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If there’s a wedge salad on the menu, I’m ordering it. So I’ve eaten my fair share of wedge salads at restaurants. But when I’m craving a good wedge salad, this is the one I want. It’s quick (just 30 minutes!) and has everything a good wedge salad should—cold and crisp iceberg lettuce, a creamy buttermilk-sour cream dressing, tons of texture from crunchy bacon and breadcrumbs, and of course crumbled blue cheese. Plus, the way the wedge is cut just might change the way you make wedge salads forever.
Three Steps to Making a Really Good Wedge Salad
At their core, wedge salads are meant to be simple. But oftentimes, the simpler the dish, the harder it is to get right. And in my opinion, there are three factors that make a wedge salad restaurant-level. Here’s how to make the iconic side salad.
- One, the dressing has to be damn good. This is arguably the most important part. The dressing for a wedge salad needs to be creamy (not gloopy), deeply savory (not a hint of sweetness at all), and it needs to season the entire wedge. So don’t be afraid to drench the wedge in this!
- Two, you can use as many toppings as you want as long as each toppings brings its own texture. Too many similarly textured toppings and you might as well just chop the lettuce and make a cobb salad.
- Three, a cold wedge is a crisp wedge. So whether you cut the wedges ahead of time or not, keep the lettuce in the fridge until right before serving.
A Better Way to Cut a Wedge
A wedge salad is one of my favorite things to eat. So there’s nothing that really pisses me off about a wedge salad. But if I were to be picky, I don’t love how wedge salads are served. Visually, it’s great. Texturally, it can’t be beat. But two bites in and you’re looking for more dressing.
Because of that, I knew I had to find a better way to serve a wedge salad while maintaining its integrity. And what I came up with makes the whole experience so much more enjoyable, and it’s easy to do.
- Cut the head of iceberg lettuce into four wedges (as you normally would).
- Next, you’ll make 4 small cuts to slightly unfold the wedge. Each cut should be 1 to 1 ½ inches in length and none of the cuts should reach each other—if they do, the wedge will fall apart.
- Arrange the wedge so the 90-degree corner is facing up with the core closest to you. Cut a 1-inch slice through the wedge along the bottom half of the corner edge. Rotate the wedge 90-degrees so the wedge is now running horizontally, make another cut through the wedge from the corner out to the edges.
- Rotate another 90-degrees and make another cut along the bottom, rotate a final 90-degrees and a make one last cut from the center to the edges.
Wedge Salad Ingredients
Aside from the dressing, this recipe stays pretty true to a classic wedge salad. Here are the toppings you’ll need for a wedge salad:
- Thick-cut bacon is a non-negotiable in my opinion. You can use lardons (thick chunks of bacon) which is more traditional. But I find thick-cut bacon to be more realistic for everyday cooking.
- Breadcrumbs (or my go-to craggy croutons) are optional, but I do like the texture they add. Use the bacon drippings to toast the flaky Panko breadcrumbs for even more flavor.
- Vine-ripe cherry tomatoes add color and soft, juicy texture. I like to finely dice them so each bite gets some tomato.
- Chives are great for a wedge salad. They add a mild, herby flavor without overpowering the salad. If you prefer something with a little more oomph and texture, consider using pickled red onions. But don’t use raw onions—they don’t belong anywhere near a wedge salad.
- Blue cheese is a classic wedge topping. Opt for a dry, crumbly blue cheese with a mild flavor. If you don’t like blue cheese, feta is an acceptable substitute.
- Creamy dressing to hold it all together. My wedge features a creamy buttermilk basil ranch dressing that features…Castelvetrano olives. The olives get pulsed in at the end to retain some texture. I’m obsessed. (If you aren’t a fan of olives, I can attest that this dressing is fabulous without them too).
What I Like to Serve With a Wedge Salad
Easy Crisp Iceberg Lettuce Wedge Salad with Blue Cheese
Description
If you love a classic steakhouse wedge salad, then this is the recipe you're looking for. The crisp wedge is topped with a creamy buttermilk basil ranch and all the fixings. Plus, the way you prep the wedge just might change everything.
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Ingredients
Buttermilk Basil Ranch Dressing
- ½ cup fresh basil, heavily packed *
- ½ cup sour cream
- 2 tablespoons buttermilk
- 1 tablespoon mayonnaise
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ cup pitted Castelvetrano olives, optional
Wedge Salad
- 8 ounces thick-cut bacon
- ⅓ cup Panko breadcrumbs
- 1 large head iceberg lettuce
- ½ cup diced vine-ripe cherry tomatoes
- 2 ounces crumbled blue cheese
- 2 tablespoons thinly sliced chives
Instructions
Buttermilk Basil Ranch Dressing
- Add ½ cup basil, ½ cup sour cream, 2 tablespoons buttermilk, 1 tablespoon mayonnaise, ½ teaspoon garlic powder, ½ teaspoon onion powder, and ½ teaspoon kosher salt to a mini food processor and blend until smooth.
- Drain ½ cup olives and transfer to a paper towel or clean kitchen towel; fold towel over top and firmly smash down on olives to crush and draw out excess moisture. Transfer olives to food processor and pulse until olives are finely chopped but not puréed.
Wedge Salad
- Cut 8 ounces bacon into ½-inch pieces then add to a stainless steel skillet and place over medium heat; cook, stirring frequently, until browned and crisp, 8–10 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer bacon to a paper towel lined plate. Reserve 1 tablespoon drippings in skillet, discard the rest.
- Add ⅓ cup breadcrumbs to drippings in skillet and cook, stirring constantly, until golden brown, 3–5 minutes; set aside.
- Cut 1 head of lettuce in half, top to bottom. Place halves cut side down and cut in half again, top to bottom. At this point, you have 4 wedges. You can use these as-is and move on to topping and serving them, or you can further cut them so they hold onto the dressing and toppings better.
- To do this you’ll make 4 cuts on the wedge to form a cross, each cut should be 1 to 1 ½ inches in length and none of the cuts should reach each other—if they do, the wedge will fall apart. Arrange the wedge so the 90-degree corner is facing up with the core closest to you. Cut a 1-inch slice through the wedge along the bottom half of the corner edge. Rotate the wedge 90-degrees so the wedge is now running horizontally, make another cut through the wedge from the corner out to the edges, rotate another 90-degrees and make another cut along the bottom, rotate a final 90-degrees and a make one last cut from the center to the edges.
- Arrange wedges on a platter and lightly sprinkle with salt. Spoon dressing over top, making sure it gets into the nooks and crannies. Sprinkle ½ cup diced tomatoes over top followed by 2 ounces crumbled blue cheese, cooked bacon, 2 tablespoons sliced chives, and breadcrumbs (in that order).
Equipment
Notes
Basil: One .75-ounce package of fresh basil should yield a packed half cup of basil.
Olives: you can totally skip the olives if you aren’t a fan of them or don’t have them. This dressing is great either way!
Nutrition
Serving: 1/4 recipeCalories: 442kcalCarbohydrates: 12gProtein: 14gFat: 38gSaturated Fat: 14gPolyunsaturated Fat: 6gMonounsaturated Fat: 15gTrans Fat: 0.1gCholesterol: 67mgSodium: 1184mgPotassium: 463mgFiber: 3gSugar: 5gVitamin A: 1380IUVitamin C: 10mgCalcium: 168mgIron: 1mg
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