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Crispy Wedge Salad

Featured in Fresh and Delicious Salad Recipes for Every Season.

A fresh classic featuring crisp iceberg lettuce topped with homemade blue cheese dressing, bacon, cherry tomatoes, and crumbles of blue cheese. Ready in only 15 minutes.
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Updated on Sun, 04 May 2025 11:25:43 GMT
A vibrant salad with iceberg lettuce, cherry tomatoes, bits of bacon, and creamy dressing, served on a plate with fresh herbs scattered in the background. Pin it
A vibrant salad with iceberg lettuce, cherry tomatoes, bits of bacon, and creamy dressing, served on a plate with fresh herbs scattered in the background. | chefmelt.com

This DIY Wedge Salad perfectly captures the timeless steakhouse classic in your own kitchen. With crunchy iceberg lettuce, sweet cherry tomatoes, crispy bacon bits, and rich blue cheese dressing, you'll get fancy restaurant vibes without much effort. It works great as a quick lunch or an impressive side that always gets compliments, ready in just minutes.

What Makes This Salad Special

What's amazing about wedge salads is how straightforward yet stunning they look. Each iceberg quarter works as a sturdy foundation for all your toppings. You'll love how the cool, crisp lettuce balances with the smooth blue cheese sauce, while the bacon adds smokiness and tomatoes bring a touch of sweetness. It looks fancy but couldn't be easier to make at home.

What You'll Need

  • For the Salad Base:
    • 1 large head iceberg lettuce, cut into quarters
    • 1 pint cherry tomatoes, cut in half
    • 8 slices thick-cut bacon, crisped and broken up
    • 1/2 cup blue cheese chunks
    • 1/4 cup fresh chives, chopped small
  • For the Blue Cheese Dressing:
    • 1 cup mayonnaise
    • 1/2 cup sour cream
    • 1/2 cup buttermilk
    • 4 ounces blue cheese, broken into bits
    • 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
    • 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
    • 1 tablespoon fresh chives, finely cut
    • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
    • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • Optional Extras:
    • More blue cheese chunks
    • Fresh black pepper
    • Extra chopped chives
    • Homemade bread cubes

How To Make It

Mix Your Dressing
Combine mayonnaise, sour cream, and buttermilk in a bowl and stir until blended. Add your blue cheese chunks, chopped garlic, Worcestershire sauce, and chives. Sprinkle in salt and pepper. Pop it in the fridge until you're ready to use it.
Get Bacon Ready
Cook your bacon in a pan over medium heat until it's nice and crispy, about 8-10 minutes. Put it on paper towels to soak up extra grease. Once it cools down, break it into small pieces.
Fix Up The Lettuce
Take off the outside leaves of your iceberg. Cut it in half, then cut each half into two wedges. Give them a quick rinse and pat them completely dry with paper towels.
Put It All Together
Set each wedge on its own plate. Pour plenty of dressing over the top so it runs into all the nooks. Scatter tomato halves, bacon bits, and extra blue cheese on top.
Add Final Touches
Sprinkle fresh chives and a bit more pepper on top. Serve right away while everything's still cool and crisp.

Helpful Tricks

Look for a solid, weighty iceberg head. You can easily remove the core by smacking the bottom on your counter and twisting it out. Cool your plates in the fridge before serving to keep everything crisp. Make your dressing a couple hours before to let the flavors mix together nicely. Make sure you dry the lettuce completely or your dressing will get watery.

A wedge salad topped with bacon, cherry tomatoes, blue cheese, and green onions. Pin it
A wedge salad topped with bacon, cherry tomatoes, blue cheese, and green onions. | chefmelt.com

How To Serve It

Put this together just before eating for the best crunch. Using cold plates makes it feel extra fancy. It goes great with a grilled steak, chicken, or can stand alone as a light meal. If you're hosting a party, keep all the parts separate and build each salad right before people eat. Always have extra dressing ready for folks who want more.

Keeping It Fresh

You can make the dressing up to a week ahead and keep it in a sealed container in your fridge. Cook the bacon a day or two early if needed. Wrap prepped lettuce wedges in paper towels and plastic for up to 24 hours. Always wait until the last minute to put everything together. Any leftover dressing stays good in the fridge for about a week.

Frequently Asked Questions

→ Which blue cheese is the best option?
A creamy and mild type like Roquefort or Maytag is ideal. Skip super strong or gooey ones that could take over the other flavors.
→ Can I try a different dressing?
Of course! Ranch, caesar, or even balsamic vinaigrette go great with this salad if you’re not a fan of blue cheese.
→ What’s the best way to cut wedges?
Take off any damaged outer leaves first, then slice the iceberg head firmly in half and cut those halves into quarters without removing the core.
→ Can I prepare it in advance?
You can make the dressing and cook the bacon early, but don’t put the salad together until just before serving so the lettuce stays fresh.
→ Want extra crunch?
Toss on some croutons or toasted breadcrumbs. Chopped nuts can also bring in more texture if you’d like.

Wedge Salad Blue Cheese

Crisp iceberg lettuce, smoky bacon, cherry tomatoes, and blue cheese crumbles come together with a rich homemade dressing.

Prep Time
15 Minutes
Cook Time
~
Total Time
15 Minutes

Category: Salads

Difficulty: Easy

Cuisine: American

Yield: 4 Servings (4 lettuce wedges)

Dietary: Low-Carb, Gluten-Free

Ingredients

01 8 slices of bacon.
02 1/2 teaspoon sea salt.
03 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, freshly ground.
04 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce.
05 1/2 cup buttermilk.
06 1 head of iceberg lettuce, split into 4 pieces.
07 3/4 cup mayo.
08 2 teaspoons fresh chives, minced.
09 2 ounces crumbled blue cheese.
10 1/4 cup sour cream.
11 1 cup halved cherry tomatoes.
12 1 clove garlic, finely chopped.
13 1 tablespoon fresh chives, finely diced.
14 1/4 cup blue cheese crumbles.
15 1 & 1/2 tablespoons plain white vinegar.

Instructions

Step 01

Toss all the dressing ingredients into a small bowl. Give it a good mix and then pop it in the fridge until you need it.

Step 02

Heat a big skillet over medium-high. Cook the bacon strips until crispy—should take about 5 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to move them to a plate lined with paper towels.

Step 03

Grab the head of lettuce and cut it into quarters so there are four chunks.

Step 04

Set one of the lettuce quarters on a plate. Drizzle some of that blue cheese dressing over it. Add chopped tomatoes, some blue cheese bits, and crispy bacon. Finish up with a pinch of diced chives.

Step 05

Do the same thing with the rest of the wedges. Keep it chilled until it’s time to dig in.

Notes

  1. For a mild taste, go with blue cheese like Maytag or Roquefort.
  2. Switch it up with caesar or ranch dressing if you’d like.
  3. Crunch things up by adding some croutons, if you’re into that.

Tools You'll Need

  • Big skillet.
  • Chopping board.
  • Small bowl for mixing.

Allergy Information

Please check ingredients for potential allergens and consult a health professional if in doubt.
  • Includes dairy.
  • Contains eggs (in mayo).

Nutrition Facts (Per Serving)

It is important to consider this information as approximate and not to use it as definitive health advice.
  • Calories: 654
  • Total Fat: 62 g
  • Total Carbohydrate: 10 g
  • Protein: 16 g