An Un-Classic Cobb

Are you someone who doesn’t like vegetables? Think about the flavors and textures you enjoy. Sweet? Salty? Crunchy? All of these can be created within a salad. The starting inspiration for this recipe was a Cobb salad, that turned away the bacon and cheese and embraced bananas, strawberries and a fruit preserve jam. A dish like this illustrates that when assembling a salad there is room for variation and creativity. Gone are the days when a salad was simply iceberg lettuce, a slice of tomatoes, carrots and onions. This salad gains its appeal from the sweetness of the fruit and the crunch of the lettuce. Miss the creaminess of avocados? There are no rules to follow, so add it in.

Un-Classic Cobb Salad

Ingredients
  • 2 cups romaine lettuce
  • 1 cup mixed greens
  • ½ head iceberg lettuce, cored and shredded
  • Juice of ½ lemon 
  • 1 cup chicken, cooked and shredded
  • 4 eggs, hard boiled, peeled and sliced in half
  • 2 bananas, sliced lengthwise
  • 8-12 strawberries, sliced
Dressing (Makes 8 servings. Keep leftovers in the fridge for up to 4 days)
  • 2 Tbsp orange marmalade or cherry jam, or other jam/preserve
  • 1 Tbsp chopped red onion
  • 1 clove garlic, chopped
  • 1 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley 
  • ½ cup apple cider vinegar
  • ½ cup canola oil
  • 1 tsp jalapeno (optional)
Directions
  1. To make the dressing: Place all the ingredients, except oil in a blender. Turn the motor on to a low speed and slowly drizzle in oil until a nice thick consistency is reached. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. 
  2. Toss greens in a bowl with a squeeze of lemon juice and a sprinkle of salt. Gently toss in the toss in the chicken. 
  3. Plate the greens and chicken and divide the remaining ingredients onto each plate. 
  4. Top with dressing and serve.
Adapted from: The Feed Zone Cookbook