Cloudbreak Cobb Salad Recipe

Wash and dry greens

Rinse the romaine lettuce and baby spinach under cold water. Shake off excess water and spin or pat dry with paper towels. Tear or chop romaine into roughly 1–2 inch pieces and place in a large salad bowl or on a serving platter.

Slice tomatoes and cucumber

Core and quarter the tomatoes, then slice each quarter into 1/2-inch wedges (or chop into bite-sized pieces). Peel the cucumber if desired, halve lengthwise, scoop seeds if very seedy, then slice into 1/4-inch half-moons.

Thinly slice onion

Peel the red onion, cut in half pole-to-pole, and slice very thinly (about 1/8-inch). If raw onion is strong, soak the slices in cold water for 5 minutes, then drain and pat dry.

Hard-boil eggs

Place 4 large eggs in a saucepan and cover with cold water by 1 inch. Bring to a gentle boil over medium-high heat, then cover, remove from heat, and let sit 10–12 minutes. Transfer eggs to an ice bath for 5 minutes, then peel and quarter each egg.

Cook bacon

Cook 6 bacon slices in a skillet over medium heat until crisp, about 6–8 minutes, turning occasionally. Transfer to a paper towel–lined plate to drain, then chop or crumble into bite-sized pieces.

Crumble cheese

Crumble 3 oz of blue cheese into small pieces. If you prefer a milder cheeseboard, substitute with crumbled feta or shredded cheddar.

Mince 1 garlic clove finely or press through a garlic press into a small bowl. Add 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar, 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard, 1 teaspoon honey, 3/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper (reserve a little salt and pepper to taste). Whisk vigorously until the dressing emulsifies and tastes balanced. Adjust salt, pepper, or honey as needed.

On the prepared bed of romaine and spinach, arrange the quartered eggs, tomato wedges, cucumber slices, thinly sliced red onion, and crumbled bacon in rows or sections to create the classic Cobb look (or toss everything together if preferred). Scatter the crumbled blue cheese evenly over the top.

Drizzle half the dressing over the salad (reserve remaining dressing to serve on the side). If serving family-style, toss lightly to coat, or leave arranged and let diners add dressing to their plates.

Garnish with chopped chives and lemon wedges if desired. Taste and add additional salt and black pepper to finish.