Cobb Salad with Balsamic Shallot Vinaigrette

Name: Cobb Salad with Balsamic Shallot Vinaigrette
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients: 1 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar; 1 1/2 teaspoon salt; 1 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper; 1 3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil; 1 2 tablespoons minced shallots; 1 2 8-ounce skinless, boneless chicken breast halves; 1 1/2 teaspoon salt; 1 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper; 1 2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil; 1 2 8-ounce romaine hearts, washed, dried, and torn into bite-sized pieces; 1 2 large ripe tomatoes, seeded and diced; 1 2 ripe avocados, pitted, peeled, and diced; 1 8 strips turkey bacon, cooked and coarsely chopped; 1 2 hard-boiled eggs, coarsely chopped; 1 1 cup (4 ounces) crumbled reduced-fat blue cheese

From the kitchen of Carly

Crisp romaine dressed with a silky balsamic vinaigrette that gets its depth from caramelized shallots. Topped with golden pan-seared chicken that stays juicy inside, this cobb salad feels restaurant-quality but comes together on a weeknight.

Prep: n/a
Cook: n/a
Total: n/a
Servings: 4
Difficulty: medium

Ingredients

4 servings

11/4 cup balsamic vinegar
11/2 teaspoon salt
11/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
13/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
12 tablespoons minced shallots
12 8-ounce skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
11/2 teaspoon salt
11/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
12 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
12 8-ounce romaine hearts, washed, dried, and torn into bite-sized pieces
12 large ripe tomatoes, seeded and diced
12 ripe avocados, pitted, peeled, and diced
18 strips turkey bacon, cooked and coarsely chopped
12 hard-boiled eggs, coarsely chopped
11 cup (4 ounces) crumbled reduced-fat blue cheese

Instructions

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 even 1/2-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 heat to 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.