RESET360 with Camille McLaughlin
February Pick: Lunch

Turkey Cobb Salad

Rows of seared turkey breast, hard-cooked eggs, avocado, tomatoes, and blue cheese over crisp romaine with a sharp red wine vinaigrette.

Why you'll love Turkey Cobb Salad

A Cobb is a composed salad, which means everything goes on the plate in its own row and gets tossed only when you dig in. That is what makes it such a satisfying lunch: you see exactly what you are getting, and every forkful picks up a different mix of seared turkey, egg, avocado, tomato, and tangy blue cheese. In the middle of winter, when lunch can start to feel heavy, it is cold, crunchy, and generous all at once.

Thin turkey breast cutlets are the protein, and they cook in about 8 minutes. A hot skillet and a dry surface give them a browned, savory crust, and a few minutes of rest before dicing keeps their juices inside the meat. The eggs cook for 11 minutes and go straight into ice water, which sets the yolks firm but still creamy and makes the shells slip off.

The red wine vinaigrette is sharp on purpose. Avocado, egg yolk, and blue cheese are all rich, and the vinegar and Dijon cut through them so the salad tastes bright to the last bite.

Quick overview: This Turkey Cobb Salad takes 25 min of hands-on time and about 45 min in all and makes 4 servings, each about 3 cups. You'll need a saucepan and a skillet.

Jump to recipe

Turkey Cobb salad with rows of eggs, avocado, tomatoes and blue cheese
Prep 25 minCook 20 minTotal 45 minServes 4Serving about 3 cupsYou'll need Saucepan, Skillet

Ingredients

  • 1 1/4 lb turkey breast cutlets, about 1/4 inch thick
  • 3/4 tsp fine sea salt, divided
  • 1/2 tsp black pepper, divided
  • 1 tsp sweet paprika
  • 1 tbsp avocado oil
  • 4 large eggs
  • 2 tbsp red wine vinegar
  • 2 tsp Dijon mustard Label: mustard seed, vinegar, water, and salt
  • 1 small clove garlic, finely grated
  • 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
  • 2 romaine hearts (about 14 oz), chopped
  • 2 cups watercress, thick stems trimmed
  • 1 1/2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
  • 2 ripe avocados, diced
  • 2 oz blue cheese, crumbled (about 1/2 cup) Label: pasteurized milk, salt, cultures, enzymes, and Penicillium roqueforti, with no powdered cellulose or natamycin
  • 2 tbsp chopped chives

Instructions

  1. Cook the eggs: Bring a saucepan of water to a boil, lower the eggs in gently with a spoon, and keep it at a steady simmer for 11 minutes. Move them straight into a bowl of ice water for 5 minutes. The cold stops the yolks from overcooking and turning green at the edges, and it pulls the egg away from the shell so it peels cleanly.
  2. Season the turkey: Pat the cutlets dry with paper towels and season both sides with 1/2 teaspoon of the salt, 1/4 teaspoon of the pepper, and the paprika. A dry surface browns in the pan, and a wet one steams.
  3. Sear the turkey: Heat the avocado oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until it shimmers. Lay in the cutlets without crowding, in two batches if needed, and cook for 3 to 4 minutes a side, until golden and a thermometer in the thickest one reads 165°F (74°C). Move them to a cutting board and let them rest for 5 minutes, then dice them.
  4. Whisk the vinaigrette: Whisk the vinegar, Dijon, garlic, and the remaining 1/4 teaspoon of salt in a small bowl, then whisk in the olive oil in a slow stream until it thickens slightly. The mustard holds the oil and vinegar together so the dressing coats the leaves evenly. Season with the rest of the pepper.
  5. Build the rows: Peel and quarter the eggs. Toss the romaine and watercress with about a third of the vinaigrette and spread them over a large platter or four plates. Lay the turkey, eggs, tomatoes, avocado, and blue cheese across the greens in rows.
  6. Finish and serve: Scatter the chives over everything and pass the rest of the vinaigrette at the table, so everyone can toss their own and dress it as heavily as they like.

Storage and leftovers

Store the turkey, eggs, greens, tomatoes, cheese, and vinaigrette separately in the refrigerator. The cooked turkey keeps for 3 days, the peeled eggs for 3 days, the washed greens for 3 days wrapped in a towel, and the vinaigrette for up to 4 days in a sealed jar. Cut the avocado just before eating.

Packed for lunch, keep the vinaigrette in its own small container and dress the salad right before you eat it, so the romaine stays crisp.

Variations

  • Chicken Cobb: Use boneless, skinless chicken breast, pounded thin, in place of the turkey, cooked the same way to 165°F (74°C).
  • Creamy dressing: Whisk 2 tablespoons of whole-milk Greek yogurt into the vinaigrette for a thicker, creamier dressing that clings to the egg and avocado.
  • Feta or goat cheese: Use crumbled feta or fresh goat cheese in place of the blue cheese for a milder, tangier salad.
  • Lettuce wraps: Chop everything small, toss it with the dressing, and spoon it into butter lettuce leaves to eat with your hands.

Notes and tips

  • Buy blue cheese in a wedge: Crumble it yourself from a wedge. Pre-crumbled blue cheese is coated with anti-caking powder, and the label should read only milk, salt, cultures, enzymes, and the blue mold.
  • Pound thick cutlets: If your cutlets are thicker than 1/4 inch, press them between two sheets of parchment and flatten them with a rolling pin or the bottom of a heavy pan, so they cook through before they dry out.
  • Cook the eggs ahead: Hard-cooked eggs keep in their shells for up to a week in the refrigerator, so a batch on Sunday covers several lunches.
  • Keep the avocado green: Squeeze a little lemon over the diced avocado if the salad will sit before you eat it.

Nutrition and mindful eating

  • Turkey breast and eggs are the two proteins on the plate, and together they make this salad a full meal.
  • Avocado and olive oil bring real fat, and fat is what lets a cold salad hold you as long as a hot lunch would.
  • Romaine and watercress are mostly water and fiber, and watercress brings a peppery bite along with vitamin K and vitamin C.
  • Blue cheese is strong enough that a small amount flavors every forkful, and its sharpness is part of what makes the salad taste rich.
  • As you eat, notice how each forkful tastes different depending on which rows it crosses, and check in mid-afternoon: this lunch should carry you 3 to 4 hours, with your energy steady and no slump after it.

Frequently asked questions

Have a question about this Turkey Cobb Salad? Start here, with the questions people ask most.

What makes a salad a Cobb?

A Cobb is a composed salad of chopped greens with chicken or turkey, hard-cooked egg, avocado, tomato, and blue cheese laid out in rows, dressed with a red wine vinaigrette.

Can I use leftover roast turkey?

Yes. Dice about 3 1/2 cups of cooked turkey and skip the searing step. It is a good use for the last of a roast.

What if I dislike blue cheese?

Use feta, fresh goat cheese, or a sharp white cheddar. Each one brings a different kind of tang.

How do I keep the eggs from turning gray-green at the yolk?

That ring comes from overcooking. Eleven minutes at a simmer and straight into ice water keeps the yolks yellow.

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Tags: February Pick, Lunch, American