I love a good salad that’s crips, delicious and full of great ingredients, like bacon! I mean, put bacon in any salad and you’ve got a winner in my book but this salad, is on the healthier side too. It’s also great as a main meal for lunch or dinner. My husband almost had a fit when he saw salad for dinner because salads are usually a side for us, but as he started eating it, he loved it and he was actually very full after.
What’s the difference between a chef salad and a cobb salad?
At first glance these two salads may look a bit identical. First of all, both are main dishes, and both have lettuce. A cobb salad is typically made with chopped green, tomatoes, bacon, chicken, hard-boiled eggs, avocado, blue cheese and a vinaigrette dressing. A chef salad is a more generic salad made with more generic salad ingredients such as cucumbers, tomatoes, carrots, then meats such as ham, bacon and cheddar cheese.
Ingredients
Dressing:
Mayonnaise – The base of any good dressing, in my opinion. Vinegar – Just a bit for a little acidity. Paprika – You can use smoked or sweet. Sugar – You can substitute with honey or agave if you wish. Salt & Pepper – To taste.
Salad:
Lettuce – I love Boston lettuce for this salad, but you can use Romaine or iceberg lettuce as well. Eggs – Large, hard boiled. Bacon – Cooked until crisp and chopped. Ham – Store bought and chopped. Veggies – You’ll need peas (frozen are fine), carrots, cucumber, green onions and cherry tomatoes. Cheddar Cheese – Shredded. No salad is complete without a little bit of cheese.
How to make chef salad
What to serve with it
Chef salad really is a meal on its own but why not try pairing it with some nice, homemade bread! Try these recipes:
No Knead Bread No Knead Skillet Bread Butter Biscuits Feta Fry Bread Honey Rolls Best Ever Dinner Crescents Quick Yeast Dinner Rolls
Leftovers
Your chef salad can last anywhere between 1-5 days. Depending on if you have already dressed the salad or not, is a factor. Undressed salad will keep for a few days longer, typically 3-5 days, than if the salad already has the dressing incorporated. If the salad is already dressed, it’s best that day, and might last another day in the fridge but the lettuce will get soggy.
More Great Salad Recipes To Try:
Cobb Salad Kale and Quinoa Salad with Lemon Vinaigrette Avocado Tomato Salad Israeli Salad with Goat Cheese Panzanella Salad Kale Salad with Blueberry Vinaigrette Mushroom Arugula Warm Salad Chopped Mexican Chicken Salad
title: “Chef Salad” ShowToc: true date: “2024-10-22” author: “Carolyn Boccella”
Be sure to try my Classic Wedge Salad and Crispy Chicken Salad next!
Would you believe that I first published this recipe in 2014? Over 5 years ago? Where does the time go?! Of all of the salad recipes that I like to make, this one is perhaps my favorite. (Other than my cheeseburger salad, which has an actual cheeseburger on top of it, so, no contest.) The beauty of this salad is that you can assemble the whole thing ahead of time and save it for later. So, what exactly goes into a Chef salad?
Chef Salad Ingredients
Chef Salads typically include the following ingredients:
Lettuce, Hard Boiled Eggs, Cucumber, Tomatoes, Cheddar, Swiss, Ham, Turkey, Croutons, and typically creamy Ranch or Blue Cheese dressing. You can also serve this with my Honey Mustard or Caesar dressing and homemade croutons with this too!
Chef Salad vs. Cobb Salad
There are a lot of similarities between Cobb salad and Chef Salad, but here are some key differences:
Chef Salad
The meat for Chef Salad is sliced or diced cold meats, such as ham/turkey. The cheese in a Chef Salad is typically Swiss and/or Cheddar. The dressing for a Chef Salad is commonly creamy Ranch or Blue Cheese, but can be a vinaigrette.
Cobb Salad
The meat for a Cobb Salads is often grilled chicken. The cheese in a Cobb Salad is typically crumbled blue cheese. Cobb Salads typically include bacon and avocados. A traditional Cobb salad is served with vinegrette, as a creamy consistency is already achieved by the avocado.
Both usually include hard boiled eggs.
How Long to Hard Boil Eggs
As I’ve learned from Martha Stewart, if you make your eggs this way, they’ll come out perfect every time!
Submerge the eggs in 2 inches of cool water in a pot on the stove-top. Gradually bring them to a boil. Once the boil is reached, cover the pot and remove them from the heat. Let them sit for 12 minutes. Place them in a colander and rinse them under cool running water to stop the cooking process. Then peel and slice.
PRO TIP: Spin your hard boiled eggs on a hard surface. If they wobble when you spin them, the yolk isn’t cooked yet. If they spin nice and fast, they’re done!
Type of Lettuce for Chef Salad:
Iceberg and/or Romaine Lettuce make great choices for Chef Salads.
PRO TIP: Be sure to avoid choosing lettuce that is pale in color, as that means it’s not as fresh.
By the way, this makes a perfect lunch on the go or at the office! (Check out this idea for sticking it in a jar!)
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