This Wedge Salad Recipe brings restaurant-quality flavor right to your kitchen. Crisp lettuce wedges are piled high with salty bacon, juicy tomatoes, and fresh cucumbers for plenty of texture and crunch. Finish it all with a generous drizzle of homemade blue cheese dressing, and you've got a salad that feels just as special as anything you'd order at a steakhouse.
I've tweaked this dressing over the years, and the secret ingredient is a little dried dill for extra brightness. This is one of my favorite salads to make for girls' nights and backyard BBQs during the summer because it looks impressive without the effort!
The combination of the crisp toppings and that flavorful dressing makes it a recipe I keep coming back to. If you’re a blue cheese lover, too, you should try this blue cheese coleslaw and buffalo chicken tacos next!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- You can make the dressing smooth or chunky: Blend it for a smooth, creamy version, or leave it chunky for lovely pieces of blue cheese in every bite.
- It scales for a crowd: Double or triple the recipe to make plenty of this lettuce wedge salad for a crowd or dinner guests.
- It’s make-ahead friendly: You can make this wedge salad ahead (especially the homemade dressing), so it’s ready to assemble for dinner or a party.
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Ingredients
- Buttermilk: This is a key ingredient in the creamy consistency and tangy flavor. If you don’t have buttermilk, make a quick substitute by adding a teaspoon of white vinegar to ½ cup of whole milk. Let it sit for 5 minutes, and it’s ready to go!
- Blue cheese crumbles: Any brand of blue cheese crumbles is great. If you want a milder flavor, try gorgonzola. For a stronger flavor, use Roquefort.
- Mayo and sour cream: The combination of the mayo and sour cream gives the dressing richness and tanginess.
- Dried dill: This is the secret ingredient that takes the blue cheese dressing to the next level. It’s not one you find in recipes like this often!
- Iceberg lettuce: Leave the core intact so that it stays together when you slice it into wedges. It’s also my lettuce of choice for this wonton chicken salad.
See the recipe card below for exact ingredient amounts, nutritional information, and detailed instructions.
Variations
- Dressing swap: If you’re not a blue cheese fan, top your wedge salad with homemade ranch instead.
- Use another cheese: You can make the dressing using feta or crumbled sharp white cheddar, too.
- Add a protein: Turn it into a full meal with a protein like shrimp or grilled chicken.
How to Make a Wedge Salad
Measure all of your ingredients for your homemade dressing before you get started on the rest of the best wedge salad recipe with blue cheese!
- Step 1: Prepare the dressing. Start by combining all of the ingredients for the blue cheese dressing in a bowl to keep it chunky, or in a food processor for smooth. Then, transfer it to an airtight container and place it in the fridge for an hour.
- Step 2: Slice off the brown tip. When you’re ready to prepare the wedge salads, slice the brown tip off the core of the iceberg lettuce.
- Step 3: Cut the lettuce into wedges. Slice it into 4 equal wedges, leaving the core intact.
- Step 4: Dress and serve. Top your iceberg wedges with toppings like bacon and tomatoes, and then drizzle the homemade dressing on top. Enjoy the salad with this herb-roasted chicken for a complete meal!
Expert Tips
- Soak the lettuce wedges: After slicing the head of iceberg into wedges, place them into an ice water bath and let them soak for about 10-15 minutes. This will give the lettuce maximum crunchiness.
- Pat the lettuce dry: After washing the lettuce, pat it dry thoroughly with paper towels. The dressing will slide off wet lettuce.
- Leave the core intact: Avoid slicing the core off the wedges to keep the lettuce intact.
- Chill the dressing: Place the blue cheese dressing in the refrigerator to chill while you prepare the wedge salad. If you allow it to rest for an hour, it allows the flavors to meld and deepen, making it taste even better.
- Storing leftover salad: If you plan to keep leftovers, I recommend storing the ingredients separately to avoid a soggy wedge salad. The dressing will stay fresh in an airtight container or jar for up to 5 days in the refrigerator, while the undressed iceberg will stay fresh in the fridge for 2-3 days.
Serving Suggestions
You can enjoy a juicy steak like a seared ribeye or filet with your wedge salad to create a true steakhouse meal. You can also make these delicious steak kabobs on the grill to add even more bright and delicious veggies to your meal.
Try some seafood like herb-crusted salmon or lemon and herb tilapia. These varieties of fish would go perfectly with this wedge salad.
Wedge Salad Recipe FAQs
Yes! You may prepare the components (cook the bacon, make the dressing, prepare the iceberg) 1-2 days ahead of time and keep them separate in the refrigerator. It's best to assemble the salad right before serving.
There are a couple of reasons, including preparing the salad and dressing it too early, and not drying the lettuce properly. As the salad sits, the lettuce soaks up the dressing and becomes soggy. Also, be sure to thoroughly dry all the leaves so there’s no excess moisture, too.
No, it’s not recommended. Iceberg is the only variety that’s firm enough to hold the wedge shape and has the ideal crisp texture.
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Wedge Salad Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 head iceberg lettuce cut into wedges
- ½ cup mayo
- ½ cup buttermilk
- ½ cup sour cream
- 2 tablespoon red wine vinegar
- 1-2 garlic cloves grated
- ½ cup blue cheese crumbles
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- ½ teaspoon garlic salt
- ½ teaspoon onion salt
- 2 teaspoons dried dill
- 1 tablespoon chives more for garnish
Wedge Salad toppings
- bacon freshly cooked and crumbled
- cherry tomatoes halved
- red onion sliced
- cucumbers diced
Instructions
Blue Cheese Dressing
- For smooth dressing place all ingredients in a food processor and blend until smooth. Or, you can mix all ingredients in a bowl and stir until combined. Let rest in fridge for 1 hour
- Refrigerate leftovers in an air tight container
Wedge Salad
- Peel wilting leaves off iceberg lettuce head. thinly slice off the brown end but leave core intact. Slice the iceberg down the middle, and continue diving as desired.
- Top with freshly cooked and crumbled bacon, halved ripe cherry tomatoes, sliced purple onions, and homemade blue cheese dressing.
Video
Notes
- Stick with iceberg lettuce for a classic wedge salad. It’s the only lettuce variety that holds the wedge shape and a super crisp texture.
- For extra-crisp lettuce, soak the iceberg wedges in ice water for 10–15 minutes before serving. Just be sure to dry them well before adding the toppings and dressing.
- Leave the core attached to each wedge to help the lettuce hold its shape and stay together when serving.
Nutrition
Erin V says
been a little scared to venture into blue cheese territory, but this looks like a good place to start, thanks!