Who doesn’t love a classic Iceberg Wedge Salad on a warm summer day? This crisp, refreshing dish is perfect for a light meal while soaking up the sunshine. With juicy cherry tomatoes, crunchy walnuts, and a generous drizzle of homemade blue cheese dressing, this salad is bursting with flavors. Whether you're having a casual family BBQ or just craving a simple, tasty meal, this fabulous wedge salad will hit the spot every time. Let’s dive into this deliciousness together!
This recipe is:
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- Low Carb
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- Keto
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- Gluten Free
Table of Contents
8 Reasons to Love This Recipe
Ready to fall in love with the best summer salad ever? Here’s why:
- Better than a famous steakhouse salad.
- The homemade blue cheese dressing with sour cream and red wine vinegar is amazing.
- Equally perfect for a weeknight dinner or a dinner party.
- Pairs wonderfully with just about any grilled meats.
- The flavors are huge but well-balanced.
- Bacon and blue cheese crumbles are an incredible match.
- Completely low-carb but oh-so delicious.
- So simple to make.
Is Iceberg Wedge Salad Low-Carb?
Yes, iceberg wedge salad is low-carb. This recipe has only 6 g net carbs per serving. Plus, you can further reduce the carb content using my homemade blue cheese dressing. With this low carb content, this dish can be a perfect side dish or even a complete meal for anyone following a keto diet.
Not Your Ordinary Iceberg Wedge Salad!
I'm a sucker for a good steakhouse salad, particularly the iceberg wedge.
When you load up your fork with everything together, the result is a huge flavor bomb that gets my mouth watering just thinking about it.
We will use some non-traditional ingredients for this fabulous summer salad.
- Brown butter walnuts: if you've never tried these, they are outrageously good.
- Sliced shallots: thinly sliced shallots have a more mellow flavor than red onion and come with an undertone of garlic. It pairs gloriously with the homemade blue cheese dressing.
Iceberg Wedge Salad Ingredients List
Here is a list of the ingredients you'll need to make this wedge salad recipe:
- 4 slices bacon, oven-cooked and chopped fine
- 1 head iceberg lettuce
- 1 pint cherry tomatoes, quartered or halved
- ½ cup walnuts, chopped
- ¼ cup blue cheese crumbles (preferably Maytag Dairy brand)
- 1 shallot, peeled and sliced very thin
- 1 pinch kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 recipe homemade blue cheese dressing
Ingredient Substitutions
Here are some easy swaps to keep your iceberg wedge salad recipe just as tasty:
- Iceberg lettuce: Use Romaine or little gem lettuce (AKA sucrine). Butter lettuce or bibb lettuce won’t hold up.
- Cherry tomatoes: Diced regular tomatoes work fine but are less sweet.
- Shallot: Try red onion soaked in water for 10 minutes, or use fresh chives, green onions, or sweet onion.
- Blue cheese crumbles: Crumble Roquefort or use goat cheese crumbles.
- Walnuts: Pecans also work, or omit them from the recipe.
Bacon: Use chopped pancetta, or try my homemade bacon bits.
Additional Ingredients
Want to take your ultimate wedge salad to the next level? Here are some delicious additions to try:
- Fruit: Not for strict low-carb, but diced pear, Granny Smith apple, or dried cranberries add a nice contrast.
- Black pepper: A few cranks of black pepper go a long way.
Note: These are optional ingredients and are not included in the recipe for iceberg wedge salad.
Tools Required
Here is a list of the tools you need to make the iceberg lettuce wedge salad:
- Cutting board
- Sharp knife
- Medium-sized pan
- Spatula or wooden spoon for stirring
- Large serving plate
- Small bowl (for soaking red onion if used as a substitute)
How to Make Iceberg Wedge Salad: Complete Guide
Cooking Method
No-cook recipe
Preparation Steps
- Gather all the tools and ingredients required to make the salad.
- Halve or quarter pint cherry tomatoes.
- Peel and thinly slice shallots.
- Chop walnuts.
Instructions
Homemade Blue Cheese Dressing
- First make the blue cheese dressing (unless you're going to use a bottled blue cheese dressing). I know you're going to love this one, though — give it a try!
For the Butter-Drunk Walnuts
- Add the walnuts to a pan over medium-high heat and toast for a minute or two. When they become fragrant, add the butter and pinch of salt.
- Let the butter melt and then stir occasionally until the butter browns. If the pan starts to smoke, remove from the heat immediately and allow to cool, stirring constantly.
- Set aside to cool.
