WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS This is a show-stopper of a salad, a celebration of avocado’s unctuous texture and a welcome update for an American classic. Cobb salad generally features everything but the kitchen sink: chopped salad greens, chicken breast, hard-boiled eggs, bacon, avocado, tomatoes, blue cheese, and a litany of other ingredients. Stories vary as to its origin, but popular belief is that Robert Howard Cobb, owner of the Hollywood Brown Derby restaurant, needed a late-night fix, so he mixed together whatever he could find in the kitchen. In our version, we wanted to bring the avocado into the limelight in a more untraditional way. Instead of using the expected chunks of avocado, we capitalized on the creamy texture of this fruit to make a smooth, velvety dressing that coated every piece of lettuce. To give our dressing some zing, we pulsed in lemon and garlic. To complement this tangy dressing, there’s plenty of romaine for sturdy, refreshing crunch and also pieces of radicchio for their slightly bitter notes. We drizzled extra avocado dressing over the top, creating a striking vibrant green contrast against all the other colorful elements of this dish.
Serves 6 to 8
TOTAL TIME: 50 minutes
INGREDIENTS
- DRESSING:
- 1 ripe avocado, halved, pitted, and cut into 2-inch pieces
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 teaspoon grated lemon zest plus 3 tablespoons juice
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- Salt and pepper
- SALAD:
- 6 large eggs
- 1½ pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, trimmed and cut into ½-inch pieces
- Salt and pepper
- 8 slices bacon, chopped
- 3 romaine lettuce hearts (18 ounces), torn into bite-size pieces
- ½ small head radicchio (3 ounces), cored and cut into ½-inch pieces
- 10 ounces cherry tomatoes, halved
- 2 ounces blue cheese, crumbled (½ cup)
- 2 tablespoons minced fresh chives
INSTRUCTIONS
- FOR THE DRESSING:
- Process avocado, oil, lemon zest and juice, garlic, ¾ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper in food processor until smooth, about 30 seconds, scraping down sides of bowl as needed.
- Transfer to large bowl and adjust consistency with up to ¼ cup water as needed.
- Season with salt and pepper to taste, cover, and refrigerate until needed.
- FOR THE SALAD:
- Bring 1 inch water to rolling boil in medium saucepan over high heat.
- Place eggs in steamer basket, then transfer basket to saucepan.
- Cover, reduce heat to medium-low, and cook eggs for 13 minutes.
- When eggs are almost finished cooking, fill medium bowl halfway with ice and water.
- Using tongs or spoon, transfer eggs to ice bath; let sit for 15 minutes.
- Peel and quarter eggs, and set aside.
- Meanwhile, pat chicken dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper.
- Cook bacon in 12-inch skillet over medium heat until crisp, 5 to 7 minutes.
- Using slotted spoon, transfer bacon to paper towel–lined plate; set aside.
- Pour off all but 1 tablespoon fat from skillet, add chicken, and cook over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until cooked through, 4 to 6 minutes.
- Transfer to plate and let cool slightly.
- Toss romaine, radicchio, and ½ cup dressing together in large bowl.
- Transfer to serving platter and mound in even layer.
- Arrange eggs and tomatoes in single, even rows over greens, leaving space at either end.
- Arrange half of chicken in each open space at ends of platter.
- Sprinkle bacon and blue cheese over top of salad.
- Drizzle remaining dressing over salad and sprinkle with chives.
- Serve immediately.
