Wedge salads have always confused me a bit. They are simply a combination of a just a few very basic ingredients, yet they are often found on the menu of fine dining restaurants or next to a beautiful filet mignon.
The secret to why a simple wedge cut out of one of the cheapest, least flavorful lettuces can become such a delicious classic is in the glorious way in which it is topped. The iceburg is just a vessel for delivering a creamy ranch dressing, sweet cherry tomatoes, salty prosciutto and parmesan to the person lucky enough to choose this salad from a menu.
Let’s get started…
Like many great recipes, this one starts with crisping up some bacon or prosciutto. My favorite way of doing this is baking a few strips on a flat baking sheet in a 400 degree oven until they are nice and crispy. This will take 8-10 minutes for thinly sliced prosciutto or 20-25 minutes for bacon. You don’t even need to flip it… just put it into a preheated oven, set the timer and let things get crispy. It is so easy this way. No splattering, no baby sitting.
Once the prosciutto is crisp, transfer it onto a paper towel lined plate and set it aside until you are ready for it.
Next, and some may argue just as important, is the dressing that will dress our wedge salad. Making your own dressing is the way to go here. It is really simple and tastes better than anything I have ever bought in a store.
Simply combine 1/2 cup of mayonnaise and 1/2 sour cream in a bowl and add 1 small crushed clove of garlic, 1/4 teaspoon of onion powder, 1/4 teaspoon of celery salt, 1/4 teaspoon of dried cilantro, 1/4 teaspoon of dried parsley, 1/4 teaspoon of salt, a pinch of black pepper and about a tablespoon of finely chopped fresh dill. If you don’t have fresh dill or can’t find it, you can substitute 1/2 teaspoon of dried dill instead. You can also substitute any of the dried herbs with fresh if you happen to have them on hand.
Whisk the dressing until fully combined and add a splash of buttermilk, regular milk or a squeeze of lemon juice to thin it to your preferred consistency.
Now that the prosciutto is crispy and the dressing is ready, it is time to assembly our wedge salads.
To cut your iceberg into wedges, carefully remove the top layer or two. These pieces are usually not the prettiest. Cut the head of iceberg into quarters leaving enough of the root to keep the wedge in tact. Rinse the wedges in cold water being sure to hold it in a way that it will allow water to run into and through the pieces of lettuce, but will not break your wedge apart. Once they are cleaned, let them sit on a paper towel lined plate to dry off. Once all of the water has run out of your wedges, pat the outside of the wedges dry and place them onto your plate.
While your wedges dry, cut your cherry tomatoes into halves or quarters and grab some shredded parmesan or cheddar cheese.
To assemble your wedge salad, place a wedge onto a plate and drizzle the lettuce with some of your ranch dressing. Crumble the crisp bacon or prosciutto over the entire wedge and top with cherry tomatoes and shredded cheese. I love parmesan and cheddar on this salad and usually decide which one I go with depending on what I am serving the wedge salad with. Both cheeses pair great with other ingredients!
If you have some chives or spring onions, thinly slice them and garnish the dressed wedge salad with a few pieces. I love black pepper too, so I always add a few cracks over each wedge.
This wedge salad is crisp, fresh and beautifully flavorful. It pairs perfectly with a nice steak or piece of fish, fried chicken or some potato wedges. Once you make the dressing and crisp the prosciutto, it comes together in about a minute, so it is a great salad to serve at a dinner party or to a crowd.
Classic Wedge Salad
Ingredients
- 1 head of iceberg lettuce, quartered
- 1/2 cup of mayonnaise
- 1/2 cup of sour cream
- 1 small clove of garlic, crushed
- 1/4 teaspoon of onion powder
- 1/4 teaspoon of celery salt
- 1/4 teaspoon of dried cilantro
- 1/4 teaspoon of dried parsley
- 1/4 teaspoon of salt
- a pinch of black pepper
- 1 tablespoon of fresh dill (or 1/2 teaspoon of dried dill)
- 4 pieces of thinly sliced prosciutto or thick sliced bacon
- 1/4 cup of cherry tomatoes, quartered
- 1/4 cup of parmesan or sharp cheddar, finely shredded
- fresh herbs or black pepper (optional garnish)
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 400 degrees
- Place your bacon or prosciutto on a non-stick or parchment lined baking sheet and bake until crispy
- Transfer the bacon or prosciutto onto a paper towel lined plate until ready to use
- Make the dressing by combining 1/2 cup mayonnaise, 1/2 cup sour cream, 1 small clove of crushed garlic, 1/4 teaspoon of onion powder, 1/4 teaspoon of celery salt, 1/4 teaspoon of dried cilantro, 1/4 teaspoon of dried parsley, 1/4 teaspoon of salt, a pinch of black pepper and a tablespoon of finely chopped fresh dill. Thin the dressing, if necessary, with a splash of buttermilk, milk or a squeeze of lemon juice
- Remove the top two layers from the head of iceberg and cut into wedge shaped quarters
- Rinse each wedge under cold water and then transfer onto a paper towel lined plate to drain and pat dry with paper towels
- Drizzle each wedge with dressing and top with crumbled bacon or prosciutto, quartered tomatoes and shredded cheese
- Garnish with finely chopped chives or parsley and fresh cracked pepper (optional)
