A wedge salad is a steakhouse classic that’s so simple to prepare, it deserves a permanent spot at “your-house”. Crisp iceberg lettuce provides the ideal crunch and serves as the perfect vehicle to deliver savory bites to your plate—and your belly. This is a simple recipe, using only cherry tomato, crisp smoky bacon and creamy homemade blue cheese dressing. Croutons are optional and don’t hesitate to add anything your heart desires.
Iceberg lettuce rose to prominence in the 1940’s thanks to the advent of commercial refrigeration, making it widely available across the country. Its name, however, harks back to its earlier days, when heads of lettuce were transported on flatbeds under towering piles of ice. Though its reign as the king of greens faded with the rise of more fashionable leafy vegetables, iceberg lettuce has remained a timeless choice for a wedge salad like this one.
And just one more thing…
Marital advice for newlywed husbands. Don’t make fun of your spouse if she insists on honey mustard dressing. It’s still a wedge salad and she’s still your honey. Print
Wedge Salad
Iceberg lettuce with bacon, cherry tomato, croutons and bleu cheese dressing
Ingredients
Wedge Salad
- 1 head iceberg lettuce – quartered
- 1–1/2 cups blue cheese dressing
- 12 cherry tomatoes – 8 sliced into 1/8” coins and 4 whole
- 4–6 slices bacon – crisped and crumbled
- Croutons – optional
- Salt and pepper to taste
Blue Cheese Dressing
- 1/3 cup buttermilk
- 6 oz blue cheese crumbles – divided
- 1/3 cup mayonnaise
- 1/3 cup creme fraiche
- 3 tsp white wine vinegar
- 1/2 tsp sugar
- 1/4 tsp garlic powder
- 1/8 tsp ground white pepper
Instructions
Blue Cheese Dressing
- Make 4 hours ahead or up to a day ahead for best flavor
- Mix 4-5 oz of blue cheese crumbles with the buttermilk, roughly mashing it together until the liquid is well combined. Do not mix all the way to a smooth consistency
- Add the creme fraiche, mayo, white wine vinegar, sugar, garlic powder, salt and pepper
- Stir gently and mix until everything is well combined
- Keep in an airtight container until ready to serve
Wedge Salad
- Wash, remove outer leaves, pat dry and place the lettuce in the freezer for 15-30 minutes to add extra crunchiness
- Quarter the head of lettuce, cut off the stem and place on individual plates
- Stir the dressing briefly to reincorporate all the ingredients
- Spoon a quarter cup over each wedge and serve the remainder on the side
- Divide the bacon evenly and sprinkle over the salads
- Divide the tomatoes equally and place them on and around the salads