For the Iceberg Wedge Salad
- Core the lettuce head (tip below on how to do this easily!), slice it in half, then cut the iceberg into wedges.
- Put the wedges on plates. Add the tomatoes to each individual plate.
- Cover the wedges with some blue cheese dressing. The dressing acts as the glue to keep the toppings stuck to the salad. Top with the walnuts, shallots, chopped bacon, and crumbled blue cheese.
- Admire your work and dig in. Happy eating!
Step 1: Be careful when browning the butter with the walnuts... They will go from perfect to burnt in a matter of seconds if your heat is up too high.
Step 2: You can’t have the Ultimate Iceberg Wedge Salad without some seriously delicious Homemade Blue Cheese Dressing.
Step 3: My mouth waters every time I look at this picture. I think I’m going to go and make another one of these iceberg wedge salads now.
How To Cut Iceberg Lettuce:💡My Pro TipS
So, how to cut iceberg lettuce for wedge salad? It seems simple, but when you are holding onto the head of iceberg lettuce it starts to feel a bit intimidating. Chopping the perfect wedge of lettuce can be stressful!
So this is how we're going to do it:
- Step 1: Take the iceberg lettuce out of the plastic.
- Step 2: Turn it over so the stem side is up.
- Step 3: Grab that stem tight with one hand and hold onto the head with the other. Turn the stem. It will break off fairly easily in your hand.
- Step 4: Remove the stem and place the head (stem side up) on the cutting board.
- Step 5: Cut the head in half, straight through to the cutting board.
- Step 6: Place each side of the head of lettuce cut side up with the stem side facing you. Cut into 3 wedges and repeat for the other side.
⏲️ Time-Saving Tips
- Use store-bought blue cheese dressing: Grab a bottle from the cold case (they're usually way better than the ones in the salad dressing aisle). Just make sure it doesn’t have hidden sugars or binders in the ingredients list.
- Make the bacon ahead of time: Prepare bacon pieces in advance to save on prep time when assembling the salad.
- Just toast the walnuts: Instead of butter-browning them, simply toast the walnuts. You might lose a bit of flavor, but this salad already packs a punch!
- Buy blue cheese crumbles: Save a few minutes by buying crumbled blue cheese instead of crumbling your own.
What to Serve With an Iceberg Wedge Salad?
If you're wondering what to serve with this blue cheese covered wedge salad, let me give you some suggestions:
Steak:
- The Porterhouse Steak: The name says enough.
- Flat Iron Pan Seared Steak: Again, the name says enough.
Pork:
- Grilling Pork Chops to Perfection: The perfect companion for this classic wedge salad.
- Perfect Pan Seared Pork Chops: Full of flavor and delicious for this perfect salad.
Wings:
- Grilled Chicken Wings: Enjoy them alongside the classic iceberg salad.
- Smoked Wings: Smoked wings pair perfectly with the blue cheese wedge salad.
Storage and Reheating Instructions
Storage
Once this salad is dressed, I don't recommend storing it. The salad will wilt in the fridge with the wedge salad dressing. However, most of the components store well on their own. The dressing will be kept for about a week, the chopped tomatoes will be kept for a few days, and the butter-browned walnuts will be kept for about 10 days.
Reheating
This salad doesn't need reheating. The only components that might need reheating in this iceberg lettuce salad are the bacon and the butter-browned walnuts. Simply heat them in a sauté pan over medium heat until they're refreshed.
Recipe Conclusion
Wrapping up this refreshing Iceberg Wedge Salad recipe, we’ve covered everything from crisp lettuce to the perfect homemade blue cheese dressing. With all these tasty components, this salad is perfect for any summer day. It’s easy, flavorful, and just the thing to brighten up your meal times. Whether you're preparing it for a weeknight dinner or a festive BBQ, this salad is a winner.
I hope you’re as excited as I am to try this best wedge salad! Get those ingredients ready and dive into making this delicious salad. Share it with your family and friends, and watch their faces light up with every bite. Don’t forget to leave a comment and let me know how much you enjoyed it. Happy cooking and even happier eating!
Alternate Low-Carb Salads:
Looking for something other than my iceberg wedge salad recipe? I've got you covered:
- Tomato Feta Salad: It's low-carb, keto, and perfect as a side dish.
- Cucumber Feta Salad: It's super fast and super delicious.
- Traditional French Frisée Salad: Love bacon? How about making a bacon dressing? Give it a shot with this recipe. It's even got a poached egg!
