Bright, crispy lettuce, homemade blue cheese dressing, sweet cherry tomatoes, and don’t you dare forget the bacon! It’s the perfect side dish for a huge variety of mains, and it’s one of the easiest salads you’ll ever make. Salads are one of our favorite side dishes. They’re healthy, tasty, and you don’t even need to cook them! From classics like Caesar and Coleslaw, to salads from far away lands like Spanish Pipirrana and Asian Cucumber Salad, these fresh sides always find their way to our table. This wedge salad is so simple, but trust me, it’s a keeper!
What is a Wedge Salad?
The wedge salad is a classic American side dish that has been around since at least the early 20th century. It’s generally considered to have originated in the United States, though the exact origins are a bit unclear. The salad typically consists of a quarter head of iceberg lettuce (hence the name “wedge”), blue cheese dressing, bacon, tomatoes, and other optional toppings. It rose to prominence in the 1950s and ’60s, when iceberg lettuce was the most popular type of lettuce in the U.S., and it’s often associated with steakhouse menus of that era. Though it’s not as standard nowadays, as a wider variety of greens have become available, the wedge salad has experienced a bit of a renaissance in recent years.
Ingredients Needed
Iceberg lettuce – Cut into quarters. Cherry tomatoes – Cut into small pieces. Bacon – Yes, please! Chives – Just a sprinkle. Blue cheese dressing – Blue cheese, mayonnaise, sour cream, lemon juice, buttermilk. Blue cheese – Some more for garnish.
Recipe Notes and Tips
A wedge salad is pretty simple, but a few tips can help you perfect it.
Easy Wedge Salad Recipe
- Make the dressing: Combine all ingredients in a small bowl, breaking up the blue cheese with a fork. For more details, including the best types of blue cheese to use, see our Blue Cheese Dressing post.
- Fry the bacon: Fry till it is nice and crisp. Once it has cooled a little, break it into crumbles.
- Assemble the salad: On individual plates, place a wedge of iceberg lettuce. Drizzle generously with dressing, then garnish with cherry tomatoes, bacon, chives, and more crumbled blue cheese.
Serving Suggestions
This is one of the most versatile salads out there! Try it with your favorite potluck foods like Grilled Chicken, Pork Chops, Shish Kabobs or BBQ Ribs. It’s great alongside other nostalgic comfort foods like American Goulash, Salisbury Steak, Pot Roast, Chicken Fried Steak, and Chili. Some other pairing ideas are Steak Bites, Chicken Cacciatore, Oven Fried Chicken, and Crockpot Buffalo Chicken.
Other Topping Ideas
As with any salad, you can easily add other ingredients to customize it. Here are some ideas:
Croutons Cucumber Red onion Bell pepper Black olives Avocado Nuts like pecans or slivered almonds
Give this easy and classic wedge salad a try. It’s crisp, refreshing, and the perfect side dish to add to your repertoire. Pin or bookmark this great recipe so you always know where to find it. And be sure to subscribe to GypsyPlate, we’re always cooking up new easy recipes for you!
Wedge Salad, on our Gypsy Plate… enjoy!
Try these other great salad recipes!Antipasto SaladCowboy CaviarWatermelon SaladIsraeli Couscous SaladGreek SaladMexican Elote SaladVietnamese Chicken SaladCucumber Tomato Pesto SaladZucchini Carrot Salad
