So, Romaine Wedge Salad—it’s weirdly memorable
Do you ever crave something crisp and salty and cold, but not, like, a full plate of rabbit food? I first made this Romaine Wedge Salad with Bacon and Blue Cheese for a cheerful, sort of chaotic backyard lunch—my cousin was visiting from Texas and she’s deeply suspicious of anything that involves a leafy green. To my surprise, she stole the last wedge when I wasn’t looking. That basically told me: okay, this works. And, on a totally unrelated note, I managed to drop the bowl just as I was serving, but hey, we scooped it up and nobody noticed (until now, oops). So, if a Texan and a klutz can bond over this, I’m betting it’ll work for your table too.
Why I Keep Making This Salad
I make this when I want to feel fancy-ish without fuss—when it’s too hot to cook, or when my family is all, “Not salad again?” but then go for seconds. It’s honestly a crowd-pleaser: salty bacon, real blue cheese, a bit of bite, and you get to use your hands. (My nephew is convinced this is basically finger food.) And, not gonna lie, I’ve messed up the bacon before—burnt to shoe-leather—but it’s still edible. Salad’s forgiving like that.
Here’s What You Need (Substitutions Welcome)
- 2-3 heads of romaine lettuce (sometimes I just use iceberg if the store looks picked over—no shame)
- 6 slices of bacon (if you’re in a pinch, those pre-cooked bacon bits work, but fresh is worth it)
- 3/4 cup crumbled blue cheese (All the fancy brands or regular store stuff—honestly, sometimes I toss in feta instead, don’t tell the blue cheese fans)
- 1/2 cup cherry tomatoes, halved (I skip these when I forget to buy them or they’re crazy expensive)
- 1/4 small red onion, sliced thin (my grandma used to soak them in a splash of vinegar, which is nice but optional)
- 1/4 cup buttermilk (or honestly, a splash of regular milk mixed with a squeeze of lemon juice in a hurry)
- 1/4 cup mayonnaise
- 2 tbsp sour cream (yogurt if I’m out, but the tang is less punchy)
- 1 tsp white wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar
- Salt and pepper to taste (sea salt, table salt, whatever’s closer)
How I Throw It All Together
- Fry the bacon: Toss the bacon into a cold skillet and turn the heat up to medium. I wander off and check my phone, but keep an eye: you want it crispy, but not cremated. Pull it out, drain on paper towels, and when cool, chop it into rough bits (or just crumble with your hands if you’re lazy, like me).
- Mix the dressing: In a bowl, combine buttermilk, mayo, sour cream, a splash of vinegar, a pinch of salt and a good grind of black pepper. Throw in about half your blue cheese and mash it up a little. This is where I always sneak a taste—sometimes I add another pinch of salt if it seems bland. If it’s too thick, splash in a bit more buttermilk or milk. Don’t worry if it looks kinda lumpy, it’s supposed to.
- Prep the romaine wedges: Slice the romaine hearts lengthwise into halves or quarters, depending on how big they are (I never get this exactly even. Doesn’t matter).
- Assemble: Plop the wedges onto a big platter or straight onto people’s plates. Drizzle a good amount of that dressing on top—messy is good. Scatter the bacon, remaining blue cheese, tomatoes, and red onion over everything. Sometimes I do one extra grind of pepper. And that’s it, really.
Stuff I’ve Figured Out (Usually the Hard Way)
- Don’t use bitter lettuce. Once tried with some weird trendy lettuce; tasted like lawn clippings.
- The dressing gets better after sitting a bit. But, on second thought, if you wait too long it goes runny. 30 mins in the fridge is perfect—if you remember.
- You can absolutely double the bacon, just expect everyone to fight over the last crumbs.
Random Variations—Some Good, Some Not So Good
- If you’re feeling wild, try goat cheese instead of blue. It’s different, lighter. Actually, my mom hated it, so maybe test on yourself first.
- Swapped in prosciutto once; not bad! Kinda salty and chewy though, so bacon stays king.
- I did the dressing with Greek yogurt one time. It’s fine, but a bit of the magic gets lost—needed more tang.
Equipment (And Sneaky Tricks If You’re Missing Something)
- Skillet for the bacon (unless you want to oven-bake it—I’ve done it on a foil-lined pan at 400°F, less clean-up honestly)
- Sharp knife for chopping lettuce (or your not-so-sharp one, just saw away carefully—don’t panic)
- Mixing bowl for the dressing
- If you’re missing a whisk—use a fork, it gets the job done! I forgot I owned a whisk for about a year, and survived.
