Cobb Salad with blue cheese dressing

Cobb Salad from Justine Pattison is an amazing, belly-busting US salad which will provide a filling lunch as well as a main evening meal. It’s great with a drizzle of balsamic vinegar, or a blue cheese dressing which you can make in a couple of minutes using light mayo, buttermilk or fat-free natural yoghurt, white wine vinegar, Roquefort cheese (or any blue cheese will do) and a dash of salt and pepper.

Struggling to remember the ingredients? As Justine says, just think ‘Eat Cobb’ – egg, avocado, tomato, chicken, onion, bacon and beetroot. My mouth is watering just typing this! One of the most satisfying, healthy salads you’re likely to have.

Recipe: Cobb Salad

Calories: 347 per serving (without blue cheese dressing), 412 per serving (with blue cheese dressing)

Serves: 2

Book: Justine Pattison: Without the Calories – Comfort Food

Prep time: Approx 15 mins

Cooking time: Approx 12 mins

Ingredients:

• 2 fridge-cold eggs
• 2 smoked back bacon rashers
• 1 romaine lettuce heart (leaves separated)
• ½ large avocado (stoned, peeled and sliced)
• 2 ripe tomatoes (cut into wedges)
• 1 cooked boneless, skinless chicken breast (torn into thin strips)
• ½ small red onion (thinly sliced)
• 2 cooked beetroot (about 125g), drained if in vinegar, cut into chunks
• Balsamic vinegar or blue cheese dressing (see below)

Cost per portion: £2.31 (with blue cheese dressing)

Method:

Half fill a medium saucepan with water and bring to the boil. Carefully add the eggs and boil for 7 minutes. When cooked, drain, then plunge the eggs straight into cold water. Leave for 5 minutes before peeling.

Meanwhile, heat a small non-stick frying pan over a medium heat and add the bacon. Cook for about 2 minutes on each side until lightly crisp. Remove and drain on kitchen paper. Cut into small pieces.

Roughly tear the lettuce and scatter over a serving platter. Top with the eggs (cut into quarters), bacon, avocado, tomatoes, chicken, onion and beetroot. Serve with blue cheese dressing or a drizzle of thick balsamic vinegar.

Blue cheese dressing: Mix together 1 tablespoon light-mayonnaise, 3 tablespoon buttermilk or fat-free natural yoghurt and ½ teaspoon white wine vinegar in a small bowl until well combined. Crumble 20g Roquefort cheese into the dressing, season with a little flaked sea salt and ground black pepper and combine until smooth. Serves 2. 65 calories per serving.