Cajun Cobb Salad with Shrimp and Chicken
A lot of my recipes are inspired by dishes I have while dining out and this happens to be one of them. There's a local restaurant that serves New Orleans-style food and it is sooooo good! They have 2 Cobb Salads on their menu - a traditional Cobb and a Cajun Cobb that has shrimp and chicken. It's AMAZING!!!!! I decided to create my own recipe since I love it so much. Lucky for me, the restaurant happens to sell their Cajun seasoning. I used it to season the chicken, shrimp and even the Cajun Vinaigrette! You should make the Cajun Vinaigrette first, then start on the salad. Also, I pounded out my chicken breast, added the Cajun seasoning to both sides and let it marinate in the fridge for about an hour. Season the shrimp the same way and let them sit for an hour as well. There is no need to add additional salt and pepper because there is salt and pepper in the Cajun seasoning. If you are using a store bought Cajun seasoning mix, make sure to check the list of ingredients before adding additional salt and pepper. Same with the salad dressing - I did not add any salt and pepper and it was seasoned perfectly from just using the Cajun seasoning. You'll want to use a really good Blue Cheese. Stilton is a great choice. Buy the block of cheese and crumble it yourself instead of purchasing the pre-crumbled cheese that comes in the plastic container. Trust me! As for the soft boiled eggs, I like to bring the eggs to a boil, lower the heat and continue cooking for an additional 6 minutes. You may like your yolk cooked a little more, but I prefer a jammy egg yolk. Feel free to use other salad greens as well - I love them all! You can totally make this delicious salad your own!!
Ingredients
- Cajun Vinaigrette
- 3/4 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 1 Lemon, juiced
- 1/4 cup White Wine Vinegar
- 1 tsp Dijon Mustard
- 1 tsp Dried Thyme
- 1 TBS Cajun Seasoning
- Cobb Salad
- 1-10oz Chicken Breast, pounded to about 1/4 inch thick
- 5 oz Shrimp, deveined and tails removed
- 1 TBS + 1 tsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil, divided
- 2 tsp Cajun Seasoning, divided
- 2 Soft Boiled Eggs, shells removed and cut into quarters
- 4 Slices of Crisp Cooked Bacon, chopped
- 1 Head Romaine Lettuce, chopped
- 2 Cups Baby Spinach Leaves
- 1 Handful of Baby Arugula
- 1 Large Shallot, thinly sliced
- 1 Cup Grape Tomatoes, halved
- 1-1/2 Cups Blue Cheese, crumbled
- 2 Avocado's, sliced or cubed
Directions
- Step 1 For the Cajun Vinaigrette, combine all of the ingredients into a mason jar, tighten the lid and shake vigorously. If you do not have a mason jar, whisk all of the ingredients in a small bowl. Refrigerate until ready to use.
- Step 2 Season the chicken breast with 1 tsp of Cajun Seasoning and saute in a small pan with 2 tsp olive oil for about 4-5 minutes per side
- Step 3 Let cooked chicken breast rest on a cutting board
- Step 4 Season shrimp with 1 tsp of Cajun Seasoning and saute in a small pan with 2 tsp olive oil for about 2-3 minutes per side
- Step 5 Set cooked shrimp aside on a small plate
- Step 6 Slice the chicken breast into thin strips. If you prefer to cut into cubes that will work as well
- Step 7 You can assemble the salad any way you like. I like to get a large platter and add all of the greens first and give them a little toss
- Step 8 You can pile all of the remaining ingredients on top or arrange them neatly like I always do. On top of the greens add the chicken, shrimp, shallots, bacon, tomato, eggs, avocado and blue cheese
- Step 9 Make sure to shake the Cajun Vinaigrette before adding to your salad so that it’s well combined
