Whip up a steakhouse favorite at home with this quick and easy recipe for Iceberg Wedge Salad with Buttermilk Dressing.
My dad loves a good wedge salad. The kind that’s loaded up with extra dressing, an abundance of blue cheese crumbles and plenty of crispy bacon bites. And I am a fan, right there with him!
Iceberg lettuce leaves much to be desired. As the cheapest of the greens, it’s a common salad filler that’s often times lifeless and limp.
But find a good, crispy head of iceberg lettuce and you are well on your way to the best wedge salad to ever hit your lips.
Before we get to the toppings, let’s talk homemade buttermilk and blue cheese dressing. This creamy, tangy, garlicky mix is almost everything you need to dress up an ice-cold wedge. It comes together in minutes and can be stashed in the fridge while you whip up the real stars of the show …
Cherry tomatoes cooked in bacon fat. I repeat: tomatoes cooked in bacon fat.
Sweet tomato juice and salty bacon make for one heck of a combo. Homemade croutons are an optional but welcome addition for even more crunch.
The various components of this iceberg wedge salad can be prepped in advance and then assembled right before serving, making this wedge only minutes away from your dinner table. It’s crunchy, cool and ready to give your local steakhouse menu a run for its money.
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Ingredients
For the buttermilk dressing:
- 1/2 cup buttermilk
- 3/4 cup mayonnaise
- 3/4 cup sour cream
- 1 1/2 cups blue cheese crumbles, divided
- 4 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
- 1 Tablespoon Worcestershire
For the salad:
- 1 medium head iceberg lettuce, quartered
- 2 cups halved cherry tomatoes
- 8 slices thick-cut bacon, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
- 2 cups homemade or store-bought croutons (recipe below)
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh chives
Instructions
Make the dressing:
- In the bowl of a food processor, combine all of the ingredients except for ½ cup of blue cheese crumbles. Process the ingredients until the dressing is smooth then stir in the remaining ½ cup of blue cheese crumbles. (Alternately, you can whisk together the ingredients in a bowl until well combined.)
- Taste and season the dressing with salt and pepper then set the dressing aside.
Make the salad:
- Add the bacon to a large sauté pan set over medium heat. Cook the bacon, draining the grease as needed, until all the fat has rendered. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the bacon to a paper towel-lined plate and reserve the bacon drippings.
- Return about 2 tablespoons of the bacon drippings to the sauté pan then turn the heat to high. Add the cherry tomatoes and cook, stirring, until they are blistered. Remove the tomatoes from the heat.
- To assemble the salad, place a dollop of dressing down on each plate. (This will ensure the iceberg wedge stays in place.) Set a wedge of lettuce on each plate and top it with the prepared dressing, tomatoes, bacon, croutons and chives.
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Nutrition
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Ingredients
- 1 day-old baguette
- 1/2 cup butter
- 2 Tablespoons minced garlic
- 1 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 300°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper
- Melt butter and garlic together over low heat.
- Cut baguette into bite-size pieces, pour melted butter and garlic onto bread cubes and toss to coat. Season with salt and spread out on a baking sheet lined with parchment.
- Bake in oven for 20-30 minutes or until toasted.
- Remove the croutons from the oven and allow them to cool completely on the baking sheets before serving or store in a sealed container for up to three days.
- ★ Did you make this recipe? Don't forget to give it a star rating below!
Shoutout
Did you try this recipe?
Share it with the world! Mention @justataste or tag #justatasterecipes!
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Recipe by Just a Taste. Please do not reprint this recipe without my permission. If you'd like to feature this recipe on your site, please rewrite the method of preparation and link to this post as the original source.
PURE INDULGENCE! Just like the type you go out for .I think this is such a great dinner ,lunch or even breakfast. Such a Yummy idea. I have been eating Salads all my life even for breakfast , but never thought to indulge like this. It is a very satisfying recipe especially if you enjoy all the ingredients . If not tweak them. It even reminded me of home made croutons.( I had forgot how good they can be especially to use up Buns or what ever you have handy. Wish I had a Baggett! Next time I will.
I’m so thrilled you enjoyed the recipe, MaryAnn!
This dressing did not hold up — I made it the day before and it was runny the day I wanted to
Use it and had to use a store bought instead
Hi there! I wouldn’t recommend making any blue cheese dressing in advance.
What can I substitute for the blue cheese? Not a big fan.
Hi Susan! I have a recipe for Homemade Buttermilk Ranch Dressing you might be interested in. Here’s a link to the recipe: https://www.justataste.com/homemade-buttermilk-ranch-dressing-recipe/
This looks so delicious!!! Going to make for sure!
I hope you enjoy the salad, Trish!
I just prepared this recipe and it is cooling and thickening. I love this! I have been struggling with trying to make caramel but was fearful of burning it and therefore I did not brown it enough. This recipe is easy and delicious! Why would anyone choose to make caramel when you can prepare easy butterscotch? The taste is similar. Thank you for this recipe and now I am going to look at your other recipes!
I’m thrilled you enjoyed the recipe, Nora!
Love this recipe! All the flavors work well together and cooking the tomatoes in the bacon fat, genius! I call this a comfort food salad.
Yessss! So thrilled you enjoyed it, Sarah!
This sounds phenomenal! Just like the expensive steak houses where they would probably charge $15 for this. I will definitely try this.
I hope you enjoy the recipe, Mike!