Recipes

Mediterranean Cobb Salad with Pesto Vinaigrette

A composed salad of tender greens with prosciutto, chicken, olives, peppers, beans and hard boiled eggs can be an easy, sophisticated entree, especially welcome on a warm night. Add a simple pesto vinaigrette to elevate the flavor and appearance of the whole dish.

Ingredients

Pesto Vinaigrette

¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons Armanino Basil Pesto, thawed
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
kosher salt and ground black pepper

Salad

3 oz sliced prosciutto
6 cups chopped romaine lettuce (2-3 hearts)
1 cup shredded cooked chicken
1 cup diced English cucumbers
1 cup canned garbanzo beans, rinsed
⅔ cup diced red onion
⅔ cup crumbled feta cheese
½ cup diced roasted red peppers
⅓ cup pitted and halved Greek olives
4 peeled and quartered hard-cooked eggs

Directions

For Vinaigrette: Combine ingredients in a jar with a tight fitting lid. Season with salt and pepper. Screw on the lid tightly and shake to combine. Refrigerate up to 3 days ahead of time.
Heat oven to 375°F. Arrange prosciutto in single layer on parchment paper or foil-lined baking sheet. Bake 10 to 15 minutes or until crisp, turning halfway. Let cool then break into big crumbles.
For Salad: Pile a platter with lettuce and arrange remaining ingredients in contrasting rows, tucking the quartered eggs in here and there. Drizzle with Pesto Vinaigrette just before serving.

Chef’s Tips

To prepare eggs, place in saucepan and cover completely with cold water. Bring to a rolling boil then remove from heat. Let stand 12 minutes; drain. Rinse with cold water and let stand in cold or ice water until cooled. Hard-cooked eggs are easiest to peel under running water.
For a bit of extra flavor, toss chicken and beans with some of the vinaigrette before assembling salad.