Platter Cobb Salad with Vinegar Brined Chicken
Serve a crowd or just a few with this simple but flavorful platter cobb salad featuring tangy, moist vinegar brined grilled chicken. Top it with an easy homemade ranch or a drizzle of vinegar and olive oil and dinner is deliciously served.
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I love the idea of serving something different, but also safe enough that everyone can find something to enjoy. If you have picky eaters to please, this platter cobb salad is the perfect way to tackle that task.
Where did the cobb salad get its name?
It wasn’t from corn if that’s what you’re thinking. It was actually invented by a man named Bob Cobb at his restaurant in Beverly Hills, California in 1937–and bless its heart, this salad has made it all the way to Kentucky. We’ve always been slow to adopt trends here but I think 82 years is a bit much!
So…what’s in a cobb salad?
That varies a little bit depending on who’s making it but the staple ingredients are:
- Lettuces or greens (endive, watercress, romaine, baby greens, etc.)
- Tomatoes
- Hard boiled eggs
- Avocado
- Bacon
- Grilled or roasted chicken (fried chicken was not part of the original)
- Blue cheese
- Red wine vinaigrette
And goodness sakes it’s delicious.
How to brine the best grilled chicken ever
Grilled chicken should be flavorful, moist and delicious. And for the chicken component of your platter cobb salad, I highly recommend using a vinegar brine before you grill. You can see my full recipe for bbq vinegar brined chicken here.
You’ll need to use bone-in, skin-on breasts for the best results (look for split breasts at the store) and soak them in a mixture of apple cider vinegar, salt, water, Worcestershire sauce, and red pepper flakes overnight before grilling. The final result is full of flavor all the way to the bone and will add a beautiful balance to your salad.
What kind of dressing is best for a cobb salad?
I used my buttermilk ranch mix to whip up our dressing. Equal parts mayo and buttermilk to 4 tablespoons of mix made a really delicious dressing–but the original version uses a red wine vinaigrette. A store bought version is fine if you’d prefer–just make sure it’s not loaded with sugar or colors.
If you want to do it from scratch (it takes 5 minutes at the most) you might like one of these versions:
*Note the prep time on this recipe. It includes 24 hours brining time for the chicken and the additional 30 minutes is prep time only after all other components have been made. You can easily prep the eggs and bacon a few days ahead and be ready to assemble.
Platter Cobb Salad with Vinegar Brined Chicken
Ingredients
- 6 cups greens or lettuces romaine, baby greens, or fresh spinach all work
- ½ pint cherry tomatoes halved
- 1 large avocado sliced
- 4 hard boiled eggs peeled, and chopped in to bite size pieces *see note 1
- 6 slices bacon cooked and crumbled
- 1/3 cup crumbled blue cheese optional
- 3 vinegar brined chicken breasts, grilled *see note 2
- 1/2 cup red wine vinaigrette *see note 3
Instructions
- In a large bowl or on a platter, layer the greens, tomatoes, avocado, eggs, bacon and cheese.
- Add the chopped chicken and pour over the dressing. Toss to coat and serve.
About the Author
Rachel Ballard, RN, BSN brings more than 20 years of professional nursing expertise to Feast and Farm. With a love for nutrient dense foods that support wellness, she works to distill complex health information and current trends into recipes that fuel the best version of yourself. Read more about Rachel here.