Summer is here, friends! Time to celebrate with grilling and fresh, amazing salads plump with the finest ingredients around! But, not just any old wimpy salad. I like BIG salads. Ones that are hearty and leave you feeling full and satisfied. Our newest, favorite summer salad is here – the Honey Sriracha Ranch Cobb. It’s delicious, simple and absolutely gorgeous! And, guess what? It is 100% kid-approved by my family so…winner-winner, chicken dinner!
The Cobb
Let’s first start by talking about the traditional Cobb Salad.
I LOVE a good Cobb. One that is stacked with neat little rows of ingredients bursting with flavor and nutrients. I like neat rows, they are consistent and predictable and orderly. (This can also be ordinary and a bit boring…)
Proteins, vegetables, cheeses, dressing…I love how creative you can be. Literally a Cobb Salad can consist of everything but the kitchen sink.
But, on the flip side, I’m totally digging my new Honey Sriracha Ranch Cobb that is messy and disorderly and just fun. {GASP!} You guys. I had to let my hair down a bit on this one.
Don’t get me wrong, if you like the aestethics of a traditional cobb, by all means do that with these ingredients. However, I dare you to get a little cRaZy! After all, it’s summer. Let your hair down a bit.
Honey Sriracha Ranch Dressing
This dressing is the stuff my summer dreams are made of.
It’s creamy, homemade ranch meets slightly spicy sriracha and a little sweet honey-bear. It’s basically spelled out for you in its namesake, but I thought I’d get you hooked by talking about its flavor components first! Feel free to get as spicy or as sweet as you want by adjusting the amount of sriracha and honey in the base recipe.
I usually divide my dressing into two containers on the salad board: a wickedly-spicy one for my husband and then a less fiery one for my boys. Although I’ll admit, as they get older they enjoy a little heat. They do occasionally choose to walk on the wildfire side with us and try our’s, too.
All The Other Ingredients
The fun thing about cobb salads is that there are a plethora of fun ingredients to play with. Everyone can choose how much of each ingredient that they want, especially when displayed on a big serving board like this.
If you want to swap mini sweet peppers for the tomatoes, go for it!
You don’t care for avocadoes or hard-boiled eggs, but you have a love affair with mushrooms and artichokes? Do it!
You love a more mild cheese? Or blue cheese? Use that!
I would tell you that it’s OK to omit the bacon but that would just be straight-up blasphemy. We’ve talked about this before, bacon is God’s gift. That’s all. But, of course, do as you wish. 😉
There are no real rules here. (There, I said it.) No rules when it comes to my Honey Sriracha Ranch Cobb Salad except that you need to use multiple ingredients of varied colors and you MUST make the dressing. Other than that, have a hay-day. Get a little wild! You only live once and your family will love you for having a little fun with your food.
Serving Your Honey Sriracha Ranch Cobb Salad
If you’re super Type-A and crave neat and tidy rows, here’s you chance to shine. Row. It. Up. on each person’s plate all neat and tidy – YOU DO YOU.
If you’re taking a walk on the {Cobb Salad} wild side and want to serve it up on a charcuterie board or large cutting board where everyone grabs what they want, this is where you can get creative.
How To Assemble:
- Start by laying down your ‘heavy’ ingredients in different spots on the board: slices of chicken breast, groups of halved tomatoes, clumps of shredded cheeses, slices of avocadoes, handfuls of chopped bacon.
- After those anchor ingredients are present on your board, layer in the salad greens to fill things in.
- Drop slices of hard-boiled eggs to liven things up all over the board.
- Don’t forget to save a spot for the Honey Sriracha Ranch Dressing. I like to serve it in a gravy boat or some type of dressing pourer.
Folks – you have yourselves a WINNER with this beauty! Enjoy this recipe all summer {and fall, winter and spring} long! Send me a comment once you make it. I’d love to see your creations!
After you’ve served up this fun, new twist to your family, hop back over to the blog and peruse the recipes for your next meal inspiration.
Until next time…Eat Well. Travel Often. Love Much.
