Shrimp Cobb Salad with Dijon Dressing

This Shrimp Cobb Salad with Dijon Dressing puts a yummy new twist on an old classic. Herby mixed greens are jeweled with juicy cherry tomatoes, cool cucumber chunks and creamy avocado. Protein-rich shrimp and hard-boiled eggs complement the salty bacon and dusky blue cheese. The whole presentation gets dressed in a tangy Dijon mustard vinaigrette. Keep reading for expert tips, including an easy method for cooking hard-boiled eggs.

Tips from the EatingWell Test Kitchen

These are the key tips we learned while developing and testing this recipe in our Test Kitchen to make sure it works, tastes great and is good for you too! 

• For an easy hard-boiled eggs method, follow Julia Child's recipe. Place the eggs in a pot of cold water and bring them to a boil. Remove from heat and cover for 14 minutes. Drain immediately and transfer the eggs to ice water to stop the cooking process. They will then be ready to peel.
• You can choose a variety of mixed greens according to your preference, such as baby oak leaf lettuce, romaine, spinach, arugula, mizuna, frisée, radicchio, chards, mustards, dandelion greens and more.
• You can buy cooked shrimp to save time. However, freshly cooked shrimp will have a slightly better flavor.
• If preparing in advance, we recommend storing the ingredients in separate airtight containers in the refrigerator before assembling. When stored this way, the ingredients will stay fresh for 3 to 4 days. Leftovers can be placed in airtight containers and refrigerated for about 3 days.

Nutrition Notes

• Shrimp is a lean protein source and has no fat. And while it is high in cholesterol, the cholesterol in the food we eat has minimal effect on the cholesterol levels in our bodies. Shrimp provides a variety of nutrients, including selenium, iodine, vitamin B12, zinc and copper. Shrimp also brings brain- and heart-healthy omega-3s to this salad, as well as the antioxidant astaxanthin, which may help protect your cells and reduce inflammation.
• The vegetables in this salad—mixed greens, tomatoes, cucumber and avocado—all bring a mix of fiber and antioxidants, plus a variety of vitamins and minerals. The fiber in these veggies acts like a prebiotic, providing food for your gut's beneficial bacteria. And the antioxidants help calm inflammation and reduce disease risk, including cancer and heart disease.
• Like shrimp, eggs are also high in cholesterol and an excellent source of protein. And while, unlike shrimp, they do contain saturated fat, there is some evidence that suggests that the saturated fat in eggs isn't as harmful as the saturated fat in highly processed foods. Whole eggs also provide essential vitamins and minerals, including vitamin D, choline and vitamin B12. The egg yolk contains the antioxidants lutein and zeaxanthin, which play a role in healthy vision.
• What would a Cobb salad be without blue cheese and bacon? Since there's not a lot of either per serving, their contribution is mostly in flavor. With that said, the blue cheese adds some calcium and protein. And the bacon, well, it doesn't add much in the way of nutrition, but nothing quite compares to the taste of it. And thankfully, a little bit goes a long way as far as bacon and flavor go.