Our twist on the Cobb showcases sorghum and Southwestern flavors with a black bean corn relish, cheddar shreds, tomatoes, avocados, and a simple cilantro vinaigrette.
We first developed this salad for Bob’s Red Mill blog and are excited to share it with you.
Cobb…the salad to rule all salads!
Many stories exist recounting how the Cobb salad was invented. One says it came about in the 1930s when Robert Cobb, manager of the original Brown Derby in Hollywood, created it. The salad became a staple at the Brown Derby, and eventually an American classic.
See how we’ve changed up this classic…
Once you have your mise en place (everything ready), place chopped romaine in a large bowl or divide between four large salad bowls.
Place cooked sorghum on top of the lettuce forming a row down the middle. In strips on either side of the sorghum place black bean relish, cheese, cherry tomatoes, and avocados over the greens.
Drizzle cilantro vinaigrette, or your favorite dressing, over the salad. Toss to combine. Garnish with corn chips (optional) and enjoy.
Sorghum Thrives
One of the growing commercial uses in the U.S. for sorghum is in gluten free flour blends. Sorghum best imitates wheat in texture and taste. Flour blends that contain sorghum flour are outperforming the blends from the early days of gluten-free baking.
Sorghum has a lot more going on than just being gluten free. This easy to grow, drought tolerant crop is environmentally friendly.
Sorghum retains the majority of its nutrients since it doesn’t have an inedible hull like many other grains.
Chef Joel’s Tip
Different manufacturers give varying ratios of sorghum to water when cooking. We like to use a ratio of one cup whole grain sorghum to four cups of water, because of the long cooking time. Besides, any excess liquid is drained at the end of the cooking process.
- Start by rinsing the sorghum and placing in a pot with the water. Avoid using a large pot if cooking small amounts, as water will evaporate quickly. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to a simmer and cook until grains are tender and still chewy. This takes a good hour. Taste at the end of the cooking process to make sure it’s done. And finally, drain excess liquid. One cup of dry whole grain sorghum yields approximately 2-1/2 cups cooked.
We love cooking with sorghum and are excited to share one of our favorite grains, which packs a healthy punch.
For other delicious sorghum dishes, try our Greek Sorghum Salad and one of my very favorites, Thai Sorghum Bowl.
Spice up your meals with sorghum, a crop with a great future in food!
Southwest Sorghum Cobb Salad
Yield 4 Servings
Free of: gluten and top 8 allergens.
A twist on the Cobb that features sorghum and Southwestern flavors!
Ingredients
Cilantro Vinaigrette
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
1/4 cup firmly packed cilantro leaves
2 tbsp jalapeno pepper, seeded and coarsely chopped
2 tsp balsamic vinegar
1 tsp minced garlic
3/4 tsp minced fresh ginger
1/2 tsp kosher or sea salt
1/3 cup honey
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Black Bean and Corn Relish
1 1/2 cups fresh or frozen corn kernels, thawed
1 (15-ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed
3/4 cup diced green bell pepper
1/2 cup diced red onion, soaked in ice water for 15 minutes and drained (see recipe notes)
2 tbsp fresh lime juice
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tsp jalapeno or poblano pepper, seeded and minced
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp chopped fresh oregano
1 tsp kosher or sea salt
1/2 tsp minced garlic
1/2 tsp ground chili powder
Salad
1 package of 3 romaine hearts, trimmed, washed, and chopped
1 cup dry whole grain sorghum, rinsed, cooked, drained and cooled (see recipe notes)
2 cups black bean corn relish (recipe above)
2 cups cheddar style shreds, such as Daiya
1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
2 avocados, diced
1 cup cilantro vinaigrette (recipe above)
2 cups corn chips (optional)
Instructions
- For the cilantro vinaigrette, place lime juice, cilantro, pepper, vinegar, garlic, ginger, salt, and honey into a food processor or blender. Pulse a couple of times to blend.
- Turn the food processor or blender on low speed and drizzle in olive oil until incorporated. Transfer to a sealed container and refrigerate. Makes 1 cup.
- For the black bean and corn relish, combine corn, beans, bell pepper, onion, lime juice, olive oil, jalapeño, cumin, oregano, salt, garlic, and chili powder in a medium bowl. Toss well. Store in refrigerator until ready to use. Heads up, you will only need about half of this for the salad.
- For the salad, divide the romaine between one large bowl or four large salad bowls.
- Place cooked sorghum on top of the romaine forming a row down the center. In strips on either side of the sorghum place the black bean relish, cheese, tomatoes, and avocados over the greens.
- Drizzle cilantro vinaigrette or your favorite dressing over the salad. Toss to combine.
- Garnish with corn chips, if desired. Enjoy!
Notes
- Soaking red onions in ice water mellows out their flavor. The sulfur compounds which cause the harsh flavor and powerful aftertaste dissipates into the cold water.
- One cup of uncooked sorghum yields approximately 2-1/2 cups cooked.
Courses Soups & Salads