This, folks, is the salad you never knew you were missing! Combining two classic salads into the ultimate pairing. Crisp iceberg wedges decorated with tiny tomato gems, crumbled Gorgonzola - the most mellow of blue cheeses, fluffy grated hard boiled eggs, smokey chicken tenderloins, and a creamy greeny avocado dressing.
Before you ask "Where's the bacon?", in an effort to lighten it up for January goals I have created a smokey chicken breast in lieu of the traditional smokey bacon that usually accompanies both styles of salad. But, if you just can't even, add that bacon my friends! I support your bacon choices 100%.
Read on for all the loving details, or jump right down to the recipe card.
Featured Ingredients
Read below for some important information about a few of the ingredients.
Chicken - To lighten it up but still get a solid protein, I chose the tenderloin of the chicken, which is part of the breast. You can use full chicken breast sliced into strips as well. However, the tenderloin is already the perfect size, so no double duty! Another nice thing about the breast meat is that it is less flavorful than the darker meat, so it really takes on the smokey flavor. For even more added flavor, add 1-2 teaspoons of olive oil to the drained chicken and pan fry or grill.
Wine - Don't skip it! This is what helps the marinade work so quickly. Also, it tenderizes the chicken breast, which can get dry and overcooked so easily. If you can't use it then substitute 1 tablespoon of lemon juice and leave the chicken in the marinade for 1 hour.
Avocado - Reminder: buy them in advance so they have time to ripen. My trick is to pop them into beer Koozies! It speeds up the ripening. You'll want your avocados on the softer side for a smoother, more flavorful dressing.
Storage tip: If you have a partial avocado, keep the seed intact and rub some milk on the exposed flesh. Cover it with plastic wrap and it will keep its green color for an additional day or two.
Fresh herbs - For the dill and parsley in this dressing, treat yourself to some fresh herbs if you normally use dried herbs. That's one of the ways I add love to my recipes!♥ The bright flavors add to the freshness of the ranch. If you do use dried, use ⅓rd the amount listed, and if possible, several hours in advance.
Marinating the chicken
I marinated the chicken before roasting it to keep it on the lighter side but add in satisfying flavors. The liquid smoke will add a smoked aspect to the salad since it's missing the bacon, however, the marinade will still give your chicken an amazing flavor if you decide to omit the liquid smoke.
Always choose homemade dressing♥
This is so simple to whip up and lasts refrigerated for 3-4 days in flavor and color. Best of all, no weird chemical ingredients, and beats the flavor of commercial dressings by a mile!
Tools for the job
- Lined sheet pan
- Bowl, non-reactive for marinating
- Cutting board
- Chef's knife
- (Cheese) grater
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Blender or food processor
- Spatula
This recipe makes very hearty servings as you can see pictured on a 10.5" dinner plate below.
In detail - how to make this dish
- The first thing you'll want to put together is the marinade for the chicken. This will allow time for the chicken to absorb those flavors before you cook it, resulting in a much tastier bite. This should only take 15-20 minutes, so you can prepare your other ingredients while it marinates. Do not over-marinate, or the chicken will be tougher. If you're not ready to cook it in 15-20 minutes, just drain the marinade and refrigerate the chicken until you are ready. Note: If you are using thighs, then you can marinade for up to one hour.
- If you have not boiled your eggs, now is a good time to do that as well. Check out this post if you don't have a fool-proof boiled egg recipe yet.
- Next, make the dressing. Scoop out the avocado flesh into a blender or food processor and add the buttermilk, lemon juice, herbs, and seasonings. Blend until smooth and transfer to a pourable container and store in the refrigerator. I save mason jars and often use them for dressing and sauce storage. This dressing also makes a great dip! Omit the water and dial back the buttermilk to ½-3/4 cup.
- Once the dressing is done, it's time to prep the remaining ingredients. Grab the head of lettuce between your hands with the core side down, this is the fun part, slam the head onto your cutting board a few times to loosen the leaves within the head. Flip it over and tilt the knife just barely, trim out the hard nubby core, and discard. Then, cut the head of iceberg lettuce in half from top to stem. Once it's cut in half, lay it on its flat side and slice it into 3rds. Lettuce heads can be quite uneven and you may end up needing to use more than one wedge per salad.
