Wedge Salad with Blue Cheese Dressing
A wedge of iceberg can look perfect on the plate and still be awkward to eat when the dressing slips off the sides. I wanted a blue cheese dressing that…
By Ava
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Reading time: 9 min
Tip: save now, make later.
A wedge of iceberg can look perfect on the plate and still be awkward to eat when the dressing slips off the sides. I wanted a blue cheese dressing that clings to the cut lettuce without burying its crunch, so this version starts with a thick, tangy base and gets a short rest in the refrigerator before it reaches the plate. That makes this wedge salad with blue cheese dressing easy to assemble and gives the cheese time to settle into every spoonful.
The dressing comes together in one bowl: whisk the sour cream, mayonnaise, buttermilk, lemon juice, and Worcestershire sauce until smooth, then stir in the blue cheese and black pepper. Chilling it for at least 20 minutes gives it a more settled texture and lets the sharp, savory notes mingle. Crisp bacon and juicy cherry tomatoes bring plenty of contrast, while the red onion and chives keep each bite bright. Serve the wedges cold, with dressing and toppings tucked over the cut faces.
Kitchen Note
Give the bacon the full 8 to 10 minutes in the skillet, turning it occasionally, and wait for it to look crisp before you take it out. It firms up a little more as it drains, so don’t pull it while it’s still floppy.
Save this wedge salad with blue cheese dressing for a crisp, creamy side with bacon, tomatoes, and chives.
Why Iceberg Holds Blue Cheese Dressing Better Than a Loose Pile of Greens
Iceberg’s tightly packed leaves give each wedge a sturdy shape, and the flat cut faces provide a broad place for the dressing to settle. That matters with a thick blue cheese dressing: it coats the lettuce instead of disappearing between a bowlful of delicate leaves. Cut the head into four wedges and the center leaves stay connected while you add the toppings.
There’s a useful balance here between coverage and crunch. Spoon dressing over the cut sides rather than trying to smother the rounded outside of each wedge. The tomatoes, onion, bacon, and chives then have a creamy surface to cling to, while the crisp outer leaves still show through. A loose or damaged head is more likely to fall apart when you cut it, so start with iceberg that feels firm and compact. Removing wilted outer leaves helps each serving look fresh without sacrificing the crisp layers inside.
What Gives This Blue Cheese Dressing Its Creamy, Tangy Balance
- Sour cream, mayonnaise, and buttermilk — Together, these make a dressing that’s creamy but still loose enough to spoon over the wedges. Sour cream brings tang, mayonnaise gives the base body, and buttermilk thins it. They don’t have a clean one-for-one swap among the other listed ingredients, so keep the trio together for the intended texture.
- Blue cheese — The crumbles bring the salty, pungent flavor that defines the dressing. Stir them in after the dairy base is smooth; keeping some small pieces intact gives the dressing its characteristic texture. There isn’t a substitute in this ingredient list that will taste like blue cheese.
- Iceberg lettuce — Choose a firm head with crisp-looking leaves, not one with soft or browned areas. It holds its shape as four wedges and gives the creamy dressing a cool, crunchy counterpoint. Other lettuces won’t make the same sturdy wedge, so I wouldn’t swap them here.
- Bacon — Cook it until crisp so it breaks into crumbles rather than chewy strips. If you’re making a vegetarian version, leave it off; the salad still has plenty of savory character from the blue cheese.
- Cherry tomatoes, red onion, and chives — Halved cherry tomatoes bring juicy pops, while thinly sliced red onion adds a sharper bite and chopped chives provide a softer onion note. For a gentler allium flavor, omit the red onion and use the listed chives on their own. Choose tomatoes that feel firm, and slice the onion thinly so it doesn’t overpower a forkful.
- Lemon juice and Worcestershire sauce — A little of each keeps the rich dairy and cheese from tasting flat. Their role is subtle, but leaving either out changes the dressing’s tangy, savory balance; black pepper adds a quiet finish without taking over.
Build the Dressing, Crisp the Bacon, Then Assemble the Wedges
Whisk the Dairy Base Before Adding the Cheese
Whisk the sour cream, mayonnaise, buttermilk, lemon juice, and Worcestershire sauce in a medium bowl until the mixture looks smooth. Add the crumbled blue cheese and black pepper only after the base is combined, then stir them in rather than trying to erase every cheese crumble. Cover the bowl and refrigerate the dressing for at least 20 minutes. If you rush straight to serving, the flavors won’t have had that resting time to come together.
Cook the Bacon Until It Breaks Cleanly
Set the bacon in a 10-inch skillet over medium heat and cook for 8 to 10 minutes, turning it occasionally. Look for crisp slices rather than bacon that still bends easily; the exact pace can vary a little with slice thickness and the skillet. Transfer the cooked bacon to paper towels to drain, then crumble it once it’s cool enough to handle. If you crumble it while it’s still greasy and limp, the pieces are harder to scatter neatly over the salad.
Cut and Dress the Lettuce Just Before Serving
Remove any wilted outer leaves from the iceberg head, then cut it into four wedges and set one on each plate. Spoon the chilled dressing over the cut surfaces so it reaches the inner leaves. Add the halved cherry tomatoes, thinly sliced red onion, crumbled bacon, and chopped chives across the wedges. Assemble close to serving time; once dressed, the crisp lettuce won’t stay as crisp in the refrigerator.
Three Ways to Adjust the Wedge Without Losing Its Crunch
Make It Vegetarian by Leaving Off the Bacon
Omit the bacon and keep the lettuce, blue cheese dressing, tomatoes, red onion, and chives. You’ll lose the smoky, crisp topping, but the assertive cheese and fresh vegetables still make a satisfying meat-free salad.
Turn the Wedges into a Chopped Salad
Cut the iceberg into bite-size pieces instead of serving four intact wedges, then arrange the same dressing and toppings over the chopped lettuce. The flavors stay the same, but each forkful gets a more even mix and the salad is easier to eat at a casual table.
Keep the Onion Flavor Milder
Leave off the red onion and finish the wedges with chives instead. The salad loses the onion’s sharper crunch, but keeps a gentler allium note that won’t compete as much with the blue cheese.
Make-Ahead and Serving
- Dressing: Keep it covered in the refrigerator and use it within 3 days. Stir before spooning it over the salad.
- Bacon: Cook and crumble it ahead, then refrigerate it separately for up to 4 days. It won’t be as crisp straight from the refrigerator, so freshly cooked bacon has the best texture.
- Assembly: Keep the lettuce wedges and toppings separate until serving. The assembled salad doesn’t hold well because the dressing softens the crisp leaves.
Questions That Come Up When Making Wedge Salad
Wedge Salad with Blue Cheese Dressing
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Whisk the sour cream, mayonnaise, buttermilk, lemon juice, and Worcestershire sauce in a medium bowl until smooth.
- Stir in the blue cheese and black pepper.
- Cover and refrigerate for at least 20 minutes.
- Cook the bacon in a 10-inch skillet over medium heat for 8–10 minutes, turning occasionally, until crisp.
- Drain the bacon on paper towels.
- Crumble the bacon.
- Remove any wilted outer leaves from the lettuce.
- Cut the head into 4 wedges.
- Arrange one wedge on each plate.
- Spoon the dressing over the wedges.
- Top with the tomatoes, red onion, crumbled bacon, and chives.