California Cobb Salad

Ingredients

• 1 head Romaine lettuce, chopped fine
• 1 head Butter lettuce, chopped
• 4 Eggs (large), hard-boiled, chopped
• 2 Avocado, diced
• 2 cups Cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1 can Chickpeas, canned no-salt-added, drained and roasted crisp
• 3 oz Feta cheese, crumbled, standing in for blue cheese
• 3 Scallions (green onions), sliced
• 5 tbsp Extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 tbsp Red wine vinegar
• 1 Lemon
• 1 tsp Dijon mustard
• 1 clove Garlic, grated
• ½ tsp Kosher salt
• ¼ tsp Black pepper

Method

1. Roast the drained chickpeas at 425°F for 25 minutes with a spoonful of oil and a pinch of salt until they crackle. They are the crunch that bacon usually provides.
2. Chop the lettuces much finer than feels normal. A Cobb is meant to be eaten with a spoon.
3. Shake the oil, vinegar, lemon juice, mustard, garlic, salt and pepper into a dressing.
4. Spread the lettuce on a wide platter and lay the toppings in tight parallel rows: egg, avocado, tomato, chickpeas, cheese, scallion.
5. Bring it to the table looking like that, then dress and toss in front of everyone. That is how the Brown Derby did it and it still gets a reaction.

Notes

✨ The restaurant touch

Everything chopped to the same small dice. It is more knife work and it is the difference between a Cobb and a pile of salad.

🧒 For the kids

Rows mean a child can take exactly what they want and skip the rest without a negotiation. That is the underrated genius of a composed salad.

🥡 Leftovers

Dress only what you are eating. Undressed components keep 3 days and make excellent lunches.

Per serving

Computed from USDA FoodData Central values. A planning tool, not medical advice.