Americans definitely know how to eat well, and the same goes for their own approach to salads. You might think that salads don’t have much to offer flavor-wise, but the Cobb salad that was invented in the US approximately 80-90 years ago is bound to change your mind.
What’s a Cobb Salad?
Cobb salad is not your typical salad side dish. No, this salad is served as a main dish. 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.
There are different variations of this salad which involves using Stilton cheese instead of the Roquefort one (popular in the UK) or using pancetta instead of bacon, but the main ingredients and principles remain the same.
Why Is It Called Cobb Salad?
There are several different stories about this particular matter, but the most popular one tells about Hollywood’s Brown Derby restaurant and its signature dish around its opening in 1929. There are some differences in terms of who invented salad in the first place. Some people claim that the inventor was the restaurant’s chef Robert Kreis even though the salad got its name after the owner of the restaurant, Robert Cobb. On the other hand, some people believe that it was Cobb himself who came up with the Cobb salad almost a decade after the opening of the restaurant, in 1937.
Cobb Salad
FAQ
Why is Cobb salad called Cobb?
What does cob mean in a salad?
What makes a Cobb salad different from other salad?
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.