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California Cobb Salad

The California Cobb Salad – The signature dish of the Brown Derby Restaurant in Los Angeles – a hearty main course perfect for a summer evening.

California has an eclectic list of foods that are fresh and vibrant. I grew up in Southern California and I remember the fresh fish right off the dory boats in Newport Beach. We had a lot of summer grills with burgers and corn – and the oranges! When the trees would start to blossom the smell permeated the air for miles! The avocado is the state fruit and fusion foods have found their way across the state. They even have their own pizza, topped with fresh ingredients like fresh tomatoes, basil leaves and olive oil. Then there’s the California roll, fish tacos – and did you know cioppino was invented in San Francisco?

Which brings me to this week’s recipe –

The California Cobb Salad.

I’ve always wondered why it’s called a Cobb salad. Well now I know! The iconic Brown Derby Restaurant in Los Angeles created this amazing salad. There are varying reports as to who and when it was created – Some say in 1929 by chef Robert Kreis; others say 1937 by chef Paul J. Postini. But no one disputes that this signature dish was named for the owner of the chain, Robert Howard Cobb. But the most prominent story is that of Mr. Cobb’s late night hunger! He went into the kitchen and threw together some things he found in the kitchen – lettuce, fresh cooked bacon, left-over chicken…And topped it with their house dressing. And the rest is history.

What is a Cobb Salad?

This delicious main dish salad starts with greens. Iceberg or romaine lettuce and some watercress or arugula tossed in.

cobb

Then there are the veggies – Red onions, chopped tomato and some good old California avocado – and some chives at the end on top of it all.

Then the protein – Roquefort cheese (some use bleu cheese, but to be authentic you need roquefort), Crumbled bacon, hard boiled eggs and diced chicken.

Top it all off with a red wine vinaigrette and enjoy!

California cobb

California cobb

5 from 2 votes
cobb
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California Cobb Salad

The signature dish of the Brown Derby Restaurant in Los Angeles - a hearty main course perfect for a summer evening.

Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American, California
Keyword: avocado, blue cheese, chicken, egg, lettuce, main dish, roquefort cheese, summer, tomatoes
Servings: 1 person
Author: HelenFern
Ingredients
  • 2 cups mixed salad greens
  • 1/3 cup chopped tomatoes
  • 1/3 cup sliced red onion
  • 1/3 avocado, sliced
  • 2 Tablespoons minced fresh chives
  • 1/4 cup crumbled roquefort cheese
  • 1 hard boiled egg
  • 3 slices crisp cooked bacon
  • 1/2 cup cubed chicken breast
Vinaigrette
  • 3 Tablespoons high quality olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon dry mustard
  • 1 Tablespoons Red wine vinegar
  • 1/4 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
  • 1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
  • pinch sugar
  • Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
  1. Start with greens. Iceberg or romaine lettuce and some watercress or arugula tossed in.

  2. Then there are the veggies - Red onions, chopped tomato and some good old California avocado - and some chives at the end on top of it all.

  3. Then the protein - Roquefort cheese (some use bleu cheese, but to be authentic you need roquefort), Crumbled bacon, hard boiled eggs and diced chicken.

  4. Top with vinaigrette

Vinaigrette
  1. Whisk all the ingredients together until they are well blended and emulsified.

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cobb

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