Simple But Gorgeous Blue Cheese Wedge Salad

When I was preparing our Easter dinner, I shared a quick video, panning over our fully assembled blue cheese wedge salads — they’re simple, but they’re beautiful! But, I was actually surprised by how many of you wrote in, asking about ingredients and specifics. So today, I grabbed a few shots I had on my phone, along with a few I shared on KN years ago, to share the simple recipe.

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While you’ll find them on the menu at most any steakhouse (they’re a personal favorite and my automatic, easy go-to), I think they’re incredibly underrated and not thought of nearly enough at home. Speaking of restaurant wedge salads, I’ve had some good ones in my life but I’d likely have to credit the Old Florida Fish House in Santa Rosa with the best blue cheese wedge I’ve had while dining out. The first time I had it, I shared it with my mom… the next time I had it, I ordered my own (no sharing ;)).

They’re so easy to make, but I typically associate them as prefacing a “nicer” dinner, I typically reserve crafting them for special meals at home.

PB Mason Stoneware Salad Plates

What Ingredients Are Needed To Make A Blue Cheese Wedge Salad?

There’s all kinds of wedge salads out there with different ingredients, or variations on the original (my fave was an incorporation of hearts of palm!), but my preferred wedge salad recipe sticks to the traditional and simple ingredients. My recipe calls for these basic ingredients:

• Iceberg Lettuce
• Tomato
• Blue Cheese Dressing (Marzetti in the jar in the refrigerated dressing section is my favorite grocery store dressing!)
• Blue Cheese Crumbles
• Bacon
• Sliced Scallions
• Salt & Pepper

What Kitchen Tools Are Needed To Make A Wedge Salad?

Since wedge salads are so quick and simple to make, not much prepping or kitchen tools are required. These are the only kitchen tools that you need:

• Microwave-Safe Plate
• Sharp Knife
• Cutting Board
• Kitchen Shears

How Many People Does This Wedge Salad Recipe Serve?

The number of servings you’ll have in this wedge salad recipe is dependent on the chop size of the iceberg lettuce wedges. I typically cut four wedges from a smaller iceberg lettuce head, but six wedges will also work for a smaller portion size. To cut the wedges, I cut the head in half and then each half in half to create four quarters.

When Is The Best Time To Serve This Wedge Salad?

Since tomatoes are a primary component of this wedge salad recipe, I would have said in the past that it’s best to make it when tomatoes are at their best during the summer months. But these days, tomato varieties are plentiful all year long and the taste has improved a lot during the cold weather months, so this salad can be served year around.

Are Heirloom Tomatoes Important to a Blue Cheese Wedge?

I love multi-colored heirloom tomatoes for their color and taste but if you don’t have easy access to those, you can use grape tomatoes or even chop a roma/vine tomato.

What To Serve with a Wedge Salad

It’s the perfect addition when you’re serving steak…for that special steakhouse moment. But beyond that, it pairs well with any of these proteins.

• Roasted Chicken
• Pork Tenderloin
• Beef Pot Roast
• Fried Shrimp
• Grilled Fish
• Fried Chicken

What Variations Can Be Made To This Wedge Salad Recipe?

You can certainly substitute any of the ingredients for other variations, but then you’d be left with a salad that isn’t a true wedge. But if you are one that doesn’t like blue cheese or tomatoes, substitutions can certainly be made.

• Substitute butter lettuce for iceberg lettuce.
• Substitute Romaine by slicing a full heart in half, vertically.
• Substitute a different creamy dressing, such as Ranch or Green Goddess, for the blue cheese dressing.
• Drizzle with balsamic glaze.
• Substitute shredded cheddar cheese for the blue cheese crumbles.
• Substitute Roma or vine-ripe tomatoes for the heirloom grape tomatoes.
• Substitute bacon bits for the cooked bacon.
• Add croutons.

Print

Blue Cheese Wedge Salad

This classic wedge salad recipe features crisp lettuce, tangy blue cheese, smoky bacon and bright heirloom tomatoes.

Course Appetizer, Dinner, Luncheon

Cuisine American

Keyword Salad, Wedge

Prep Time 15 minutes

Servings 4

Ingredients

• 1 Head Iceberg Lettuce
• 1/2 Pint Heirloom Grape Tomatoes
• 4-6 Slices Bacon
• Blue Cheese Crumbles
• Blue Cheese Dressing
• 2 Scallions optional
• Freshly Ground Black Pepper to taste
• Salt to taste

Instructions

1. Cook your bacon to desired consistency. (I cook mine in the microwave to save time and mess by laying strips on a microwave safe plate, placing a paper towel on top, and then cooking for two minutes. I continue to check the bacon and cook it in additional 30-second increments until it's firm but not too crisp.)

2. Core and wash the head of iceberg lettuce. Slice the lettuce head into four quarters.

3. Wash and halve the heirloom grape tomatoes.

4. Chop cooked bacon into small pieces.

5. Place each lettuce wedge onto a salad plate.

6. Drizzle blue cheese dressing over the lettuce wedge. (This will help everything stick better).

7. Sprinkle the halved heirloom grape tomatoes over each wedge.

8. Sprinkle extra blue cheese crumbles over each wedge.

9. Sprinkle the chopped bacon over each wedge.

10. Using kitchen shears, diagonally cut small pieces of the scallions over each wedge.

11. Sprinkle each wedge with black pepper and salt.

A Few Helpful Tips!

• Instead of cutting the core out of the iceberg lettuce head, did you know that you can firmly pound the lettuce head core side down, once or twice, on your kitchen counter? Once this is done, the core is easily removed, with no cutting required.
• You will likely need to remove the outermost lettuce leaves since they’re typically more limp/brown.
• Be sure to serve your wedge salads with steak knives!
• If you’re trying to get your kids involved in the kitchen, this is an easy dish to have them help prepare. Basically, only sprinkling of ingredients is involved and even messy, the wedges are beautiful!

Do you make this at home often or ever? It’s going to be great for the summer months ahead!

A Few More Side Dishes to Try

• Roasted Asparagus
• Spinach Casserole
• 3-Ingredient Potato Salad
• 4-Bean Salad
• Easy Twice-Baked Potatoes
• Classic Macaroni Salad

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