Cobb Salad Recipe

Wash and thoroughly dry the iceberg and romaine lettuce. Chop or tear into bite-sized pieces and place in a large salad bowl or on a platter for serving.

Toss gently to combine; keep chilled until ready to assemble.

Halve the cherry tomatoes and set aside.

Peel, pit and dice the ripe avocado into about 1/2-inch pieces. Toss the diced avocado with a squeeze of lime (from the dressing lime juice or a wedge) and a pinch of salt to slow browning; refrigerate until assembly.

If you don’t have prepared pickled red onions, quickly make them ahead: thinly slice 1 small red onion and pour over a mixture of 1/2 cup vinegar, 1/2 cup water, 1 tbs sugar and 1 tsp salt. Let sit at least 30 minutes. Otherwise drain and set aside 1 cup of pickled red onions.

Cook the bacon: place 6 slices on a rimmed baking sheet and bake at 400°F (200°C) for 12–16 minutes until crisp, or pan-fry over medium heat until crisp. Drain on paper towels. When cool, crumble or chop into bite-sized pieces.

Hard-boil the eggs: place 2 large eggs in a saucepan, cover with cold water, bring to a gentle boil, then turn off heat and cover. Let sit 9–11 minutes for firm yolks. Transfer to an ice bath for 5 minutes, peel and quarter each egg.

Measure out 1 cup bleu cheese crumbles and keep refrigerated until assembly.

Make dressing

Combine the dressing ingredients: in a blender or food processor add 1/2 ripe avocado, 1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt, 1/4 cup mayonnaise, 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice, 1/4 cup buttermilk, 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro, 1 teaspoon minced garlic, 1 teaspoon chopped fresh dill, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper.

Blend until smooth. If the dressing is too thick, add up to 1–2 tablespoons (or use up to 2 tablespoons shown as hot water) of hot water or additional buttermilk, 1 tablespoon at a time, until you reach a pourable consistency.

Taste and adjust seasoning with more salt, pepper or lime juice if desired. Chill until ready to serve.

On the chilled bed of mixed iceberg and romaine, arrange the components in rows or scattered: place halved cherry tomatoes, diced avocado, pickled red onions, crumbled bacon, quartered hard-boiled eggs and bleu cheese crumbles in distinct sections across the salad so diners can see each ingredient (traditional Cobb presentation).

Season the composed salad lightly with salt and pepper to taste.

Drizzle the avocado lime ranch over the salad just before serving, or serve the dressing on the side. Garnish with extra lime wedges if desired.

Toss gently when serving or allow guests to take portions from arranged rows.