Classic Wedge Salad

This Classic Wedge Salad is no ordinary salad. In fact, it’s best to grab a knife and fork when ready to devour the ultra-crisp and refreshing wedge of iceberg lettuce drizzled with tangy homemade blue cheese dressing and topped with crispy bacon, juicy tomato, blue cheese crumbles, and minced chives!

Classic Wedge Salad

There’s something about a wedge salad that just feels ‘expensive.’ I mean, it basically screams fancy steakhouse. The funny thing is, it’s all an illusion. Wedge salads are not only super easy to make, they’re also super budget-friendly. I love this – especially when it comes to entertaining.

This wedge salad recipe calls for only 5 key components – crispy iceberg lettuce, homemade (or store-bought) blue cheese dressing, juicy cherry tomatoes, blue cheese crumbles, and crispy chopped bacon! Even better is the fact that it can be made from scratch in just 20 minutes. You could add other ingredients, like olives, cucumber, diced red onion, and avocado, or you can completely switch up the cheese and dressing combination.

Regardless, the light and crispy texture of the fresh lettuce contrasts with the tangy and creamy dressing and crunchy toppings. It pairs beautifully with almost any main meal, including pan-seared steak, buffalo chicken, or tangy pulled pork.

Key Ingredients and Substitutions

Find the printable recipe with measurements in the recipe card below.

• Lettuce – You’ll need 1 head of iceberg lettuce for this wedge salad. 
• Blue cheese dressing – Combine sour cream, blue cheese crumbles (plus extra for topping), freshly squeezed lemon juice, freshly minced garlic, fresh chives, and salt. If you aren’t a fan of blue cheese, try this wedge salad with ranch dressing or Caesar salad dressing instead. 
• Cherry tomatoes – Sliced in half. 
• Bacon – Cooked until crispy, and then chop into small pieces.

How to Cut a Wedge Salad

1. Remove the Outer Leaves: Peel off any outer leaves that appear wilted or dirty.
2. Rinse the Lettuce: To clean the lettuce, rinse the entire head under cold water. Shake off excess water or pat it dry with a clean towel.
3. Cut into Quarters: Carefully, slice it in half from the top down to the bottom. Then, slice each half again, creating four quarters.
4. Trim If Necessary: If the core in each wedge is too large or tough, you can trim it down slightly by making a small V-shaped cut at the bottom of each wedge to remove the core.
5. Serve: Place each wedge on a plate, cut side up. You can now add your favorite toppings and dressing to make your wedge salad.

How to Make a Wedge Salad

1. Prepare the wedges: See detailed instructions in the section above.

2. Make the dressing: Add the sour cream, blue cheese, lemon juice, garlic, chives, and salt to a small bowl and stir well until fully combined. 

3. Assemble the salad: Drizzle the dressing over each lettuce wedge. Top each wedge with the sliced tomatoes, crispy bacon pieces, crumbled blue cheese, and freshly minced chives, if desired. Serve immediately.

Recipe Tips

1. Keep the toppings simple and chop them small. This ensures that they will attach to the wedge.
2. Shake or stir your dressing before drizzling it over your lettuce wedges. Homemade salad dressings may thicken or separate during storage.
3. The best way to eat a wedge salad is with a knife and fork.
4. Once cut into smaller wedges, you may need to clean the lettuce again. This allows you to get between all of the layers.
5. Crumbled feta or goat cheese is a good alternative to blue cheese.

More Delicious Salad Recipes

• Buffalo Chicken Salad
• La Scala Salad
• Cherry Tomato Salad
• Caesar Salad Recipe
• 7 Layer Salad Recipe
• Crab Louie Salad
• Nicoise Salad
• Green Goddess Salad

If you try making this Wedge Salad Recipe, please leave me a comment and let me know! I always love to hear your thoughts.