Dream Summer Cobb
With Green Peppercorn Mustard Vinaigrette
With Green Peppercorn Mustard Vinaigrette
All of the best salad dressings start with this green peppercorn Dijon mustard: you can pick it up at that link or find it in most specialty grocery shops. Aside from a lighter, zestier dressing, a jammy egg vs. a hard-boiled one, and the omission of chicken, I just riffed on a classic Cobb salad (which I, of course, think is made all the better with perfectly ripe in-season tomatoes.) Here’s what you’ll need for this beautifully easy summer dinner—this serves two and takes about 15 minutes to make.
Ingredients:
About 2 heads of little gems or butter lettuce
4 slices center-cut or thick-cut bacon
2 medium-large eggs
1 avocado, thinly sliced
1 heirloom tomato, sliced into small wedges
A couple of Tbsp blue cheese, crumbled
A couple of Tbsp fresh dill, torn, for serving
Flaky salt, for serving
For the vinaigrette
5 Tbsp olive oil
2 Tbsp champagne vinegar
1 Tbsp green peppercorn dijon mustard
Dash of vinegar-based hot sauce
1 garlic clove, grated
Freshly ground black pepper
Pinch of kosher salt
Directions:
Start by making the dressing in a large salad bowl: whisk together 5 Tbsp olive oil, 2 Tbsp champagne vinegar, 1 Tbsp green peppercorn dijon, a dash or two of hot sauce, the grated garlic clove, some freshly ground black pepper, and a pinch of kosher salt. Taste to see if you’d like more heat and adjust accordingly.
Add the sliced tomato to the salad bowl with the dressing, add a pinch of flaky salt, and toss to coat. Set aside while you prep the rest of the ingredients.
Place a pot with 3 inches of water over high heat: once boiling, lower the eggs in with a slotted spoon. Set a timer for 6 minutes. Meanwhile, create an ice bath for the eggs by adding ice to a small bowl and filling it with water: once the timer goes off, remove the eggs from the pot and add them to the ice bath for 5 minutes.
Place a cast iron over medium-high heat and add slices of bacon, turning every couple of minutes until golden brown. Remove from the pan and add to a cutting board and roughly chop into 1” pieces.
Peel the eggs: tap them on the bottom end and start peeling from there for the easiest de-shelling experience, and dip them back into their ice bath as you peel for assistance getting the shell off if needed. Add to the cutting board and slice in half, topping with a pinch of flaky salt.
To serve, add your little gems to the salad bowl and toss to coat. Divide the lettuce and tomatoes into two bowls, and top with the sliced avocado, bacon, soft-boiled eggs, blue cheese crumbles, and torn dill. Top with more freshly ground black pepper and flaky salt. Enjoy!
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