Food and Recipes Dish Salad We Save The Classic Wedge Salad For Special Occasions 4.3 (3) 3 Reviews A wedge salad has never gone out of style at Southern meals. This easy but impressive side is meant for parties, as well as weeknights. By Liv Dansky Liv Dansky Liv is a recipe tester and developer with three years of experience working in the Dotdash Meredith Food Studios. Southern Living's editorial guidelines Published on December 15, 2024 Recipe tested by Southern Living Test Kitchen Recipe tested by Southern Living Test Kitchen The Southern Living Test Kitchen has been publishing recipes since 1970, four years after the first issue of Southern Living Magazine appeared on newsstands. The Southern Living Test Kitchen team includes a team of professionals with deep expertise in recipe development, from pastry chefs and grilling experts to nutritionists and dietitians. Together, the team tests and retests, produces, styles, and photographs thousands of recipes each year in the state-of-the-art test kitchen facility located in Birmingham, Alabama. Learn more about the Southern Living Test Kitchen Save Rate PRINT Share Close Photo: Morgan Hunt Glaze; Food Stylist: Jennifer Wendorf; Prop Stylist: Julia Bayless Active Time: 15 mins Total Time: 15 mins Servings: 4 Jump to recipe When a dish is good, it hangs around for a few years. But when it is great, it is popular decade after decade—and that is the case with the wedge salad. The first wedge salads were served in the 1920s or 1930s, and then reinvented and reimagined by chefs and restaurants for several decades following. By the 1980s, they were on every steakhouse and country club luncheon menu. They've never lost their shine—at least in our book. We will always bring out a classic wedge salad for special occasions, from holiday dinners to dinner parties and more. This is a very typical wedge salad, but to make it a touch more Southern, we added candied pecans. We suggest making our blue cheese dressing, but you can also use store-bought to make it even easier. If the dressing is ultra-thick, thin it out with a splash of water so it really coats and covers the wedge of lettuce. Morgan Hunt Glaze; Food Stylist: Jennifer Wendorf; Prop Stylist: Julia Bayless Cook Mode (Keep screen awake) Ingredients 1/3 cup chopped red onion (from 1 small onion) 2 thick-cut bacon slices 1 medium (about 1 lb.) head iceberg lettuce, cut into 4 wedges Homemade Blue Cheese Dressing 1/2 cup cherry tomatoes, halved 1/4 cup store-bought candied pecans, roughly chopped Chopped fresh chives, for garnish Directions Soak onions in cold water: Fill a small bowl with cold water. Add onion and let sit for 10 minutes. Drain and set aside. Morgan Hunt Glaze; Food Stylist: Jennifer Wendorf; Prop Stylist: Julia Bayless Cook bacon: Meanwhile, add bacon to a medium skillet. Cook over medium-low, flipping often, until rendered and crisp, 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer to a paper-towel lined plate; discard drippings or reserve for another use. Chop bacon into small pieces. Morgan Hunt Glaze; Food Stylist: Jennifer Wendorf; Prop Stylist: Julia Bayless Assemble salads: Place lettuce wedges on serving plates. Top with dressing, cherry tomatoes, candied pecans, and reserved bacon. Garnish with chives. Morgan Hunt Glaze; Food Stylist: Jennifer Wendorf; Prop Stylist: Julia Bayless Rate It Print