End of Summer Cobb Salad with Creamy Carrot-Kimchi Dressing Recipe

This End of Summer Cobb Salad with Creamy Carrot-Kimchi Dressing takes a beloved classic and gives it a blast of vibrant color and zesty flavor, thanks to heaps of fresh late-season veggies and a lively, craveable dressing. It’s a dish that embodies sunshine, garden abundance, and the kind of easy, joyful eating that marks the best days of late August. There’s sweet charred corn, crisp romaine, rainbow-bright radishes, creamy avocados, and jammy eggs — and the real star is the Creamy Carrot-Kimchi Dressing that ties everything together. Trust me, if you’re looking for a salad that feels like a mini celebration, this is the one.

Ingredients You’ll Need

This salad shines through the simplicity and freshness of its ingredients. Each element — from the veggies to the perfectly hard-boiled eggs — brings its own pop of flavor, texture, and color, making every bite exciting and memorable.

• Carrots: The base of the dressing, adding natural sweetness, vibrant color, and a smooth, silky texture when blended.
• Ginger Root: Brings a gentle warmth and zippy freshness to the dressing.
• Garlic Clove: Adds depth and an earthy aroma, enhancing the overall dressing flavor.
• Kimchi: Delivers a tangy, savory punch and a subtle fermented funk that makes the dressing irresistible.
• Rice Vinegar: Offers bright acidity, keeping the dressing lively and balanced.
• Honey: Just a touch brings out the natural sweetness of the carrots and rounds out the acidic notes.
• Mayonnaise or Vegenaise: Creamy richness that marries all the flavors together.
• Sea Salt: Essential for nudging all the flavors forward — don’t skimp!
• Neutral Oil (Grapeseed, Safflower): Gives the dressing that luscious, pourable texture without overpowering the other flavors.
• Sweet Corn: Charred until juicy and smoky, these golden kernels bring summer sweetness and a subtle crunch.
• Romaine Lettuce: The crisp, refreshing backbone of the salad, perfect for catching all that dressing.
• Zucchini: Diced small for tender bites that soak up flavor but stay crisp.
• Radishes: Peppery, crunchy, and gorgeous, especially at the tail end of summer.
• Cherry Tomatoes: Sweet and juicy, bursting with late-season flavor.
• Avocados: Silky slices bring coolness and a buttery counterpoint to the tangy dressing.
• Hard-Boiled Eggs: Quartered for the ultimate Cobb salad touch — think savory, creamy, and deeply satisfying.

How to Make End of Summer Cobb Salad with Creamy Carrot-Kimchi Dressing

Step 1: Blend the Creamy Carrot-Kimchi Dressing

Pop those peeled carrots, ginger root, garlic, chopped kimchi, rice vinegar, honey, mayo (or vegenaise), and sea salt into your food processor or blender. Let it whirl until completely smooth — you want the mixture to be vibrant and creamy, no chunks allowed! With the machine running, stream in the oil so it emulsifies into a silky dressing. If it ends up thicker than you’d like, just add a splash of water, a tablespoon at a time, until it’s pourable and reminiscent of ranch dressing. Set it aside for the flavors to marry, or stash in the fridge up to four days in advance.

Step 2: Char the Sweet Summer Corn

For those beautiful smoky kernels, fire up a gas grill or get a cast iron skillet screaming hot. Give the shucked corn ears a light brush with oil, then char them, turning, until you get blackened spots all around and the yellow pops with intensity. This process adds loads of flavor and that summery aroma you just can’t get enough of. Once cool, slice the kernels from the cob.

Step 3: Prep Your Salad Veggies

Slice romaine into ribbons, dice your zucchini, thinly slice radishes, halve the plumpest cherry tomatoes, and fan out your avocado slices. The salad comes alive with the bright array of colors and shapes, so don’t be shy about arranging them artfully!

Step 4: Boil, Peel, and Quarter the Eggs

If you haven’t already, boil your eggs to your desired doneness (I love that just-firm, jammy yolk). Cool under cold water, peel with care, and quarter them neatly. Eggs are that classic Cobb component that adds creaminess and satisfying protein.

