Wedge Salad – a classic steakhouse side dish with crunchy iceberg lettuce draped all over with creamy homemade blue cheese dressing, crispy bacon, juicy tomatoes, chives and crumbled blue cheese. A simple yet boldly flavored salad!
There are certain side dishes that serve its purpose as a “side dish”. And there are those few which are showstoppers. The latter type of dishes take little to no effort at all to make, but they effortlessly make you forget the main course. That’s how I describe this Wedge Salad – simple yet super appetizing.
What is Wedge Salad?
A Wedge Salad, or sometimes called as Blue Cheese Salad, is a classic and simple steakhouse salad made with cold crisp iceberg lettuce blanketed with a creamy and tangy blue cheese dressing that slowly seeps into every layer of the leaves. It is usually topped with tomatoes, bacon bits and crumbled blue cheese to complete that towering look.
Wedge Salads are traditionally served as a side dish to steaks, although, you can make a complete meal out of it with grilled chicken, shrimps, or more bacon.
Do You Wash Lettuce For Wedge Salad?
One of the most important things you need to do when making this salad is washing the iceberg lettuce before cutting them into wedges. You will need to wash those leaves to get rid of those gritty dirt and God knows what else you could find in those lettuce leaves.
To wash the lettuce:
- Peel off those outer limp leaves and toss them in the trash can.
- Cut the core (hard part) of the lettuce head and discard it as well.
- Carefully cut the leaves into 4 quarters and rinse thoroughly with cold water to remove any debris or dirt.
- Pat dry the leaves with paper towels, making sure there’s no excess water on them before cutting into wedges.
Can I Replace Iceberg Lettuce For Something Else?
For some reason, Wedge Salad isn’t the healthiest salad you could think of. In fact, this article from Chicago Tribune exposed all the points which many would just simply shrug off. It is a salad made from the least nutrient-dense kind of lettuce and covered with some of the fattiest ingredients. Oh well… we like our Wedge Salad that way!
While iceberg lettuce has vitamins C, K, A, folate, calcium and potassium, some would still consider it as sub-par when compared to its darker counterparts. For those who want to make the most of the nutrients in their salad, feel free to throw in a mix of other lettuce – the darker, the better.
Can I Prepare It Ahead of Time?
Oh, yes you can! What’s great with this Wedge Salad is that you can make the dressing 2 days in advance and store it in an airtight container and place it in your fridge.
You may also cook the bacon ahead of time or use any leftover you have. When cooking bacon in big batches, I suggest you use this Oven Baked Bacon recipe to cut back on prep time and for fuss-free cooking.
As for the vegetables, I DON’T recommend chopping them up in advance as they lose their crispness and freshness, which defeats the purpose of this salad.
How Do You Eat a Wedge Salad?
I’m so glad you asked! Wedge Salad is actually a fun salad to eat. Simply put your fork at the center of the wedge and cut it straight down towards the bottom of the plate. Then using your knife, cut it into bite-sized sections from the corner nearest you. Fork each one out with some of the yummy toppings and dressing. It’s sooo good!
Pair this simple, fun yet flavorful salad with one of these below and you have a restaurant-like meal for a much cheaper price.
Spicy Garlic & Rosemary Grill Steak
Marinated Grilled Chicken Breast
More Green Leafy Recipes
- Ethiopian Collard Greens
- Collard Green Recipe
- Sauteed Cabbage and Sausage
- Stuffed Cabbage Rolls
- Southern Fried Cabbage (with video)
And above all, don’t forget your homemade Blue Cheese Dressing here.
How To Make Wedge Salad
Wash the lettuce properly. Using a sharp knife remove the outer leaves. On a chopping board, chop the head of the lettuce.
Cut the end to take off stem.
And cut into four equal halves. Plate each wedge and top with: bacon, tomato, chives, blue cheese dressing and blue cheese crumbles.
Wedge Salad
Ingredients
- 1 head iceberg lettuce
- 4 slices bacon cooked & crumbled
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes , diced
- 1 tablespoon chives , diced
- 1 cup blue cheese dressing
- ¼ cup blue cheese crumbles
Instructions
- Wash the lettuce properly. Using a sharp knife remove the outer leaves. On a chopping board, chop the head of the lettuce, cut the end to take off stem and cut into four equal halves.
- Plate each wedge and top with: bacon, tomato, chives, blue cheese dressing and blue cheese crumbles.
Tips & Notes:
- Dice the toppings small to help them stay on top of the wedge. Bigger pieces will fall off.
Nutrition Information:
Diana says
How do you make your blue cheese dressing?
ImmaculateBites says
Hello Diana. Here is how I make my blue cheese dressing https://www.africanbites.com/blue-cheese-dressing/ .
Carolyn Fleming says
Looks good. I will make with the dressing..there’s nothing like homemade dressing!!!
ImmaculateBites says
I completely agree with you Carolyn! Thanks for stopping by!