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Classic Wedge Salad with Homemade Blue Cheese Dressing

nibbleboard.com/recipes/wedge-salad

Prep:20 min
Cook:0 min
Total:20 min
Servings:8

Ingredients

Salad

  • 1 head iceberg lettuce
  • 8 slices bacon
  • 1 1/2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
  • 1/2 cup red onion, chopped
  • Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Blue Cheese Dressing

  • 1 cup sour cream (light works great)
  • 1/2 cup mayonnaise
  • 3 tablespoons buttermilk
  • 3 teaspoons red wine vinegar
  • 1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
  • 1/4 teaspoon garlic salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 4 ounces blue cheese crumbles (reserve a few spoonfuls for garnish)

Instructions

  1. Combine the sour cream, mayonnaise, buttermilk, red wine vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, garlic salt, and black pepper in a medium bowl. Stir well until smooth.
  2. Fold in the crumbled blue cheese, reserving a few spoonfuls for garnish. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to let the flavors meld.
  3. Cook the bacon in a skillet over medium heat until crisp and deeply golden, about 8 minutes. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate and let cool, then crumble into bite-sized pieces.
  4. Remove the core from the iceberg lettuce and cut the head in half. Cut each half into quarters to create 8 wedges. Keep wedges intact at the base.
  5. Place each wedge on an individual plate. Spoon a generous amount of blue cheese dressing over the top, letting it cascade down the sides.
  6. Sprinkle with crumbled bacon, halved cherry tomatoes, chopped red onion, and reserved blue cheese crumbles. Finish with freshly cracked black pepper.

Nutrition per Serving

397Calories
16gProtein
7gCarbs
34gFat

Chef Tips

  • Chill the iceberg lettuce in ice water for 10 minutes before cutting — it makes the leaves extra crisp and snappy, which is the whole point of a wedge salad.
  • Make the dressing up to 3 days ahead. It thickens and develops deeper flavor as it sits in the fridge.
  • Not a blue cheese fan? Swap in ranch dressing or a creamy buttermilk herb dressing — the salad structure works beautifully with any thick, creamy dressing.
  • Toast a handful of pecans or walnuts in a dry skillet for 3 minutes and sprinkle on top for a nutty crunch that takes this from good to great.
  • Use thick-cut bacon for meatier, chunkier crumbles that hold up against the crisp lettuce and creamy dressing.

Storage

Store leftover dressing in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. Do not store assembled wedge salad — the lettuce wilts quickly under dressing.

© 2026 Nibbleboard. Nutritional data computed from USDA ingredient databases.