There is nothing better than a classic steakhouse wedge salad topped with chunky blue cheese dressing and bacon for the perfect side dish!
Made with the most mouthwatering and irresistible homemade chunky blue cheese dressing, this crisp and crunchy salad is the perfect pairing for a well-seared steak or smoked meat.
Looking for other delicious salad recipes? Check out some fan favorites like Chilled Tortellini Pasta Salad With Italian Meats, Chesapeake Crab Salad, and Grilled Chicken Salad Using Leftover Chicken!
What is a Classic Wedge Salad?
I know what you are thinking, and yes, this salad might be a little dated, but there has always been a soft spot in my heart for a tasty and refreshing iceberg wedge salad.
But, I’ll tell you why I love it…
A classic wedge salad is simple, it is not too fancy, it is crunchy, topped with the Best Chunky Blue Cheese Dressing, carrots, tomatoes, pickled onions, and crumbly bacon.
Steakhouse Salad Ingredients
There are lots of ingredients that can be added to a steakhouse wedge salad; These are the ingredients that I think are essential. Feel add or commit any ingredients to your liking.
Lettuce: The simplest part of the entire recipe; you can’t make a salad without some lettuce. Peel off any wilted or sad-looking leaves, and then cut your iceberg head into four wedges.
Salad Dressing: Whether you are using store-bought or following my homemade blue cheese dressing recipe, you will need ¼ cup of bleu cheese dressing.
Bacon: You can’t sleep on the bacon as this is an essential ingredient in a steakhouse wedge salad. I used 2 tbsp of fully cooked chopped bacon. Now, if you are looking to make this fast, you can use store-bought packaged bacon bits, but if you have some time, grab a pan and toss 4-5 strips of bacon down and enjoy fresh bacon with your salad.
Carrots and Tomatoes: Other essential wedge salad ingredients include ¼ cup julienned carrots and ¼ cup of cherry tomatoes. Pro-tip: make that tomato flavor pop and toss them in a dash of salt before putting them on the salad.
Onion: Add a nice bite to your salad with ¼ cup of thinly sliced red onion. I like to add some tang to my salad, so I pickle my red onions first.
To Taste: Before serving, I like to grind up some fresh cracked black pepper to the top of my salad. I like to use it a lot; some people only like a little, so use your best judgment.
Don’t forget to add my Quick Pickled Onions on top
How to Make a Classic Steakhouse Wedge Salad
Making a wedge salad is easy, so easy it really doesn’t have directions or instructions, but this is how I prepped mine.
Start by quartering off your iceberg lettuce and fan the four wedges out on a plate.
Pour your blue cheese dressing over the top of your wedges, and be generous.
Once you have added your dressing, top off your salad with the remaining toppings and dig in!
What Salad Dressing Do I Use?
While a traditional wedge salad calls for blue cheese dressing, you can use your favorite dressing.
Some alternative dressing options include ranch dressing, Caesar dressing, buttermilk dressing, creamy garlic dressing, balsamic vinaigrette dressings, and more!
How Do I Eat This Salad?
A wedge salad is definitely not as mindless to eat as a regular tossed salad.
Since this salad is much thicker than a regular salad and a bit trickier, I recommend using a fork and knife to cut the wedge of salad apart while you are eating it.
What Pairs well with a Wedge Salad
This classic game-changing salad pairs well with a classic strip steak, grilled chicken, smoked chicken, pork chops, salmon, and crispy potato wedges or french fries.
Other Tasty Toppings a Steakhouse Salad
Like any salad, you can go crazy with toppings.
Top off your salad with whatever you feel called to use some of my favorite toppings for this salad include avocado, croutons, and cucumbers.
Looking to make this salad a complete meal? Consider topping off your salad with some hearty protein like steak, chicken, shrimp, hard-boiled eggs, salmon, or tofu, if that is your style.
Pro-Tip: Keep your toppings chopped or diced small for two reasons, one, because they will stick to the dressing and stay on the wedge, and 2, because the wedge is larger to eat you want to make sure everything else is simple and not hard to eat.
How to Wash Iceberg for a Wedge Salad
One of the great debates – to wash iceberg wedge salad or not.
Honestly, some people do and some people don’t. I think it is a personal preference.
Because an iceberg wedge is similar to cabbage the outside leaves and tight inner structure keep the inside clean.
If you don’t wash your salad, I recommend removing the outer leaves first before cutting any germs or bacteria into the wedge.
If you do wash your salad, I recommend being very careful so as to not separate the leaves and break the wedge.
Making and Serving Wedge Salad to a Crowd
If you are serving wedge salad to a crowd, I would recommend making your wedges smaller.
The reason I say this isn’t to be stingy with the salad, but because I am assuming if you are having people over, you are going to serve them more than salad.
Instead of cutting your wedge into quarters, cut it into eight wedges and place them on a long serving platter or individual plates.
Depending on the crowd and occasion, I’ll either plate it up for people or serve it salad bar style and let people make their own wedge salad.
More Recipes You Will Love
Best Steakhouse Wedge Salad
Ingredients
- ¼ head Iceberg Lettuce
- 2 tbsp Chopped Bacon cooked
- ¼ cup Carrots Julienned
- ¼ cup Cherry Tomatoes halved
- ¼ cup Red Onions thinly sliced
- ¼ cup Blue cheese dressing
- ½ tsp Cracked Black Pepper
Instructions
- Slice the iceberg lettuce into quarters, then slice one quarter into smaller wedges. fan out on a plate or bowl
- Pour-over blue cheese dressing then top with remaining toppings
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