How To Cut Lettuce For The Perfect Wedge Salad

There's something about a wedge salad that's perfect on warm summer days or paired with a juicy steak. It has everything you'd want as a side: the cold crunch of the iceberg lettuce, the creamy tang from blue cheese dressing, a little bit of acidic tang from the chopped tomatoes, sharp bites of onion, and, of course, the chewy and savory bacon bits.

If you're grilling for guests and feeding a crowd, a wedge salad can be easily portioned out. Start by removing the outer leaves. Grab your knife (a serrated bread knife works well) and shave off the brown end of the core. Make sure not to remove too much; you need to leave enough so your wedges hold together on the plate. Cut the head in half, then cut each half in half again, so you end up with equal portions from each side. This is a good time to give the wedges an extra rinse and a pat dry. The last thing you want when you start your meal is a stray, gritty bite of dirt.

If you're looking for a little added crunch, put the sliced wedges in the fridge for 15 to 20 minutes so they'll be extra cold and crunchy. You can even prep them ahead of time. The wedges will hold well in the refrigerator for a few hours. That's easy enough. Now all you need to do is dress it up. 

The wedge is a blank canvas for toppings. The classic version leans on creamy blue cheese, crispy bacon, diced tomatoes, and onion, but there's plenty of room to play. Substitute ranch dressing for blue cheese, pile on avocado slices, add crispy shallots, or toss in croutons for added crunch in your own personal variation. Iceberg's layers make it easy to pile on whatever you like without the salad falling apart. Because of the way a wedge salad is presented, with its layers facing upward, the dressing always finds its way into every bite. 

These days, iceberg lettuce gets a pretty bad rap for lacking in nutrients and being too overpriced to order at restaurants, but there are plenty of reasons to still be team iceberg. It adds a cold crunch to a sandwich that you don't get from other lettuces, and it lasts longer in the refrigerator. Like any salad, a wedge of iceberg is a great vessel to dress up. It sits firmly on a plate, with the ingredients covering it and falling to the side. That's the ideal scenario, so you can make sure you get exactly what you want on each bite. No need to toss the salad to coat everything evenly — you get to decide exactly what makes it onto your fork.