Classic Wedge Salad Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What is a wedge salad made of? ›

Cut the iceberg lettuce in half. Cut each of the halves again in half or thirds (depending on how big the ice berg lettuce head is), to create "wedges". Place wedges on individual plates. To serve, spoon dressing over lettuce and then sprinkle the bacon crumbles, tomatoes, onion and blue cheese crumbles on top.

Yes, yes and yes! TIPS: Separate the lettuce wedges to clean them thoroughly then re-stack the to assemble your salad. Sand and bugs (ick) are often nestled between the leaves.

In addition to its appealing mix of cooling and creamy elements, one of the hallmarks of a wedge salad is its total simplicity—overcomplicating it in an attempt to make a version that stands out from the crowd flies in the face of what this salad should be, which is dead easy.

This classic and simple wedge salad is crisp and refreshing. A cold wedge of iceberg lettuce topped with a homemade creamy blue cheese dressing, bacon crumbles, diced tomato and chives.

The Keys to Crisp Lettuce

Lettuce actually needs a good amount of airflow, in addition to a bit of moisture (but not too much!), in order to stay crisp. That's why restaurants store their lettuce in special perforated bins that allow for air circulation while it's held in the fridge.

How do you eat a wedge salad? Insert your fork into the wedge center, and use your knife to cut a bit from the wedge tip closest to you. With your fork, swirl the bite in dressing, roll it in the salad toppings, and enjoy.

Bringing lettuce back to life

If your lettuce has wilted, this tip will help to revive it: Simply soak the lettuce in ice water for 15 minutes (or up to an hour, depending on how wilted your lettuce is), and its crispness will be restored.

Do I Need to Wash Lettuce? Yes, it's important to wash all fresh produce, but especially leafy greens and lettuce. Harmful bacteria from the soil can contaminate fruits and vegetables and lead to a foodborne illness if consumed.

Restaurants salt their salads.

This resulted in every bite tasting vibrant and flavorful. "Season your salad just like you would anything else," Simpson said. "Salt is a big difference between salads at home and salads in a restaurant." This doesn't mean you have to make your salads salty!

“The surrounding ingredients of a wedge salad are very expensive,” says Couper. “We typically use two types of blue cheese that are not inexpensive. Plus, we use hand-cut Nueske's bacon that we fry to order, and that's not cheap.” You can find picture-perfect versions of the wedge at Kinzie Chophouse (400 N.

Why are restaurant salads so much better than homemade? ›

A restaurant salad has salt on it.

Most good restaurants season salad carefully — probably adding salt and pepper directly to the greens, not just the dressing. If you don't usually add salt to your salads, try sprinkling in a little flaky sea salt next time and see if it doesn't taste 100% better.

Rinse your lettuce under cool water and cut off the white core at the bottom of the head. Then, remove any damaged outer leaves. For lettuce wedges: Cut the head in half and then slice each piece in half. For shredded lettuce: Cut the head into quarters.

True to its name, this fantastic dish involves cutting a bed of iceberg lettuce into the shape of a wedge and serving it under a pile of toppings — a tactic that brings a bit of flare to your plate.

From wedges of iceberg lettuce to quarters of Napa cabbage and halves of romaine hearts, the trick to eating any wedge salad is simple — always use both a fork and knife, slicing and arranging each forkful as you go!

A salad made from a head of lettuce halved or quartered, with other ingredients on top. Wiktionary.

A wedge salad is a green salad made from a head of lettuce (often iceberg), halved or quartered, with other ingredients on top.