Classic Wedge Salad Recipe
This easy Wedge Salad Recipe makes for the perfect side dish or lunch. Crisp iceberg lettuce topped with salad dressing, tomatoes, croutons, bacon, eggs, and crumbled blue cheese.
Pair the salad with Pan-Seared Steak or our best Chicken Breast Recipes for a complete dinner.
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This salad is such an easy recipe yet packed with so many flavors. The cold iceberg lettuce combined with the toppings and the Ranch dressing is so satisfying. It’s like a classic salad but made quickly and is so appealing to serve.
What is a Wedge Salad?
It’s easy to tell the difference between a classic chopped salad and a wedge salad. A classic salad is chopped romaine tossed together with desired ingredients and then mixed in salad dressing. A wedge salad is a fancier way of serving a salad with iceberg lettuce that is quartered and then topped with dressing and ingredients and cut up as you eat it.
Ingredients
- Lettuce – You’ll need whole iceberg lettuce, best if it is cold
- Tomatoes – Cherry tomatoes halved or any chopped heirloom tomatoes will work
- Bacon – Use the Air Fryer Bacon or Oven-Baked Bacon to get perfectly crispy bacon
- Eggs – This recipe calls for chopped boiled eggs
- Croutons – Homemade croutons or storebought will work great
- Blue Cheese – This is the classic ingredient for this salad
- Dressing – you can use either blue cheese dressing or ranch dressing (see below for more options)
How to Make Wedge Salad
This salad can be ready in no time, with just 15 minutes you can have this recipe!
- Cook the bacon and eggs, and allow to cool.
- Cut lettuce – slice the iceberg into 4 equal parts or wedges. Gently rinse and pat dry the quarters to remove any hidden dirt.
- Assemble – Add each quarter of lettuce (wedge) onto a plate and top with salad dressing, then add toppings.
- Serve – add freshly cracked black pepper and blue cheese crumbles and enjoy.
Wedge Salad Toppings
Since iceberg lettuce and the dressing are so versatile, there are so many different toppings options that you can add to the salad. Here are some popular add-ins:
- Cucumbers
- Banana peppers
- Mini bell peppers
- Jalapenos
- Chopped ham
- Instant Pot Beets
- Avocado
- Chopped chives
- Cheese – such as parmesan, feta cheese, goat cheese, fresh mozzarella, or part-skim shredded mozzarella.
- Dressing – Creamy Caesar Dressing, Avocado Ranch, or Jalapeno Ranch
Pro Tip: To eat a wedge salad, you’ll need a knife and fork. Secure the wedge with your fork and cut off bite-sized pieces, making sure to include toppings with every bite.
Commonly Asked Questions
Bacon and egg add great protein to the salad, but you can also add chicken, steak, and even shrimp. Cut them into bite-sized pieces and add when serving.
Yes, you totally can make up to one day in advance. Cut all the toppings and keep them stored separately, then assemble the salad before serving.
You can totally substitute blue cheese dressing for ranch and leave out the blue cheese crumbles or add them in for extra texture and flavor.
Yes, you can just half the romaine lengthwise or a larger head of romaine into quarters and assemble it the same way with great results.
Serve with
This salad makes for a great side dish or starter and it’s definitely fitting for any dinner party. Pair this salad with one of these popular entrees:
Iceberg Wedge Salad
Ingredients
- 1 medium iceberg lettuce
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes, quartered
- 4 slices cooked bacon, chopped
- 2 hard boiled eggs, chopped
- 1 cup croutons
- 1/4 cup crumbled blue cheese
- 1 cup Ranch dressing, or added to taste
- 1/2 tsp freshly cracked black pepper, or added to taste
Instructions
- Rinse and remove any wilted leaves from the iceberg lettuce. Cut the lettuce in half and then cut in half again, resulting in four quarters. Cut off fibrous stems. Gently rinse and pat dry the quarters to remove any hidden dirt.
- Add a wedge to a plate and drizzle the salad dressing over the lettuce and then top with the tomatoes, bacon, eggs, croutons, and crumbled blue cheese.
- Repeat with the remaining wedges and the rest of the ingredients. Garnish with freshly cracked black pepper.
Best ever wedge salad for my wife and me. Substituted feta cheese for my wife as she doesn’t care for blue cheese. This is a “go to” again.
Hi Jon! That’s great. Thank you for the feedback.
How do you crisp the iceberg lettuce? When I’ve had it in restaurants it is like frozen crisp? Ideas?
Hi Judy, you can try submerging the leaves in a bowl of ice water. Let it sit for about 5 minutes, then remove and thoroughly pat dry.
We have had wedge salad with medium size shrimp with a medium drizzle of cocktail sauce. Add whatever extras you want.
Thank you so much for sharing that with me!
Love this salad! I was out of the blue cheese and the ranch dressing so I substituted feta and 1000 Island dressing. So good!!! Thanks for submitting this Natasha as it made for a wonderful meal that was not only enjoyed by us but our guest!
You’re welcome! Great to hear that you liked the recipe, Connie.
How do you wash the iceberg lettuce to make sure no bugs or bird deposits are not between the leaves?
Hi Mary, Cut lettuce – slice the iceberg into 4 equal parts or wedges. Gently rinse and pat dry the quarters to remove any hidden dirt.
I have been craving a salad for alight lunch. This is it. Very easy to make. You hooked me with the blue cheese. It was delicious. With the presentation family can have the dressing of choice. Love your recipes.
Hi Joanne! Thank you for such a wonderful review. So glad you enjoy my recipes.
This wedge salad is one of my favorites! I love having it with a steak or burger, it’s really so good. We love it!
That’s just awesome! Thank you for sharing that with me, Eden!
Nothing beats a classic wedge salad! Great recipe, thank you.
A balsamic reduction is awesome on a wedge salad. The Outback had a delicious wedge salad but they don’t anymore.
Thank you so much for sharing that with me, Chris!
This was so quick and easy! Thanks so much for the recipe. Will make this salad again!
You’re welcome! I’m so happy you enjoyed it, Erin!
absolutely delicious! One question though, I had a wedge salad at a steak house and it had an additional tangy drizzle on it. So good! Could that have been balsamic glaze?
Hi Marsha! I can’t say for certain without trying it or being there, but that may be it! I recommend looking up the restaurant menu to see if they name the dressing.