Summer Garden Cobb Salad with Zesty Vinaigrette
A vibrant, healthy, and easy summer meal featuring crisp lettuce, seasoned chicken, bacon, eggs, avocado, tomatoes, and blue cheese, all brought together with a zesty homemade vinaigrette. Perfect as a main dish or a generous side.
Equipment
- Small jar with lid or bowl
- Large serving platter or plates
Ingredients
For the Zesty Vinaigrette Dressing
- 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 1/2 tablespoon honey
- 3/4 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 2 cloves garlic finely minced
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
For the Fresh Salad
- 6 cups chopped romaine lettuce rinsed and dried (or your favorite mixed greens)
- 2 seasoned, roasted chicken breasts sliced or chopped (rotisserie chicken works great!)
- 3 hard-boiled eggs quartered or chopped
- 1 large avocado sliced or chopped
- 8 slices bacon cooked until crispy and chopped
- 1 cup cherry or grape tomatoes halved crosswise
- 1/2 cup thinly sliced red onion
- 4 ounces crumbled Roquefort blue cheese (or feta for a milder taste)
- 2 tablespoons chopped chives
- Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
Instructions
- Whisk Up the Zesty Dressing: In a small jar with a tight-fitting lid or a bowl, combine the extra-virgin olive oil, red wine vinegar, fresh lemon juice, honey, Dijon mustard, minced garlic, dried oregano, salt, and ground black pepper. If using a jar, shake vigorously until all ingredients are well-blended and creamy. If using a bowl, whisk until smooth. Taste and adjust the seasonings if you like. Set this aside.
- Prepare Your Salad Base: Grab a large serving platter or individual plates and spread the crisp romaine lettuce evenly as your salad base.
- Artfully Arrange the Toppings: Arrange the colorful ingredients over the lettuce in neat rows. Place the sliced chicken, crispy chopped bacon, quartered hard-boiled eggs, creamy avocado slices, halved cherry tomatoes, and thinly sliced red onion.
- Finish with Freshness: Sprinkle the crumbled blue cheese and fresh chopped chives over your beautifully arranged salad. Season lightly with a pinch of kosher salt and freshly ground pepper to your liking.
- Serve & Enjoy: Just before serving, generously drizzle your homemade zesty vinaigrette over the entire salad. This vibrant, healthy, and easy summer meal is now ready to be enjoyed!
Notes
This recipe yields 6 servings as a side salad, or 2-3 servings as a generous main dish.
Nutrition Information (per serving):
Calories: 555 kcal
Total Carbs: 10g
Net Carbs: 6g
Fats: 45g
Protein: 29g
Calories: 555 kcal
Total Carbs: 10g
Net Carbs: 6g
Fats: 45g
Protein: 29g