XOXO
Honey Sriracha Ranch Cobb Salad
Your new favorite Cobb Salad is here! Delicious, homemade ranch dressing combines with a little spicy Sriracha and sweet honey to make the best marinade and dressing around. Assemble your salad on a big charcuterie board so everyone can pick as little or as much of one ingredient as they want! Enjoy!
Ingredients
- 8 cups mixed salad greens (I use organic spring mix)
- 2 cups sharp white cheddar cheese (I prefer Dubliner)
- 2 avocadoes - halved then sliced thinly
- 1 pint mixed cherry + pear tomatoes, halved (I love colorful heirloom varieties)
- 1 lb. bacon, cooked + chopped
- 6-8 hard boiled eggs, sliced
- 4 large chicken breasts (about 1.5-2 pounds)
- Honey Sriracha Ranch Dressing:
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 1 1/4 tsp. onion powder (NOT onion salt)
- 3/4 tsp. garlic powder (NOT garlic salt)
- 1 1/2 tsp. dried parsley
- 3/4 tsp. dried basil
- 1/2 tsp. dried dill
- 1/4 cup milk - more or less to desired consistency
- 2 1/4 - 3 tsp. sriracha sauce
- 1 1/2 tsp. light colored raw honey
- Kosher salt + Black pepper to taste
Directions
- Step 1 Dressing: Whisk all of the ingredients together except the milk so they are thoroughly combined.
- Step 2 Add the milk to the dressing ingredients, adjusting for the consistency you’d like.
- Step 3 Taste and adjust the salt, pepper, sriracha and honey if necessary. Refrigerate dressing until use.
- Step 4
- Step 5 Cook the chicken: Preheat the grill to about 400-450. Brush about 1 T. of the Honey Sriracha Ranch Dressing onto each chicken breast side and then place the dressing side-down onto the preheated grill. Brush another 1 T. of the dressing onto the remaining exposed sides of the chicken breasts. Cook until chicken breasts reach an internal temperature of 155-160. Pull from the grill and place on a plate, tented with foil. Let sit while you prepare the remaining parts of the salad. Slice chicken breasts on the diagonal when you’re ready to serve or place on the salad board
- Step 6 While you are cooking the chicken on the grill, cook the bacon, slightly cool it and chop into small pieces.
- Step 7 Slice your hard boiled eggs.
- Step 8 Halve the avocadoes and pit it. Slice your avocado into thin pieces or chunks.
- Step 9 Wash + halve your tomatoes.
- Step 10 Shred the cheese if using a block.
- Step 11 Assemble the salad board: This is where you can get creative – how fun! We either serve it family style, buffet style or on a charcuterie board like the photo suggests with all of the ingredients arranged loosely on a big board. This allows each person to create the level of salad they desire! Enjoy!
I love salads in the summertime. This looks great!
Oh my, this looks incredible! I’ve never heard of this combo before and I’ll have to try it – I love anything with honey and sriracha!!!
This sounds delicious! It’s so hot here right now it’s the perfect time to try new salads.
I love a good Cobb Salad so have pinned this recipe. Looking forward to trying it. Thanks so much.
It’s been a few years since I’ve had a cobb salad! I typically just make my own basic salads at home. lol. I might just have to step it up a notch and try this out!
What a fun and yummy idea!
That is one gorgeous salad board, and I so enjoyed seeing your boys grating the cheese. I can’t wait to try the sriracha-flavored dressing.
The presentation is wonderful! So many great ingredients for a salad!
Looks and sounds great – can’t wait to try this recipe!
This is definitely about to be my new favorite version of a Cobb salad, thanks for sharing!
I would def go for the wickedly spicy dressing haha. Looks amazing!
I love serving any kind of meal, family-style! And this presentation is awesome!
I like the layout of this salad – it is beautiful and gives you the opportunity to skip out on the things you don’t like. Cannot wait to try the dressing!
Yummy! I love a good hearty salad, especially in the summer!
This looks super delicious. I love a great cobb salad on a hot summer day.
Cobb salad is a favorite – the best low carb and amazing meal
Sounds absolutely yummy!
This looks delicious. I love a new spin on a cobb salad!