Food52’s Mighty Salads takes a look at the food group beyond the standard greens-and-vinaigrette faire, delving into the realm of salads where the star ingredients are grains, seafoods, and even bread.
Like many things, cooking is more fun when you break the rules. This dish is our case in point: Why should you have to make Cobb salad the usual way? Why wouldn’t you add steamed beets or oily black olives? The same goes for the dressing. Why only top your Cobb with hard-boiled eggs when you can blend them into a dressing that’s creamy without any dairy (similar to a quick sauce gribiche)? It’s all a little rebellious, but still a Cobb, no doubt. Feel better now?
4 servings
- In a large saucepan, bring 2 inches (5cm) of water, the vinegar, and several pinches of kosher salt to a boil over high heat. Put the beets in a steamer basket and set the basket over the boiling water. Cover the pan, turn the heat to medium, and steam until the beets are tender when pierced with a knife, about 20 minutes. Let cool, then peel and cut into bite-size pieces.
- To make the dressing, using a stand or immersion blender, blend all of the ingredients together until smooth and emulsified. Add salt and pepper flakes to taste.
- On a large platter or wide bowl, toss together the lettuce with half of the herbs. Add enough dressing to lightly coat the leaves, and toss again. Arrange the beets, eggs, avocado, olives, and cheese in rows on top. Scatter the remaining herbs. (You can also toss everything together.) Serve with the remaining dressing on the side.
Reprinted with permission from Food52 Mighty Salads: 60 New Ways to Turn Salad Into Dinner by the Editors of Food52, copyright © 2017. Published by Ten Speed Press, an imprint of Penguin Random House LLC.
