Cobb Salad with Homemade Sriracha Ranch Dressing

Last weekend I was talking to one of my girlfriends about a bar/restaurant a couple of towns over and how I hadn't been there in quite a while. I was saying how I thought the best thing they had on the menu was the Cobb Salad, she emphatically agreed then jumped out of her chair, grabbed my hands and squeezed them (like only she can do when she is excited about something) and said, THEY TOOK IT OFF THE MENU!

What? I said.

Why would they?

She said they redesigned the menu and poof...no Cobb Salad!

So I did what any self respecting foodie would do...I kept thinking about it....then decided to make my own.

Then this happened.

Look at these...

Are they gorgeous or what? They were picked from a garden in Connecticut just that morning by the husband of one of my parents oldest friends (and Navy buddy), who my dad and sister caught up with that day on Staten Island (my dad is there restoring a temporarily dry-docked Naval Destroyer...today is day 81...but that is another story) and some landed in my hands...so I KNEW they had to be a part of this salad! I shaved the bottoms and blanched both the shavings and the tips and they were delicious!

I decided to make a Ranch Dressing for it then had a light-bulb moment and knew I HAD to add Sriracha!

I was SO glad I did.

Do you make your own salad dressings often?

I would say I do 65% of the time. Sometimes I think I don't have the time to, however I do...I really do, and it always tastes SO much better AND I know what's in them :). Plus you know what...That's what my minions are for (besides loving and squeezing them to pieces) they are salad dressing makers just like I was at their ages...and THAT makes me happy!

This Sriracha Ranch Dressing is SO easy and its made easier with one of my favorite supermarket finds...Gourmet Garden Herbs.

If you haven't reached for a tube of Gourmet Garden Herbs & Spices yet - You need to! The money you save by not wasting herbs plus they convenience of having herbs, that taste delicious, sitting in your fridge for months just waiting for you (not to mention NO chopping or clean up) = Priceless! Plus assembly of whatever it is you are making goes SO much faster.

Can you tell I am a true fan?

Disclosure: This is one of 4 recipes I developed for Gourmet Garden as part of a conference sponsorship, I am a huge fan of their product and company practices. All opinions about their herbs and spices are my own.

Cobb Salad
No real recipe here, just start with a bunch of torn lettuce or greens of your choosing and place rows of what you think would be delicious over-top. Here I did diced grape tomatoes, spicy grilled chicken, hard boiled eggs, diced cucumbers, some more spicy grilled chicken (since I was hungry and this was dinner), bacon...beautiful crispy bacon and because I had some on hand...asparagus two ways - shaved asparagus and asparagus tips, both blanched. Drizzle your dressing over-top toss and gobble it up!

Cobb Salad with Sriracha Ranch Dressing

¾ cup sour cream
¾ cup mayo
½ cup buttermilk
2 TBS Gourmet Garden Garlic
2 TBS Gourmet Garden Oregano (or dill, your preference)
2 TBS Gourmet Garden Parsley
1-4 TBS Sriracha (depends how spicy you like it)
S&P to taste

Combine all ingredients in a seal-able container that you can easily shake, like a quart-sized mason jar and shake until completely combined. Refrigerate until using. Shake again just prior to use.

Colleen's Note's: I like to make extra salad dressing whenever I make it so I have it on hand for the week. Keep any leftover dressing in the refrigerator in a sealed container.

*Stop back next week and see what I did with the leftover Sriracha Ranch Dressing...hint...they are warm and have a great crunch!

Check out these fantastic and easy recipes I have made using Gourmet Garden Herbs & Spices - I am a true fan!