Summer Arugula Cobb Salad

by Mimi Levin, Tastemaker in Residence

There is nothing more refreshing than a crisp salad on a hot summer day. To ensure that I am using the freshest produce possible, I have committed to cooking seasonal recipes. One of my favorite seasonal recipes this spring has been the arugula cobb salad. This salad is full of peppery arugula, sweet cherry tomatoes, salty bacon, and tangy blue cheese and is sure to keep you feeling full and satisfied for hours. What’s not to like? 

Getegglettes.com = hard boiled eggs

Chicken Tenderloins sautéed in butter/or olive oil

Corn cut with Emeril bread knife

Bacon baked in oven

Ingredients
One bag of arugula
One container of cherry tomatoes
One avocado
Three hard-boiled eggs
Two chicken breasts
Bacon
Two ears of corn
Blue cheese dressing 

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400°.
2. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil then lay bacon on the baking sheet in a single layer. Bake bacon until crispy – roughly 18 minutes. Once cooked, remove from the oven and set aside. Once the bacon is cool, crumble it into small pieces. 
3. Lay both chicken breasts on a cutting board, season with salt and pepper, and cover the top of the chicken breasts with cling wrap. With a mallet, pound both chicken breasts until they reach an even thickness throughout. 
4. Once the chicken breasts have reached an even thickness, cook the chicken breasts in a pan (add 1 tablespoon olive oil first) and cook over medium heat for 8 minutes on one side. Flip the chicken breasts and cook for another 8 minutes. Once fully cooked, remove from the hot pan and set aside. Once the chicken has cooled, cut it into small cubes. 
5. Cut the cherry tomatoes in half lengthwise. 
6. Cube the avocado. 
7. Slice hardboiled eggs. 
8. Remove the husks from the corn. Once the husks are removed, take a knife and carefully cut the corn kernels from the cob. (do not cook the corn first).
9. In a large bowl, add arugula, halved cherry tomatoes, cubed avocado, corn kernels, cubed chicken breast, crumbled bacon, and sliced hardboiled eggs. Mix thoroughly.
10. Once the salad is combined, serve and top with blue cheese dressing. 

Cook's Note

1. In the photos, you will see a mixed bag of Trader Joe's arugula, and varietal lettuce, instead of just arugula. 
2. I substituted Chicken Tenderloins instead of Chicken breast