Although a Cobb salad can truly be made with whatever tickles your fancy (I really don't believe in too many rules regarding food), there are several key ingredients that are usually found in traditional Cobb salad. Avocado and Roquefort cheese are two of those items. I usually omit them since a couple of my kiddos don't care for either of those ingredients.
My main purpose for writing this post was not to necessarily provide you with a recipe or exact ingredient list for Cobb salad that must be followed verbatim, but rather I was looking to inspire you to get creative when presenting a salad - whether it be simply for your family table on a weeknight or to wow special guests at a party. Arranging your salad this way and utilizing whatever fresh, healthful ingredients are available in your area (or garden) can really elevate the sometimes-mundane tossed salad from drab to fab!
More simply put ... I want you to BE INSPIRED about salad ... and know that it's okay to serve this as your complete lunch or dinner once in a while. We get so caught up in the whole meat-and-potatoes thing. At our house, we actually enjoy "loaded" salads as a full meal - especially in the warm summer months - often along with a little crusty bread. With lots of protein, veggies and dairy included in this salad, it really can be a satisfying and complete meal.
From my experience and research, a Cobb salad is usually dressed with some sort of red wine vinaigrette or a French dressing. Serve it up with whatever dressing you like (store-bought or homemade). (I've provided the traditional red wine dressing recipe at the bottom of this post should you care to follow it.)
Serves 4.
