of slices of lemon before baking.
We love salmon!
- Blistered Corn and Asparagus Salad with Salmon
- Mediterranean Sheet Pan Salmon
- How to Eat Salmon Once a Week and Love it!
21 Comments
JC
May 9, 2019 at 2:57 pmGreat looking Salad ! Making tonight. I cook Salmon in a cast iron on the grill.
Thanks for the Salad and Vinaigrette ! Your Recipes look great ..
Sue
May 9, 2019 at 7:22 pmEnjoy JC, love the idea of putting the cast iron skillet on the grill 🙂
Beth
March 13, 2019 at 7:23 pmThis was FABULOUS!!!!!
Sue
March 21, 2019 at 5:10 amThanks Beth, I’m pretty sure I’ll be making it a lot from now on 🙂 Glad you liked it.
J
March 13, 2019 at 6:20 pmAbsolutely gorgeous looking salad! Any suggestions on preparing the salmon?
Thxs ?
Sue
March 13, 2019 at 7:07 pmI should add that to the post, thanks J ~ this is my go-to method: Preheat oven to 400F
Line a baking sheet with foil or parchment and lay out the salmon. Brush lightly with oil and season with salt. Bake for about 20 minutes, or just until the fish flakes. I sometimes give it a squeeze of lemon before baking, or lay it on a bed of lemon slices.
Fern
March 7, 2019 at 3:39 pmI had this on my mind when I saw your post. Today I stopped and got all the ingredients and we are now enjoying it along with roasted garlic oval bread. Made it as directed. The dressing is fantastic! Thank you for sharing your recipe.
Sue
March 7, 2019 at 3:48 pmLove hearing this, thanks Fern <3
Rose Mary George
March 6, 2019 at 8:35 pmThat’s a great looking salad.
Annemarie
March 6, 2019 at 10:16 amThis is brilliant! I’m always looking for new ways to serve salmon, and this might just work for my picky kids.
Sue
March 6, 2019 at 12:37 pmMy girls just loved salmon, we called it ‘pink fish’ and that was all it took 😉
Allison
March 6, 2019 at 9:49 amThe perfect salad (with one little swap – chicken for salmon). Such a delicious combination of ingredients!
Alexandra
March 6, 2019 at 9:23 amThis is a GREAT salad! I wish I could have a 3D printer! Thank you Sue
Sue
March 6, 2019 at 9:30 amNow wouldn’t that be nice!
Andrea Metlika
March 6, 2019 at 9:01 amWow, this sounds fabulous! All the greens and the salmon, I could eat this up!
Jen
March 6, 2019 at 8:52 amLove that you used salmon for this! Such a great twist on a classic. This is one salad my husband would willing eat as a main course.
Sue
March 6, 2019 at 9:27 amIt’s tough finding salads that guys will accept as dinner, I find salmon and steak do pretty well 😉
Alisha Rodrigues
March 6, 2019 at 7:49 amThis is just how I like my dinner. Loving the bright colors, I’m drooling over so much variety in a bowl. I think I’ll make it for tomorrows dinner
Joan B
March 6, 2019 at 7:37 amI’m so excited and ready for the challenge! We’re having this tonight!
Tricia | Saving Room for Dessert
March 6, 2019 at 4:35 amI think I’ve found my new favorite dinner option! I eat chicken Cobb salads at lot, usually without bacon because I’m try to be good. But this salmon version is calling my name! How beautiful 🙂
Sue
March 6, 2019 at 6:54 amBacon is my weakness, I had some leftover from this recipe and…you know.