Steakhouse Wedge Salad with a Twist

Crunchy iceberg lettuce, bacon, tomato and blue cheese combine to create this twist on a classic steakhouse wedge salad.

A Steakhouse Staple

We have a number of fancy steakhouses in and around our metro area. One of these wonderful restaurants is within walking distance of where we live. In the summer, we love walking up there to sit on their patio, and have a nice glass of red wine and an appetizer while watching the world go by.

In the cooler months, we venture inside to their pub and/or restaurant and order up the full-meal deal. We gravitate towards their coconut shrimp appetizer, awesome cheesy hash browns, salad and of course, a tender, juicy steak.

And, while they have a few different salads, an absolute staple on their menu is their classic wedge salad. It has a creamy blue cheese dressing, crispy bacon, sliced cherry tomatoes and some extra blue cheese crumbles. It’s a simple salad, yet packs such a flavor punch that my taste buds love!

The iceberg lettuce is crunchy and refreshing and the fresh tomatoes are wonderfully juicy. On top of that, you get a nice salty finish from the crisp bacon pieces and the tangy blue cheese crumble they finish it with. Oh, so good!

This fabulous salad was the inspiration for my own steakhouse wedge salad recipe (with a twist or two!).

Making the Steakhouse Wedge Salad Dressing

Of course, one of the key items in any salad is the dressing that you use. A traditional wedge salad is prepared using a blue cheese dressing.

Now, don’t get me wrong, I love blue cheese dressing. But, it tends to be really rich and it’s not the healthiest choice for dressing.

So, for the first twist, instead of making a homemade blue cheese dressing, I decided to top the salad with a quick and easy balsamic vinaigrette.

There are a couple of reasons that I decided to swap the traditional dressing for the balsamic vinaigrette. One, it’s a bit healthier than the heavy, rich blue cheese dressing. Two, the balsamic vinaigrette is such an easy recipe to make (the ingredients are easily found in local grocery stores).

This dressing gives the salad a nice tanginess and keeps it from being too heavy.

There are only five dressing ingredients along with a little bit of salt and pepper. Simply whisk together some dijon mustard, garlic, thyme and balsamic vinegar. Add salt and pepper to taste.

You then slowly whisk in the olive oil until the mixture emulsifies (basically until it becomes one smooth mixture). And with that, you have your dressing.

(Note: This balsamic dressing is fantastic on all sorts of salads, as a meat marinade or just drizzling over vegetables. So versatile and tasty!)

Preparing the Bacon for the Steakhouse Wedge Salad

Now, one of my favorite things on this wedge salad is bacon. I absolutely love bacon and it often adds so much to a recipe.

Oftentimes, wedge salads use bacon crumbles. I like to have a bit more bacon in each bite, so there is a technique I use that I believe works really well.

I lay out the slices of bacon and slice them crossways into 1/2 inch pieces. Put those in a skillet and fry them up.

The bacon cooks faster than if it were a whole piece and you don’t have to get your hands dirty crumbling whole pieces of bacon once it’s cooked. Win / win all around!

Assembling the Steakhouse Wedge Salad with a Twist 

Now, for the lettuce. In my opinion, for the best wedge salad, you should use a head of crisp iceberg lettuce. You can actually cut a wedge that will stay together and holds up well with the dressing.

I just don’t think any other type of lettuce really does this recipe justice. You won’t have a wedge if you use something like romaine lettuce, spinach or some other lettuce mix. Then, it just becomes a regular salad!

So, traditionally, you would use a quarter of a head of lettuce for your wedge salad. However, the second twist I’ve added is that instead of that quarter wedge of iceberg lettuce, I cut the head of lettuce into discs.

Yep, lettuce wedges have now become lettuce disks (it’s a fun twist!). The great thing about a lettuce disk, is that it gives you more surface area for the dressing and all those delicious toppings. More areas for more flavor!

All you need to do now is slice up some tomatoes and chives. Once you’ve done that, you’re ready to assemble.

Place two lettuce disks on individual plates and top with tomatoes, bacon and blue cheese. You thought I forgot about the blue cheese?

As a nod to the classic version of this salad, I definitely wanted blue cheese involved. It adds such a delicious tangy taste and had to be part of this recipe. While there isn’t the traditional blue cheese dressing, you still get the salty creaminess from a generous sprinkle of blue cheese crumbles.

Drizzle the dressing over the lettuce disks and garnish with chives. You area ready to serve!

Make a Steakhouse Wedge Salad with a Twist Tonight!

So, why not make your own steakhouse wedge salad tonight? It’s easy enough to make for a weeknight dinner but would also be perfect wedge salad for a dinner party or a date night dinner.

Just throw some steaks on the grill, warm up some crusty bread and you’ve got a delicious dinner that’s sure to impress your guests or your sweetie!

Tips and Tricks

• A whole head of Iceberg lettuce is necessary for this recipe. It is easily cut into the discs.
• If you have fresh thyme on hand that can be used in place of dried. Just increase the amount to 1 teaspoon.
• Other varieties of tomato, such as roma tomatoes can be substituted for grape tomatoes.
• I like the mild taste of chives for this salad, but you can substitute the green part of a scallion, if that’s what you have on hand.
• If bleu cheese is not your thing or you don’t have any on hand, goat cheese crumbles, shaved parmesan or shredded cheddar can be used, if you prefer.

Ingredients Needed to Make a Steakhouse Wedge Salad

Full instructions can be found below in the recipe card

• Fresh garlic
• Dijon mustard
• Balsamic vinegar
• Dried thyme
• Salt
• Black pepper
• Olive oil
• Bacon
• Grape tomatoes 
• Fresh chives
• Iceberg lettuce  
• Blue cheese crumbles

How to Make a Wedge Salad

• In a small bowl, whisk together garlic, dijon, balsamic, thyme, salt and pepper.
• Slowly whisk in olive oil until mixture has emulsified. Set aside.
• Cook bacon in a medium-sized skillet over medium heat until crispy.
• Remove from pan and drain on a paper towel-lined plate. Allow to cool.
• Slice lettuce crosswise in to eight 1 inch discs.
• Place 2 discs on each of 4 plates.
• Top with tomatoes, bacon, and blue cheese.
• Drizzle dressing over each salad and garnish with chives.

Entree Ideas to Serve with a Wedge Salad

• Beef Bourguignon
• Roasted Cornish Game Hens with White Bean Ragout
• Skillet Beef Stroganoff
• Garlic Butter Steak

ENJOY!