What Does “Cobb” Mean in Cobb Salad?

The “Cobb” in Cobb salad refers to the name of its creator, Robert Howard Cobb, the owner of the Hollywood Brown Derby restaurant in Los Angeles, California.

History of the Cobb Salad

The Cobb salad was invented in 1937 at the Hollywood Brown Derby restaurant. There are two main stories about its creation:

Story 1: Robert Cobb was working late one night and got hungry. He rummaged through the kitchen and threw together a salad with leftover ingredients, including lettuce, tomatoes, bacon, chicken, hard-boiled eggs, avocado, chives, and blue cheese. He tossed it with French dressing and enjoyed his impromptu creation.
Story 2: Robert Kreis, the executive chef at the Hollywood Brown Derby, created the salad in 1929 and named it in honor of Cobb. This version suggests that Cobb may have simply popularized the salad by ordering it frequently.

Regardless of the exact origin story, the Cobb salad quickly became a signature dish at the Hollywood Brown Derby and has since become a popular American classic.

Ingredients in a Cobb Salad

The traditional Cobb salad consists of the following ingredients:

Salad greens: Typically romaine lettuce, but iceberg lettuce can also be used.
Tomatoes: Usually diced or chopped.
Bacon: Crispy and crumbled.
Chicken breast: Grilled, roasted, or poached.
Hard-boiled eggs: Sliced or quartered.
Avocado: Diced or sliced.
Chives: Finely chopped.
Blue cheese: Crumbled.
Red wine vinaigrette: A simple dressing made with red wine vinegar, olive oil, Dijon mustard, and seasonings.

Variations of the Cobb Salad

While the classic Cobb salad recipe remains popular, there are many variations that have emerged over the years. Some common variations include:

Adding other vegetables: Such as cucumbers, bell peppers, or onions.
Substituting the blue cheese: With another type of cheese, such as cheddar, Monterey Jack, or feta.
Using a different dressing: Such as ranch dressing, balsamic vinaigrette, or honey mustard dressing.
Adding grilled shrimp or salmon: For a protein boost.
Making it a vegetarian or vegan salad: By omitting the chicken and using a plant-based cheese alternative.

The Cobb salad is a delicious and versatile dish that can be enjoyed as a light lunch, a hearty dinner, or a side dish. Its combination of fresh ingredients, creamy dressing, and crunchy textures makes it a satisfying and flavorful meal. Whether you stick to the classic recipe or try one of the many variations, the Cobb salad is sure to please.

What’s a Cobb Salad?

Cobb salad is not your typical salad side dish. No, this salad is served as a main dish. Specifically, what sets this salad apart from the others is that in addition to tomatoes, salad greens, and other vegetables, it also has crisp bacon, roasted or boiled chicken, avocado, and Roquefort cheese.

There are several variations of this salad, such as substituting pancetta for bacon or Stilton cheese for Roquefort cheese, which is popular in the UK, but the basic components and ideas stay the same.

Why Is It Called Cobb Salad?

There are a number of tales surrounding this specific topic, but the most well-known one centers on the 1929 opening of Hollywood’s Brown Derby restaurant and its signature dish. Regarding who initially invented salad, there are some differences. Although the salad bears the name of the restaurant’s owner, Robert Cobb, some people attribute its invention to the restaurant’s chef, Robert Kreis. However, some people think that Cobb invented the Cobb salad himself in 1937, nearly ten years after the restaurant first opened.

Cobb Salad

FAQ

Why is Cobb salad called Cobb?

The invention of the Cobb Salad is generally attributed to Robert Howard Cobb who co-owned The Brown Derby restaurant in Los Angeles. The year was 1937. The story goes that Cobb created the first Cobb Salad at the end of a long day after realizing he hadn’t eaten for awhile.

What does cob mean in a salad?

The Cobb salad is a main-dish American garden salad typically made with chopped salad greens, tomato, crisp bacon, boiled, grilled or roasted chicken breast, hard-boiled eggs, avocado, chives, Roquefort cheese, and red-wine vinaigrette. It is named for the restaurant’s owner, Robert Howard Cobb.

What makes a Cobb salad different from other salad?

Namely, what makes this salad so special is the fact that, aside from tomatoes, salad greens, and other veggies, it also features the likes of avocado, Roquefort cheese, hard-boiled eggs as well as crisp bacon and chicken, be it grilled, roasted, or boiled.

What is a Cobb salad?

An instant classic, the Cobb is a chopped salad made up of lettuce, hard-boiled eggs, chicken, bacon, avocado, Roquefort cheese (blue cheese is often substituted), tomatoes, and red wine vinaigrette. It is hearty and filling, and a little bit decadent as far as salads go. And yes, it was actually named after a person.

Can you use bottled salad dressing to make Cobb salad?

You can make Cobb salad with any bottled salad dressing you like – I like to use Ranch or Blue Cheese. Or you can make your own salad dressing from scratch by whisking 2 tbsp of extra-virgin olive oil with 2 tsp vinegar. This is a classic Cobb salad recipe of chicken, avocado, egg, bacon, onion, tomato and blue cheese served over a bed of greens.

Can you make a Cobb salad ahead of time?

Cobb salads include lettuce, tomato, onion, chicken, bacon, avocado, boiled egg, and blue cheese. Red wine vinaigrette is a popular dressing because the acidity offsets the rich ingredients. You can make Cobb salad ahead by prepping the chicken, bacon, and egg in advance.

What was a ‘Cobb salad’ at the Brown Derby?

The story goes that Cobb went through the restaurant’s refrigerator and pulled out a variety of ingredients — lettuce, cheese, tomatoes, chives, hard-boiled eggs, avocado, chicken, and, of course, bacon — to create the improvised meal. The next day, Grauman requested a “Cobb salad” at The Brown Derby.