Ingredients

Scale

(Serves 4)

Salad base:

8 cups chopped romaine lettuce (or mixed greens)
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
1 English cucumber, diced
½ red onion, thinly sliced (soak in cold water 10 min to mellow bite)

Protein trio (you love high-protein!):

1½ lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts
6 slices thick-cut bacon, cooked crispy & crumbled
4 hard-boiled eggs, quartered

Classic Cobb toppings:

1 ripe avocado, diced
½ cup crumbled blue cheese (or feta for milder flavor)
Optional: ¼ cup toasted pecans or walnuts (for crunch—you love nuts!)

Zesty red wine vinaigrette (skip bottled!):

¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 tbsp red wine vinegar
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1 garlic clove, minced
½ tsp dried oregano
Salt & black pepper to taste

Instructions

1. Grill the chicken:

Season chicken with salt, pepper, and 1 tsp garlic powder.
Grill over medium-high heat 6–8 minutes per side until internal temp reaches 165°F. Rest 5 minutes; slice thinly.

2. Make dressing:

Whisk olive oil, red wine vinegar, lemon juice, Dijon mustard, garlic, oregano, salt, and pepper until emulsified.

3. Assemble (classic row style or tossed):

Option 1 (Traditional): Arrange lettuce on platter. Neatly line rows of chicken, bacon, eggs, avocado, tomatoes, cucumber, onion, and blue cheese. Drizzle with dressing.
Option 2 (Tossed): In a large bowl, combine lettuce, tomatoes, cucumber, and onion. Top with chicken, bacon, eggs, avocado, and blue cheese. Drizzle with dressing; toss gently.

4. Serve immediately:

Garnish with extra black pepper and toasted nuts (if using).

💡 Pro Tips for Perfection:
✅ Low-sodium mastery (you love this!):
→ Use low-sodium bacon or turkey bacon
→ Skip added salt in dressing—rely on lemon, Dijon, and garlic for flavor
→ Boost umami with 1 tsp nutritional yeast in dressing (adds cheesiness without salt)
✅ High-protein boost (you love this!):
→ Add ½ cup cooked chickpeas (+7g protein/serving)
→ Mix in ¼ cup hemp seeds (+10g protein total)
✅ Low-carb/keto option (you love this!):
→ Skip croutons entirely (not traditional anyway!)
→ Increase avocado to 2 whole + add ¼ cup olives
→ Net carbs: ~8g/serving
✅ Make ahead:
→ Grill chicken + cook bacon/eggs 2 days ahead (store separately)
→ Chop veggies 1 day ahead (store in airtight containers)
→ Assemble without dressing up to 4 hours ahead
✅ Blue cheese swap: Use goat cheese or shaved Parmesan if preferred.
✅ Vegan option: Skip chicken/bacon/eggs/cheese; add marinated tofu + avocado + sunflower seeds.

Storage & Serving Ideas

→ Fridge life: Components last 3–4 days; assembled salad (undressed) lasts 1 day.
→ Serving ideas:
→ Pack in mason jars (dressing on bottom, greens on top) for picnic-perfect portions
→ Serve alongside grilled shrimp for surf-and-turf
→ Top with extra grilled chicken for meal-prep lunches

Prep Time & Nutrition (per serving):