Classic Wedge Salad

Wedge Salad at The Whitfield in Pittsburgh


These are all of the required ingredients necessary in our recipe:

  • Iceberg Lettuce
  • Bacon
  • Roquefort Cheese
  • Greek Yogurt
  • Mayonnaise
  • Sour Cream
  • Chives
  • Black Pepper
  • Lemon
  • Salt
  • Tomatoes (optional)

Ingredient quantities are detailed in the printable recipe card below.

Iceberg Lettuce

Wedge Salad 20220930-184
Iceberg lettuce is the heart of our wedge salad recipe. | Image: ©2foodtrippers

Some doctors criticize iceberg lettuce for being non-nutrient dense. They clearly missed the memo that this crunchy, refreshing lettuce varietal is an ideal foil for fatty blue cheese dressing and bacon bits.

Iceberg lettuce is available practically everywhere. We can even buy iceberg lettuce at local chain grocery stores in Lisbon.

Pro Tip
It’s important to discard the outer shriveling leaves before quartering your head o’ lettuce. You’ll also want to cut the woody end of the core from the wedge before serving.

Bacon Bits

Close up of bacon cubes
Bacon makes everything taste better. The wedge salad is no exception to this rule. | Image: ©2foodtrippers

While many wedge salad recipes call for crisp crumbled bacon, we like the pleasing chew and occasional light crunch that thick chunks of bacon bring to the wedge salad party. This is no surprise since we prefer eating thick bacon that’s cooked but not burnt.

We cook our bacon in the oven at a medium temperature in order to cook the bacon evenly.

Pro Tip
Cook the bacon over parchment paper on a baking sheet for easy cleaning.

Roquefort Cheese

Wedge of Roquefort Cheese
Roquefort is our preferred blue cheese in life and in wedge salads. | Image: ©2foodtrippers

Is Roquefort the king of blue cheeses? We think so.

No other cheese provides the unique biting sheepiness along with that classic blue penicillium twang of the French classic. It’s the kind of blue cheese to eat when you’re living large. It’s also the blue cheese we add to our wedge salads.

You could substitute a big-time cheese like Rogue River Blue if you can’t find Roquefort. You could also use Stilton or Gorgonzola though the flavors won’t have the same impact.

Buy a wedge of Roquefort from Amazon if you can’t find our favorite blue cheese at your local market.

Yogurt

Mixing Blue Cheese Dressing
Greek yogurt is a marvelous multitasker in the kitchen. | Image: ©2foodtrippers

Sure, we could use buttermilk to create dressing for this salad . But, let’s face it, using plain greek yogurt is so much easier. We came to this realization after being initially frustrated that we couldn’t find buttermilk in Lisbon. It’s available in Northern European countries like Denmark but not in Portugal.

Pro Tip
Don’t throw out the extra yogurt. Instead, add honey or jam to create a tasty breakfast the next morning.

Sour Cream / Creme Fraiche

Adding Sour Cream to Blue Cheese Dressing
Adding either sour cream or creme fraiche creates a creamy decadence that we adore. | Image: ©2foodtrippers

Lest we forget, this IS a steakhouse-inspired recipe. Adding a little cultured cream adds the luxurious mouthfeel that makes its dressing sing.

Mayonnaise

Adding Mayonnaise to Blue Cheese Dressing
Mayonnaise isn’t just for sandwiches. It’s also an important ingredient in our wedge salad dressing. | Image: ©2foodtrippers

A couple tablespoons of mayonnaise binds the dressing together. If you’re like us, you already have a jar in your pantry.

Chives

Chives before and after chopping
Chopping chives is easy to do with a sharp chef’s knife. | Image: ©2foodtrippers

Finely chopped chives give our wedge salad that cheffy look that never fails to impress.

You can chop your chives fine or into one-inch batons. Either way, chives provide a wonderful grassy/oniony finish to the salad.

Pro Tip
Sharpen your chef’s knife to achieve great chive results.

Lemon

Squeezing a lemon into Bleu Cheese Dressing
A little bit of fresh lemon juice goes a long way. | Image: ©2foodtrippers

Many wedge recipes add vinegar to create bright acid flavors. This is not one of those recipes.

Yogurt provides enough acid that adding vinegar to the dressing would be overkill. We instead choose to ramp the up the acidity with a generous squeeze of fresh lemon juice. This zing completes the dressing’s flavor picture, providing just the right note of acidity with no vinegar added.

Pro Tip
Add about a tablespoon of lemon juice or more if necessary.

Cherry Tomatoes (Optional)

Tomatoes for TikTok Pasta Recipe
We like cherry tomatoes, just not in our wedge salads. | Image: ©2foodtrippers

We don’t add tomatoes to our wedge salads. Daryl is a purist and his childhood memories of the wedge salad include no tomatoes.

Feel free to add 4 to 6 halved cherry tomatoes to your salad If you don’t share Daryl’s memories or sentiments.



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