With the new year in full swing, I’m on a mission to be healthier than I was this past year – anyone else in the same boat? It’s not like I was unhealthy in 2016, I just think I could have spent more time focusing on my fitness and cooking more meals that naturally filled us with more energy. My first mission is to find a few go-to salads that we can eat for lunch and/or dinner that are filling and scrumptious.
A few months ago we went to one of our favorite spots in Chicago, Homeslice (if you’ve never been, please do me a solid and go), and ate one of the best cobb salads I’ve ever had. It had kale (my bff), eggs, blue cheese, ham, tomatoes and best of all, the whole thing was topped with their to-die-for ranch dressing. After eating it, I honestly tried to think of ways I could eat the salad for the rest of my life and then thought it would probably take a long time to make a salad with that many ingredients every day.
But folks, I was able to replicate it at home and it wasn’t difficult at all. Most of the ingredients can be prepared ahead of time.
It’s filling, fun and a very healthy option for lunch and/or dinner. My homemade ranch tops it all off, bringing the flavors of the different ingredients together nicely. The base of the ranch is a Greek yogurt and buttermilk combo (um, I’m pretty sure I just heard angels sing!). I have to admit, this salad is just as good as when I ate it at Homeslice.
If you set out to make this salad, don’t forget to tag your photo with #marinamakeseats!! I’d recommend preparing a little more than you need to make an extra salad for lunch the next day.
Kale Cobb Salad
Serves 3-4
Ingredients
- Six cups of thinly chopped curly kale
- 3/4 cup of gorgonzola cheese
- 4 hardboiled eggs (see directions below)
- 8 slices of bacon
- 1 ½ cups of diced roma tomatoes
- Homemade ranch dressing (see recipe below)
Homemade Ranch Dressing
- A little less than 1/4 teaspoon of garlic
- 1/4 teaspoon of thyme
- 1/2 teaspoon of oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon of parsley
- A couple of pinches of salt and pepper
- 1/2 cup of Greek yogurt
- 1/2 cup of buttermilk
Directions
To make homemade ranch dressing mix herbs together first with a spoon, and then add the Greek yogurt and buttermilk and whisk together to combine.
To make hardboiled eggs, put eggs in a saucepan and cover with water an inch above the eggs. Bring the water to a boil over medium-high heat for one minute and then remove the pan from the heat. Let the eggs stand for 15 minutes. Drain and rinse the eggs under cold water until they are cool enough to handle. Peel the eggs and slice them thinly with a knife. Set aside.
Toss chopped kale, gorgonzola, sliced eggs, bacon and tomatoes in a large bowl. Add dressing and toss to coat.
Marina Makes 