This fresh wedge salad is a classic. It’s crisp and refreshing, smothered in creamy dressing and topped with crumbles of cheese and bacon.
This is a salad is the queen of salads. It is so easy and simple to make, and so delicious that even salad haters will love it! For more classics, try Chicken Caesar Salad and Antipasto Salad.
Crisp & Refreshing!
My hubby usually orders a Wedge Salad at restaurants, it’s his favorite side dish. They are crisp, refreshing, and usually involve cheese! He loves salads, and this is one of his favorites.
Did you know this lettuce was originally called “Crisp Lettuce”?
When being shipped, the lettuce would be packed in ice and people thought that the heads looked like little icebergs peeking up from the ice. I’ve never considered lettuce adorable, but what a fun visual!
Anyway, when choosing a head of iceberg lettuce, pick heads that are a medium green color without any browning or wilting. Since you’re typically not paying by the pound pick up a few and choose the heaviest one. Once home, remove the outer leaves before rinsing, pat dry and cut.
How to Make A Wedge Salad
DRESSING. In a small bowl, whisk together the sour cream, buttermilk, mayonnaise, red wine vinegar, olive oil, sugar, garlic, salt and pepper. Stir in the crumbled blue cheese. Refrigerate at least 4 hours, preferably overnight.
SERVE. To serve the salads, place a wedge of lettuce on a plate and drizzle with blue cheese dressing. Sprinkle tomatoes, red onion, blue cheese crumbles, and bacon crumbles over the top. Repeat with remaining wedges. Serve immediately.
Make the homemade blue cheese dressing ahead of time. (in fact, I recommend it since the flavor is best after the ingredients have had a chance to meld together overnight), but all of the other ingredients are best served fresh.
Variations + Sides
A classic wedge salad includes iceberg lettuce, blue cheese dressing and bacon bits. It is a quick and easy salad to make. The most involved part is whipping up the dressing and even that just takes a few minutes.
If you’re not a fan of the traditional toppings, or just want to add a bit more variation, you absolutely can. I do suggest keeping the toppings small so that when you sprinkle them on top of the dressing they won’t just roll off the iceberg wedges. Some simple variations include:
- Substitute the homemade dressing with your favorite store bought brand.
- Easily adjust to portion sizes by cutting the iceberg into larger or smaller wedges.
- If you’re not a fan of blue cheese, use your favorite creamy dressing, like Homemade Ranch Dressing.
- Sprinkle the top with chives.
- Veggies: Add avocado, shredded carrots, or chopped cucumber.
- Add a chopped boiled egg.
- Sprinkle with salt and black pepper to taste.
You can also round out the meal by serving your wedge salad with a soup or sandwich. Some of our favorites include:
- Creamy Tomato Basil Soup
- Cream of Broccoli Soup
- Carrot Soup
- Monte Cristo Sandwich
- Mini Avocado Grilled Cheese Sandwich
For more salad recipes, try:
Wedge Salad Recipe
Ingredients
for the dressing:
for the salad:
- 1 head iceberg lettuce cut into eight wedges
- 2 ripe tomatoes diced
- 1 small red onion thinly sliced
- 4 ounces crumbled blue cheese
- 6 slices bacon cooked and crumbled
Instructions
- In a small bowl, whisk together the sour cream, buttermilk, mayonnaise, red wine vinegar, olive oil, sugar, garlic, salt and pepper. Stir in the crumbled blue cheese. Refrigerate at least 4 hours, preferably overnight.
- To serve the salads, place a wedge of lettuce on a plate and drizzle with blue cheese dressing. Sprinkle tomatoes, red onion, blue cheese, and bacon over the top. Repeat with remaining wedges. Serve immediately.
What a simple salad! It has big flavor though! I usually always have these ingredients on hand & salads are my go-to lunch!
I pretty much love all salads. This salad is simple and perfect for any meal.
The homemade dressing is amazing and I don’t usually love blue cheese. I am a fan of croutons so I toss some of those on too.
Delicious and easy! Best quick lunch idea!