Step 5: Assemble the End of Summer Cobb Salad with Creamy Carrot-Kimchi Dressing

Start with a generous bed of romaine on a large platter. Drizzle with some of your dazzling creamy carrot-kimchi dressing. Then, nestle in the zucchini, radishes, cherry tomatoes, charred corn, avocado, and those beautiful eggs, arranging in bands or little clusters to make every scoop gorgeous. Finish with another light drizzle of dressing and a pinch of flaky salt if you like. Serve the remaining dressing on the side for extra drizzling at the table.

How to Serve End of Summer Cobb Salad with Creamy Carrot-Kimchi Dressing

Garnishes

This salad loves a finishing touch! Try a sprinkle of toasted sesame seeds, finely sliced scallions, or microgreens for extra crunch and color. A drizzle of good olive oil or a pinch of flaky sea salt will also make each bite pop — sometimes it’s those tiny flourishes that transform a great salad into an unforgettable one.

Side Dishes

While the End of Summer Cobb Salad with Creamy Carrot-Kimchi Dressing can absolutely shine as a meal on its own, it’s lovely paired with a loaf of crusty bread, grilled flatbread, or even a simple bowl of chilled soba noodles. If you want to bring in a heartier element, a platter of herby grilled chicken or chilled shrimp would be perfect alongside.

Creative Ways to Present

For a casual gathering, present the salad on a big platter with the ingredients artfully arranged in stripes — just like a traditional Cobb. You can also serve the salad in individual mason jars for picnics or packable lunches, with the dressing as a layer at the bottom. For something extra playful, set up a build-your-own salad bar and let everyone create their colorful masterpiece.

Make Ahead and Storage

Storing Leftovers

If you end up with extra salad, store the veggies and greens separately from the dressing for best freshness. Transfer the salad to an airtight container and keep refrigerated. The dressing can be kept in a jar or bottle in the fridge for up to four days. Just remember, avocado is best added fresh, so try to slice that just before serving or eating!

Freezing

This recipe isn’t a candidate for the freezer — fresh veggies and eggs don’t fare well after thawing, and the dressing loses its creamy texture. Instead, enjoy the salad within a couple of days of assembling, reveling in all those bright seasonal flavors.

Reheating

Since this dish is all about freshness, reheating isn’t needed or recommended. If you’d like to give any leftover charred corn a warm-up, you can briefly toss it in a hot skillet for a few seconds, but otherwise, this salad is best enjoyed chilled or at cool room temperature.

FAQs

Can I make the Creamy Carrot-Kimchi Dressing in advance?

Absolutely! The dressing can be prepared up to four days ahead and kept in the refrigerator. In fact, letting it sit gives the flavors time to meld beautifully. Just give it a good shake or stir before serving in case it separates.

What’s the best way to char corn if I don’t have a grill?

A cast iron skillet on the stovetop is your best friend here. Heat it until very hot, brush your corn with a little oil, and then rotate until all sides are nicely blackened. You’ll still get that delicious grilled flavor!

Can I substitute another green for romaine?

Of course! Feel free to use mixed baby greens, butter lettuce, crisp iceberg, or even a peppery arugula as the base. Choose whatever’s fresh and looks good to you — the End of Summer Cobb Salad with Creamy Carrot-Kimchi Dressing loves a bit of variety.

Is this salad gluten-free and dairy-free?

It is naturally gluten-free, as long as your mayonnaise or vegenaise is gluten-free. For dairy-free, just use vegenaise instead of standard mayo. As always, check labels if you have sensitivities.

Can I add protein to make this more filling?

Definitely! This salad is fantastic with cooked chicken, shrimp, or even crispy tofu scattered on top. The End of Summer Cobb Salad with Creamy Carrot-Kimchi Dressing makes a colorful canvas for plenty of add-ins, so feel free to make it your own masterpiece.

Final Thoughts

If you want to capture the very best of late summer in a single dish, you can’t do better than the End of Summer Cobb Salad with Creamy Carrot-Kimchi Dressing. It’s bright, bold, unexpected, and downright delicious. Gather up those end-of-season veggies, get a little creative with your platter, and treat yourself to one last taste of summer’s bounty!

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