July Recipe of the Month: Soylicious™ Cobb Salad
“A really great Cobb salad is not only a thing of beauty but an absolute pleasure to eat. Each bite brings a symphony of flavors and textures.”
-Kelly Newsome (from the Institute of Culinary Education)
Did you know that the Cobb salad is an American original?
Legend has it that in the early morning hours of 1937 the restaurant owner of The Brown Derby in Hollywood, California got the munchies. Bob Cobb headed for the fridge to make a late dinner for himself and his friend Sid Grauman (of Grauman’s Chinese Theater fame). Throwing together chopped salad greens, tomato, avocado, hard-boiled eggs, bacon and chicken, the ingredients were served in rows across the bed of lettuce; a signature presentation. Sid came back the next day and ordered the Cobb Salad for lunch. The rest is history!
B & B’s updated version of the Cobb salad includes two varieties of soybeans, edamame and a beautiful black soybean. The soybeans provide a nutritional punch that also contributes to the beauty of this salad.
Did you know that black soybeans are keto-friendly?
Green beans and soybeans stand together above the crowd as low-carb beans; high in protein and fiber as well.
It was what was for dinner at the Ballard home last night.
This is the best Cobb salad I have ever eaten . . . probably the best salad ever!
The roasted corn and rich black vegetable soybeans give it a southwest flair.
Once you make it you will wonder where this salad has been all your life!
Check out the nutrition profile as well (following the recipe).
You won’t miss the meat or the saturated fat.
You deserve the best.
Enjoy!
Soylicious™ Cobb Salad
Prep Time: 35 minutes
Cook Time: No oven or stove required. It is July!
Just about 5 minutes in the microwave for the corn and edamame.
Serves: 4
INGREDIENTS:
8 cups romaine lettuce (or any another personal favorite)
1 medium tomato, chopped
1 cup of sliced red onions
1 red sweet pepper sliced
1 orange or yellow sweet pepper sliced
1 cup of frozen roasted corn, cooked according to package directions (drained & cooled)
1 cup frozen edamame, cooked according to package directions (drained, rinsed & cooled)
1 avocado, sliced
1 boiled egg, sliced
Dressing.
1/3 cup red wine vinegar
2/3 cup olive oil
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1 large clove of garlic (or two small ones) chopped
1 green onion, chopped
Salt and Pepper to taste (I used ¼ t of pepper and ¼ t of salt)
DIRECTIONS:
Getting Ready: Wash & prep your veggies.
You can roast a couple of ears or buy a bag of roasted corn to use in the salad. Options are good!
Cook your frozen corn and edamame in the microwave (separately - according to package directions), strain, and allow to cool in a colander.
Rinse lettuce, place on a towel, blot with paper towels, and allow to air dry while you get the rest of your ingredients ready.
Thaw frozen black soybeans in the refrigerator. (You can cook a new batch, but why? It is July!). Place in a colander, rinse, & set aside.
Wash and dice your fresh tomatoes and green onion.
Wash and slice avocado.
STEP 1: Mix your Vinaigrette Dressing
In a small food processor, add the ingredients in the order they are listed.
Process well for about 2 minutes. Allow the dressing to sit for 5 minutes while the flavors meld.
STEP 2:
Tear or chop lettuce and place in a large bowl.
Pour ½ of the dressing over the lettuce and toss lightly.
Note: You will dress each of your garden/vegetable ingredients separately (using the same large bowl) prior to adding each to the salad. This IS a key step if you want the flavor to jump off your plate!
STEP 3: The FUN part – Building your beautiful Cobb salad.
Pick out a platter with a little bit of a lip on the sides. This salad has a lot of of goodies.
Spread lettuce across the plate/platter.
Decide what order you want to add each vegetable. Place each vegetable in the bowl (you used for the lettuce), and toss lightly with the dressing remaining in the bowl. Add additional dressing to the bowl as needed.
Remember the classic Cobb has all of the ingredients arranged in neat rows on top of the lettuce. Beyond that, there are no rules! I chose the “not so neat” approach. : - )
Be creative with your colors – the ingredients are beautiful as well as tasty and highly nutritious.
Add the sliced egg last.
If you have any remaining dressing, drizzle it over the beans and roasted corn.
Garnish: It is so VERY pretty already, but if you want to add a little more pop, sprinkle a little Paprika on the eggs and/or add Wonton or Tortilla strips on top (or crumble some tortilla chips).
YUM!
NOTE: You can wash and chop the vegetables and prepare the vinaigrette dressing ahead of time. Just store each ingredient in separate containers in the refrigerator. When you are ready to make your salad, it will only take about 5-10 minutes to assemble immediately before serving.
Check out the nutritional profile for this nutritious and satisfying salad.
USDA’s Make Every Bite Count campaign speaks to the importance of understanding the impact daily choices have on our weight and overall health. Diet-related disease is at historic proportions.
You deserve the best. Don’t compromise!
With 16.1 grams of protein in each serving of the Soylicious Cobb Salad, this entrée will surprise and delight you.
While the traditional Chicken Cobb salad is tasty, it also packs on 620 more calories for the same serving size (even without the cheese).
The choice is clear, 592 calories per serving versus 1241 calories per serving.