- Dice up the tomatoes as well and break up the gorgonzola into small crumbles and crumbs. I prefer to wait to grate the eggs until the salad is on the plate. That way it's as fresh and fluffy as possible. So have your eggs and grater on standby!
- When the chicken has marinated 15-20 minutes, lay each piece on the lined sheet pan, not touching. Roast in the 375°F oven for 10-12 minutes or until the chicken reaches 160-165°F. The temperature will rise a bit as it rests after cooking in the oven. Be careful not to overcook the chicken breast, which, in my opinion, is the worst! Dice when cooled.
- Set the salad up on the plate by placing the wedge in the center. Sprinkle the tomatoes and gorgonzola over the top. Using the cheese grater, holding above the plate, grate a whole boiled egg over each wedge. Next, drop diced chicken tenderloins all over the wedge and drizzle the creamy avocado ranch over everything. (I did the last two steps opposite in the pictures below.)
Any way you build this salad, it's going to taste fantastic. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do! See the recipe card below for simple instructions.♥
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The Cobby Wedge Salad
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Diet: Gluten Free
Description
Combining two classic salads into the ultimate pairing, this salad is meant to satisfy! Crisp iceberg wedges decorated with tiny tomato gems, crumbled Gorgonzola - the most mellow of blue cheeses, fluffy grated hard-boiled eggs, smokey chicken tenderloins, and a creamy greeny avocado dressing.
Ingredients
- 1 head iceberg lettuce
- 2 roma tomatoes
- 4 hard-boiled eggs, peeled
- ½ cup gorgonzola cheese, crumbled
- 1 batch smokey chicken tenderloins
- 1 batch avocado dressing
Smokey chicken tenderloins
- 1 pound chicken tenderloins, or 1 pound chicken breasts sliced into strips
- ¼ cup white wine
- 2 teaspoons liquid smoke
- 2 teaspoons dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon soy sauce
- 1 garlic clove, smashed
Avocado Ranch dressing
- 1 avocado
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 2 tablespoons water
- 1 tablespoons minced parsley
- 1 tablespoon minced dill
- 1 ½ - 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon lemon juice
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F
- In a non-reactive bowl, mix together the white wine, liquid smoke, dijon mustard, salt, soy sauce, and garlic in a non-reactive bowl. Add the chicken and refrigerate for 15-20 minutes, but not longer. See Note #1
- Add the avocado, buttermilk, water, parsley, dill, salt, lemon juice, garlic powder, pepper, and onion powder to a blender or food processor and blend until smooth. Refrigerate until ready to use.
- Grip the head of lettuce in your hands with the core on the bottom and slam it against the cutting board 2 times to loosen the leave. Turn it over and make shallow cuts to remove just the top of the core. Then, slice the head in half through the stem, and each half into 3rds. Set aside.
- Dice the tomatoes and crumble the gorgonzola then set both aside.
- Line a sheet pan with foil or parchment and lay out all of the chicken pieces so they are not touching. Roast in the oven for 10-12 minutes or until reaching 160°F. Set aside to cool while you assemble the salad.
Assembling the Cobby Wedge
- Put the wedge in the middle of your plate.
- With your hand held high above the lettuce wedge, sprinkle on some of the diced tomatoes, then 2-3 tablespoons of crumbled gorgonzola. Using a cheese grater hovered above the salad plate, grate the hard-boiled egg over the top and around the plate.
- When the smokey chicken tenderloins have cooled enough to handle, dice them up and sprinkle on and around the wedge. Drizzle the entire salad with the creamy avocado ranch.
- (Optional): Top with minced parsley. See Note #2.
Notes
Note # 1. Drain the chicken from the marinade if you need more time before cooking.
Note # 2. Crouton crumbles make a great addition to this salad.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Salad, side dish
- Method: Oven, sheet-pan
- Cuisine: American
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