Whiny vegetarian moment: Why oh why do the main-dish salads at restaurants always only ever have chicken on them? It seems counter-intuitive to proclaim this, but vegetarians like salads too! I know, I know – I could ask them to leave the chicken off. But then basically I’m paying $14 for lettuce and almonds. Not cool.
Okay, fine. Fine restaurants! I’ll make my own salads at home! And then I’ll add chicken back but only as an optional addition for my beloved carnivore’s serving. And maybe a little bacon for him, too. But mine is a hearty veggie number with chickpeas and avocado and hard-boiled egg and sweet potatoes and it totally didn’t need chicken. So there.
If you didn’t already guess, we’re talking Cobb salads made at home. They’re quick, they’re easy, they’re endlessly customizable, and they’re not $14 a whack.
We love Cobb salads as a quick and easy dinner. They’re super simple to throw together, perfect for tailoring to individual tastes, and they’re always fabulous. Have I sold you yet?!
A traditional Cobb salad usually has the following toppings arranged over a base of chopped romaine:
For my vegetarian version, I, of course, omit the chicken and bacon and opt for one or two of these instead. If you’re vegan, swap out the eggs and cheese for a couple more from this list and you’ll be golden, too:
All of those ingredients make for a hearty salad, so we like a light vinaigrette drizzled over the top. But some folks like to go for the gusto and prefer a creamy blue cheese. Whatever you want! We’re free of restaurant menu tyranny! Make this salad yours!
Cobbs get creative
The sky’s the limit! Here are three great versions from around the web.
I adore the colors in this vegan Cobb from The Lunchbox Bunch :: Asian-Style Cobb Salad from Damn Delicious. Smart! :: I was totally going to create something like this but that darn brilliant Heather Christo beat me to it: Autumn Cobb Salad (with smoky pumpkin dressing!)