Storing Leftovers (But Good Luck With That)
Technically, you can keep leftovers in the fridge—airtight container, dressing separate is best. It’ll hang on for a day, two if you’re lucky. But honestly, in my house it never lasts a whole day! The lettuce gets a bit sad after that, though I tend to snack straight from the container anyway (no judgement).
How I Like to Serve It
This is really a meal in itself, but sometimes I go the extra mile and grill chicken or steak to go on the side — my uncle claims it’s the only way “real men” eat salad, though that’s a load of nonsense if you ask me. For a summer dinner, I just heap it up on a big platter and let everyone grab a wedge. My little one eats with his hands — salad as finger food again.
Pro Tips (A.K.A. The Things I Messed Up Before)
- I once tried to wash and prep the lettuce hours ahead—wilted, sad. So, don’t do that. Wait until close to serving; it keeps things perky.
- Don’t rush the bacon. I did and regretted it because you either get chewy half-raw strips or burnt bacon that sets off the smoke alarm. Go low and slow — yes, annoying, but necessary.
- Also, piling the dressing on too early? Rookie move—soggy lettuce city by the time you serve. Dress just before eating.
Real Questions I’ve Gotten (And Honest Answers)
- “Can I make this with iceberg instead of romaine?” Totally! In fact, sometimes I think it’s even crunchier. Just don’t use that weird frisée stuff.
- “What should I do if I don’t like blue cheese?” Feta or goat cheese both work (see above, though, goat cheese is divisive in my house). Or just skip it – it’s still good!
- “What if I don’t have buttermilk?” Regular milk with a spoonful of vinegar or lemon juice does the trick. Wait a couple minutes for magic to happen.
- “Is the bacon mandatory?” Look, you do you. I’ve done veggie versions, and it’s still salad. You could add toasted sunflower seeds for crunch; I won’t judge.
- “Can I make it ahead?” Well, sort of. The dressing keeps a couple days, but assemble everything last minute. Trust me—nobody likes limp lettuce.
- “Dressing won’t thicken up — did I mess it up?” Not at all! Sometimes it just needs a bit more mayo, or pop it in the fridge for a bit. Or leave it runny and say it’s ‘chef style’. Works every time.
And that’s pretty much my whole Romaine Wedge Salad with Bacon and Blue Cheese saga. If you try it, let me know what you think—or if you figure out a way to keep leftovers from mysteriously disappearing, I’m all ears.
Ingredients
- 2 large heads romaine lettuce
- 6 slices bacon
- 1/2 cup blue cheese crumbles
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1/4 cup red onion, thinly sliced
- 1/4 cup blue cheese dressing
- 2 tablespoons chopped chives
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Instructions
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1Cook the bacon in a skillet over medium heat until crispy. Drain on paper towels and chop into bite-sized pieces.
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2Remove any damaged outer leaves from the romaine heads. Slice each head in half lengthwise to make four wedges.
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3Place each romaine wedge on a serving plate. Top with chopped bacon, blue cheese crumbles, cherry tomatoes, and red onion.
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4Drizzle blue cheese dressing over the lettuce wedges. Sprinkle with chopped chives, salt, and freshly ground black pepper.
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5Serve immediately and enjoy this crisp and flavorful wedge salad.
CLICK FOR NUTRITION INFO
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Approximate Information for One Serving
Serving Size:
1 serving
Calories:
320 caloriescal
Protein:
13gg
Fat:
24gg
Saturated Fat:
0g
Trans Fat:
0g
Cholesterol:
0mg
Sodium:
0mg
Potassium:
0mg
Total Carbs:
7gg
Fiber:
0g
Sugar:
0g
Net Carbs:
0g
Vitamin A:
0
Vitamin C:
0mg
Calcium:
0mg
Iron:
0mg
Nutrition Disclaimers
Number of total servings shown is approximate. Actual number of servings will depend on your preferred portion sizes.
Nutritional values shown are general guidelines and reflect information for 1 serving using the ingredients listed, not including any optional ingredients. Actual macros may vary slightly depending on specific brands and types of ingredients used.
To determine the weight of one serving, prepare the recipe as instructed. Weigh the finished recipe, then divide the weight of the finished recipe (not including the weight of the container the food is in) by the desired number of servings. Result will be the weight of one serving.
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