Summer Cobb Salad with Basil-Blue Cheese Dressing

Celebrate the season with this Summer Cobb Salad with a tangy & herby basil-blue cheese dressing!

It’s summer and that means one thing: it’s salad time! And I’m not talking about skimpy salads with some greens and a splash of dressing, I’m talking about salads like this Summer Cobb Salad with Basil-Blue Cheese Dressing that will blow you out of the water! Said to be created in the 1930’s by a Mr. Cobb that was hungry at midnight and threw together some basics – the Cobb salad was born! Wikipedia suggests: One way to remember the components is to use the mnemonic EAT COBB: Egg, Avocado, Tomato, Chicken, Onion, Bacon, Blue cheese. 

As you know, I love a good hearty salad and this one is my current favorite. Packed with summer vegetables like fresh corn that you’re going to grill and sprinkle over your salad, to sweet, tender asparagus spears (also grilled), to the obvious creamy avocado, juicy chicken, and other add ins, this salad has everything going for it.

Need a great summer grilling rub/seasoning? I’m currently addicted to the Greek Freak by Spiceologist and use it basically every day. No, this is not a joke and no my friend Heather (co-founder of Spiceologist) does NOT pay me to say this. A mix of herbs, dried onion, sun dried tomato, and orange peel powder make this spice mix a favorite – I think it’s the touch of orange peel that takes it up a notch. Sprinkled on the chicken breast before grilling for this salad, it adds a great pop of flavor to this already delicious salad.

Meet CORNBREAD CROUTONS, your new favorite addition to salads this summer! Seriously, these are so easy to make, all you do is bake up some cornbread (I used a mix but you can certainly make the recipe from scratch!), let it cool, slice and cut into crouton sized and then throw them back in the oven to crisp up like croutons would! They are slightly sweet, crumbly deliciousness that go so well with this summer cobb salad.

Last but not least, let’s talk about this basil-blue cheese dressing that is drizzled over this salad, tossed to perfection.

Take advantage of all that garden basil you have, stop making so much pesto, and make this dressing that takes the classic blue cheese condiment to summer perfection.

Summer Cobb Salad with Basil-Blue Cheese Dressing

The best summer salad, this Summer Cobb Salad will become a weekend favorite!

Print Recipe

Prep Time:30 minutes mins

Cook Time:15 minutes mins

Total Time:45 minutes mins

Ingredients

for the salad:

• 3 romaine heads washed and chopped
• 1 pint grape tomatoes halved
• 2 small avocados chopped
• 4 strips bacon cooked crispy and chopped
• 2 corn on the cobs grilled and with kernels sliced off
• 2 chicken breasts grilled and chopped
• 8-10 asparagus spears grilled and chopped
• 4 eggs hardboiled and cut in quarters
• ¼ cup blue cheese crumbles

for the cornbread croutons:

• 1 box Jiffy Cornbread Mix made into cornbread as per directions on box
• 1 tablespoon melted butter
• salt and pepper to taste

for the dressing:

• ¼ cup creme fraiche or sour cream
• ½ cup mayonnaise
• 1 tablespoon whole grain mustard
• 1 tablespoon vinegar
• 4 ounces blue cheese
• ½ cup chopped fresh basil leaves
• ¼ cup heavy cream or more to adjust texture

Instructions

• To make the croutons, bake cornbread in a larger pan than usual, so the cornbread is thin. Once baked and cooled, slice and cut into small squares. Toss in melted butter and season with salt & pepper. Bake at 350F for 10 minutes, until crispy and golden brown. Set aside.
• To make dressing: blend all the ingredients in the blender until smooth. Adjust texture with heavy cream if needed.
• To assemble salad: place all the ingredients over the lettuce, drizzle dressing and toss with cornbread croutons. Enjoy!