Cobb Salad with Balsamic Shallot Vinaigrette
Makes 4 servings
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons minced shallots
Salad
- 2 8-ounce skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 8-ounce romaine hearts, washed, dried, and torn into bite-sized pieces
- 2 large ripe tomatoes, seeded and diced
- 2 ripe avocados, pitted, peeled, and diced
- 8 strips turkey bacon, cooked and coarsely chopped
- 2 hard-boiled eggs, coarsely chopped
- 1 cup (4 ounces) crumbled reduced-fat blue cheese
Preparation
1 To make the vinaigrette, combine the vinegar, salt,and pepper in a blender. With the machine running,gradually add the oil. Add the shallots and pulse briefly to combine. Pour into a serving bowl and set aside.2 Pound each chicken breast half between 2 heavy duty plastic bags with a flat meat pounder to an even1/2-inch thickness. Season with the salt and pepper.Heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium high heat. Add the chicken and cook, turning halfway through cooking, until golden brown on both sides,about 6 minutes. Add ¼ cup water, reduce the heatto medium-low, and cover. Simmer until the chicken feels firm when pressed in the center, about 8 minutes.Uncover, increase the heat to high, and cook until the liquid is evaporated and the chicken is sizzling,about 1 minute. Transfer chicken to a carving board and let cool. Cut the chicken into bite-sized pieces.
3 Spread the lettuce on a large platter. Top with the chicken, tomatoes, avocados, bacon, hard-boiled eggs, and blue cheese arranged in rows. Serve immediately,with the vinaigrette passed on the side.
by
Nate Bruce