Original Cobb Salad
Seven ingredients in seven rows. The most photogenic salad in American cooking.
Why this dish belongs to California
The Cobb salad was invented by Robert H. Cobb, owner of the Brown Derby restaurant in Hollywood, in 1937. The story: Cobb was hungry late one night, raided the restaurant's icebox, and threw together what he had — leftover chicken, hard-boiled eggs, bacon, avocado, blue cheese, tomato, watercress, lettuce — chopped and arranged in rows. The dish became the Brown Derby's signature item and migrated to nearly every American chain restaurant within a decade. The defining feature is the chopped, row-arranged presentation — fillings are NEVER tossed before serving, only after dressed at the table. The dressing is a Brown Derby vinaigrette — red wine vinegar, olive oil, Worcestershire, lemon, garlic, black pepper. The Cobb is the classic Hollywood-power-lunch salad, and it became the model for the 'composed salad' format that's now standard at brasseries and chains. Restaurant versions are entrée-sized; the home version is the same dish, scaled.
Method · 9 steps
- 1
Cook the bacon: lay strips on a rimmed sheet pan in a cold oven, set to 400°F, and bake 18–20 minutes until crispy. Cool, then crumble.
- 2
Hard-boil the eggs: place eggs in a single layer in a saucepan, cover with cold water, bring to a boil, reduce to bare simmer for 9 minutes. Ice bath. Peel and chop.
- 3
Make the dressing: whisk red wine vinegar, olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, Worcestershire, mustard, salt, and pepper in a small bowl until emulsified. Refrigerate.
- 4
Shred the lettuces (iceberg and romaine) and combine in a bowl. Don't tear by hand; a sharp knife gives clean cuts.
- 5
Spread the lettuce on a long platter (or 4 individual plates) as the base.
- 6
Arrange the toppings in 7 distinct rows across the lettuce: chopped chicken, chopped egg, crumbled bacon, diced tomato, diced avocado, blue cheese crumbles, watercress (or chives if no watercress). Each row should be visible and parallel.
- 7
Sprinkle minced chives over the entire arrangement.
- 8
Bring the dressing to the table separately. At service, drizzle dressing over the salad and toss to combine — but the rows should look intact when first set down.
- 9
Serve with crusty bread or warm rolls.
Chef's notes
- →Iceberg + romaine is the traditional base. Romaine alone is more modern but less classic. Don't use spring mix or arugula; wrong restaurant.
- →The row arrangement is the entire visual point. Row by row, not tossed. Even at home, do the rows. It's part of the dish.
- →Use real blue cheese — Roquefort, Stilton, or Maytag Blue. Crumbled blue cheese in tubs at supermarkets is fine but lower-quality. Hand-crumbled is better.
- →Cobb salad is best assembled just before eating. Pre-made Cobb (like grocery-store deli) goes wilted within an hour.
- →Variation: add chopped chives over the top before serving — Brown Derby originals were finished with chopped chives.
Storage
Don't make ahead. Cobb is an assembled-fresh salad. Components (hard-boiled eggs, bacon, dressed lettuce, chicken) keep 24 hours separately. Avocado must be cut at the time of service.
Frequently asked
- Who really invented the Cobb salad?
- Robert H. Cobb at the Brown Derby restaurant in Hollywood, 1937. The story (raid the icebox at midnight) is well-documented. Other claims exist but none are corroborated. The Brown Derby kept the recipe on the menu for 50+ years.
- What lettuce should I use?
- Iceberg + romaine is the original. Some versions add watercress. Modern restaurants sub spring mix or arugula but those are reinterpretations — the original is iceberg+romaine.
- Can I make this without bacon?
- Sub a smoked turkey or chopped ham. Or skip the meat entirely for a vegetarian version (replace chicken with chickpeas or tempeh). Without smoked protein, you lose a key Cobb flavor element.
- What's the best blue cheese for Cobb?
- Roquefort (French, pungent, salty) is the original Brown Derby cheese. Maytag Blue (Iowa) and Stilton (English) are both excellent. Avoid Gorgonzola — the texture is wrong; too creamy. Maytag and Roquefort are the most authentic.
- Why is the Cobb dressing so specific?
- Brown Derby French Dressing — red wine vinegar, olive oil, lemon, Worcestershire, Dijon, garlic. The Worcestershire is the key umami note. Modern Cobb at chain restaurants uses ranch or balsamic; the original recipe is the vinaigrette.
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