Classic Wedge Salad
Yield: 4-8 servings (recipe easy to scale as needed)
Beyond its crisp crunch and great flavor, the beauty of this salad recipe rests in its endless flexibility. The portion size is easy to adjust based on how thickly you cut the wedges, and you can add more or less toppings to taste. Easy to make for one or two people, and a wedge salad platter is a guaranteed hit when entertaining.


Ingredients

  • 1 large head iceberg lettuce (Tip: should feel heavy for its size)
  • Classic Blue Cheese Dressing (may substitute Ranch Dressing)
  • 8 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled (LINK)
  • 1½ cups cherry tomatoes, quartered (or 1½ cups diced vine-ripened tomatoes)
  • ¼ cup minced red onion
  • ½ cup (2 ounces) crumbled blue cheese
  • Optional: 2-3 hard boiled eggs, minced*; 1 avocado, diced; croutons; 1-2 tablespoons minced fresh chives; freshly ground black pepper


Instructions

  1. Before you start: You can scale this recipe to serve one person or many, and feel free to add more or less toppings to taste. The recipe provides an excellent framework, but you may “eyeball” if preferred.

    Prepare the lettuce: Remove the outer leaves of the lettuce, and then cut the head of lettuce into quarters. For smaller servings, slice the quarters in half again to form 8 wedges. Or slice the halves into thirds to form 6 wedges. Slice the end to remove the stem.

    Plate and top the wedges: Place the wedges on individual plates (or on a large platter for a buffet) and drizzle with some of the blue cheese dressing – I start with about a tablespoon per wedge. Sprinkle the wedges with the crumbled bacon, tomatoes, onions, optional ingredients of choice, and finally the blue cheese crumbles. Season with black pepper, if desired, and serve with additional dressing on the side.


Notes

*I like to mince the eggs (putting them through an egg slicer three times, rotating the egg each time, makes an even mince really easy), but you can chop them or cut into wedges as preferred.

Adjusting the servings: The recipe specifies 4 or 8 servings, but you could cut the lettuce in half, and then cut each half into thirds for 6 servings – or make whatever number you need. You may also adjust the toppings, adding more or less of any of them, according to preference.

Make it a complete meal: Add a protein like steak, chicken, salmon, or shrimp.


More recipes at FountainAvenueKitchen.com