- Bacon Avocado Salad: This is my easiest and most favorite low-carb and keto salad. Its delightfulness rests in its simplicity.
FAQs
Remove the outer leaves of the hunk of iceberg lettuce, cut the head into wedges, and rinse under cold water. Dry thoroughly with paper towels or a salad spinner.
Soak the lettuce wedges in a bowl with ice water for about 30 minutes before serving. Dry them completely to maintain crispness.
Ultimate Iceberg Wedge Salad
Ingredients
- 4 slices bacon oven-cooked and chopped fine
- 1 head iceberg lettuce
- 1 pint cherry tomatoes quartered or halved
- ½ cup walnuts chopped
- ¼ cup blue cheese crumbles preferably Maytag Dairy brand
- 1 shallot peeled and sliced very thin
- 1 pinch kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 recipe homemade blue cheese dressing
Instructions
Preparation Steps
- Gather all the tools and ingredients required to make the salad.
- Halve or quarter pint cherry tomatoes.
- Peel and thinly slice shallots.
- Chop walnuts.
Instructions
Homemade Blue Cheese Dressing
- First make the blue cheese dressing (unless you're going to use a bottled blue cheese dressing). I know you're going to love this one, though — give it a try!
For the Butter-Drunk Walnuts
- Add the walnuts to a pan over medium-high heat and toast for a minute or two. When they become fragrant, add the butter and pinch of salt.
- Let the butter melt and then stir occasionally until the butter browns. If the pan starts to smoke, remove from the heat immediately and allow to cool, stirring constantly.
- Set aside to cool.
For the Iceberg Wedge Salad
- Core the lettuce head (tip below on how to do this easily!), slice it in half, then cut the iceberg into wedges.
- Put the wedges on plates. Add the tomatoes to each individual plate.
- Cover the wedges with some blue cheese dressing. The dressing acts as the glue to keep the toppings stuck to the salad. Top with the walnuts, shallots, chopped bacon, and crumbled blue cheese.
- Admire your work and dig in. Happy eating!
Notes
Nutrition
“This website provides approximate nutrition data and information for convenience and as a courtesy only.”
Recent Low Carb Recipes:
Is it low carb? Learn more about it:
Erin @ Thanks for Cookin'! says
Butter Drunk Walnuts???? Oh my goodness sign me up! I love the addition of the shallots. Super tasty! Perfect warm up for a fat juicy steak...
Scott Groth says
Hi Erin:
The perfect warm-up for a juicy steak, you're absolutely right!
Thank you for sharing your thoughts.
Take care and happy eating!
Scott
Mark Miller says
Loved the dressing, super easy and delicious. Didn't have walnuts, but can't wait to try that tomorrow!
Scott Groth says
Hi Mark:
Thanks for stopping by and giving this recipe some lovin'. How was it with walnuts?
Have a great day in the kitchen!
Scott
Ayn says
This dressing is the Bomb! Oh my goodness! I have been on the hunt for years, trying different recipes, tweaking them, but there is no more need to look for another. You have a 5 Star to infinity recipe! Thank you for sharing!
Scott Groth says
Hi Ayn:
Thank you so much - I truly appreciate you trying the salad and taking the time to share your thoughts.
Have a delicious day in the kitchen,
Scott
Becky says
I made this salad last night, and it was absolutely delicious, but what made it so out-of-this-world was the homemade blue cheese dressing! Best blue cheese dressing I've ever tasted. Thanks so much for the recipe!
Scott Groth says
Hi Becky:
Thanks so much for leaving your comment- I can't tell you how much it means to me- just wonderful to hear. I love the mix between the blue cheese dressing and bacon. Yum.
Have a great day today!
Take care,
Scott
Anonymous says
Walnuts hurt my gums, so a toss on a few shell-free salted sunflower seeds
Scott Groth says
Hi there:
Sunflower seeds work too.
Thanks for writing.
Take care and happy cooking!
Scott
Vicky Stenger says
I can't believe just how delicious this salad was. We made it for a group of friends who came over last night. The "BUTTER DRUNK" walnuts... wow. And make sure that you make the blue cheese dressing... but let it sit before eating for about 20 minutes. The red wine vinegar taste disappears into the perfect blue cheese dressing!
Scott Groth says
Hi Vicky:
Yes, you understood it perfectly. Thank you so much for making this delicious salad and for giving me some feedback.
Hope you have an excellent day in the kitchen!
Scott
MrChefToday says
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Scott Groth says
Hi there:
Thank you for your appreciation.
I hope you have a delicious day in the kitchen!
Scott