California Cobb Salad with Bacon Croutons and Basil Vinaigrette

Everyone thinks that Southern Californians eat a lot of salads, and honestly, that’s fair. We do eat a lot of salads around here, so we’re always thinking of new ways to make them fun and exciting. This giant California Cobb Salad is our take on a classic and regional favorite. It has all the ingredients you’re used to eating in a Cobb Salad (chicken, bacon, hardboiled eggs, tomatoes, gorgonzola, avocados, and green onions), and a few new ones as well (basil dressing and bacon croutons).

Author: Cooking with Conks

Meal Type: Peanuts Free

Cuisine: American

Difficulty: EASY

Prep. Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 25 minutes

Total Time: 45 minutes

Servings: 6 Servings

Calories: 686 kcal per serving

Ingredients

2 - Romaine lettuce heads
2 cups - Rotisserie Chicken
6 strips - bacon
1 cup - baby heirloom tomatoes
4 - eggs
½ cup - gorgonzola cheese
1 - avocado
4 - green onions
2 cups - day-old bread like baguette or ciabatta
3 tablespoons - rendered bacon fat or olive oil
¾ cup - olive oil
½ cup - fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons - honey
1 tbsp - spicy brown mustard
1 cup - fresh basil
½ tsp - salt
Cracked black pepper

Instructions

Place the bacon in a cold frying pan and turn the heat on to medium. Cook for about 8 to 12 minutes for thick cut bacon (if using thin cut, it’ll take less time), flipping over every couple of minutes.
While the bacon cooks, preheat the oven to 400°F.
Remove the bacon from the frying pan and place onto a paper towel lined plate. Set aside the rendered bacon fat to use on the bacon croutons later. Once the bacon has cooled, roughly chop it.
Toss the cubed bread in the rendered bacon fat (or olive oil, if using instead), then arrange on a baking sheet. Bake the croutons for about 10 to 12 min or until desired crispness.
Add the olive oil, lemon juice, honey, mustard, basil, salt, and pepper to a blender and blend until smooth.
Assemble the salad with lettuce, cooked chicken, chopped bacon, tomatoes, eggs, gorgonzola cheese, avocado, green onions, and croutons. Toss with your desired amount of dressing.

Nutrition