The crunchy, crisp taste of this loaded Wedge Salad is unbelievable. And what can be better than a salad loaded with cherry tomatoes sauteed in bacon drippings, red onion slices, homemade buttery croutons, crumbled bacon, and drizzled with delicious ranch dressing?
There's no doubt this easy steakhouse restaurant-style Wedge Salad needs just a few fresh ingredients for you to prepare the perfect salad at home.
And serve this alongside grilled chicken or steak, warm buttery breadsticks, or soup for the ultimate meal combo.
We grew up enjoying this classic American salad at steakhouse restaurants long before eating gluten and dairy free. It was always the perfect way for me to kick off a meal.
Nowadays it's impossible to enjoy this salad safely at local restaurants. So we make our own at home with ingredients we already have on hand in the refrigerator.
Bonus idea-- consider offering a Wedge Salad Bar at your next party or luncheon with various toppings and dressings. You could even offer cute and amazing little mini wedges served on a gorgeous cake plate.
Everyone will love this fun and healthy meal idea that is not only gluten and dairy free, but also very allergen friendly.
Why You Need This Salad
- It's a gluten and dairy free version of a classic salad.
- You can make this at home and know that it's safe to eat, and for a fraction of the cost that you'd normally pay at restaurants.
- It's easily customizable.
- We've been eating this salad for close to 10 years and still LOVE it!
Ingredients Notes
- homemade gluten free croutons-- make a batch of our homemade buttery croutons. Keep these on hand for eating salads in restaurants or to enjoy with more homemade dishes. We use Udi's bread, Earth Balance Butter Sticks, dried thyme, parsley, and garlic powder. Always check your spices are gluten and dairy free.
- iceberg lettuce-- wash and remove the outer 3-4 leaves. Quarter the wedge into 4 sections.
- dairy free dressing-- we use dairy free ranch dressing for this salad. Our favorite brands are the Hidden Valley Plant Powdered Ranch Dressing and other options here. Scroll down for more suggestions too.
- diced red onion
- fresh cherry tomatoes-- cut in half and leave as is or sauté in leftover bacon grease for out of this world flavor
- gluten free bacon crumbles-- always double check your bacon is gluten free. We prefer to bake our bacon or Air Fry it.
- ground black pepper
- sliced avocado-- optional
- toasted walnuts--optional
- garnish- thin green onion slices or chives
- baking sheet
- parchment paper or baking mat
- pastry brush
- cutting board
- chef knife-- we absolutely love these Zelite brand knives. They are a premium quality knife with an amazing grip.
- 4 salad plates
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. To clean your iceberg lettuce, first give the head a good rinse under cold running water and pat dry.
Then place on a cutting board and remove the outer few leaves that tend to be wilted.
First slice the head of the lettuce in half. Then half again. Cut off the core from each wedge.
Place each quarter on a plate with the cut side up as shown.
For mini wedges make an additional cut to each wedge.
While iceberg lettuce gets a bad rap for not being the most nutritiously dense of the "greens", it does offer generous nutrition. Oftentimes it is also more kid-approved than other salad mixes, making it a win-win in our parent handbook.
We like to consider it a great bridge food for people who aren't big into eating healthy greens or veggies.
It offers a mild, sweet flavor and a pleasant crunch that's packed with Vitamin A, Vitamin K, and folate.
Surprisingly making your own gluten free croutons for salads is really easy!
And they're so good to munch on that we find it's wise to make a double batch.
That way you have plenty to munch on while prepping this salad and extras to sprinkle on your salad at local restaurants.
Yes, we have no shame in carrying my own dressing and croutons into restaurants with me.
Here is our homemade crisp, buttery crouton recipe. In that post, we show what bread, seasonings, and kitchen gadgets we use to make the best croutons.
Typically a traditional wedge salad is topped with blue cheese dressing and crumbles.
However, we haven't tasted a gluten and dairy free blue cheese dressing resembling the blue cheese taste. If you find one, let us know the brand in the comments so we can see if it's available in our area.
Instead, we love drizzling this salad with delicious dairy free ranch dressing. There are so many great brands on the market nowadays, such as Hidden Valley's Ranch Plant Powered dressing and Follow Your Heart Vegan Ranch.
And we know so many of you love the taste of Primal Kitchen's Ranch too.
P.S. Since initially sharing this salad recipe, Follow Your Heart has come out with a Blue Cheese dressing. We've heard mixed reviews, so you could give it a try and let us know what you think.
Top your homemade delicious iceberg lettuce with bacon crumbles, cherry tomatoes, red onion, and the best DIY croutons. Then drizzle with a satisfying dairy free ranch dressing.
Any salad leftovers should be stored in an airtight container and can be kept in the fridge for up to 2-3 days. Try to store the dressing separate from the lettuce as it will wilt the lettuce overtime.
More Lighter Gluten and Dairy Free Recipes
- burrito bowl-- customize this yummy bowl to your favorite burrito toppings and enjoy this bowl all summer long
- oriental chicken salad-- enjoy this Applebee's copycat salad filled with crunchy greens, shredded carrots, sliced almonds, chicken, and the best oriental salad dressing
- crock-pot taco soup-- our go-to easy soup with minimal food prep, but full of delicious hearty flavor
- easy skillet lasagna-- here's another one of our one-pan meals! This lasagna has delicious flavor without all the fuss of multiple pots and pans.
Go ahead and add this salad recipe to your menu. You'll find this classic Wedge Salad is just as delicious as the fancy steakhouse restaurants-- and it's safer and a whole lot cheaper.
Ingredients
Homemade Croutons
- 3 slices gluten free bread suggestion in post
- 3 tablespoon dairy free butter, melted suggestion in post
- ¼ teaspoon powdered garlic
- dash dried thyme
- dash dried sage
- dash dried parsley
Wedge Salad Ingredients
- 1 medium iceberg lettuce head wash and pat dry
- 1 c dairy free ranch dressing suggestions in post
- ½ diced red onion
- 2 c fresh cherry tomatoes cut in half and sautéed in bacon grease for extra flavor
- 8 strips gluten free bacon crumbles see link for baking bacon in post
- 2½ c gluten & dairy free croutons
- dash ground black pepper
- optional-- roasted walnuts, sliced avocado
- garnish with green onions or chives
Instructions
Homemade Croutons
- Preheat oven to 300°F. Prepare a baking sheet with parchment paper or a baking mat.
- Place sliced bread on the baking sheet.
- Melt butter in a small bowl and add ground spices.
- Dip a pastry brush into the melted butter mixture and stir. Then brush the pastry brush over both sides of each bread slice.
- Then cut each slice of bread into 16 small cubes.
- Transfer to the oven for 30 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and allow to cool before serving on salads.
- Place in an airtight container on the countertop up to a week.
Wedge Salad Assembly
- To clean your iceberg lettuce, first give the head a good rinse under cold running water and pat dry.
- Then place on a cutting board and remove the outer few leaves that are usually wilted.
- First slice the head of the lettuce in half. Then half again. Cut off the core from each wedge. Place each quarter on a plate with the cut side up as shown. For mini wedges make an additional cut to each wedge.
- Place each wedge on a salad plate, then drizzle with dressing and sprinkle with the salad toppings as desired.
- Serve immediately.
Nutritional Disclaimer
These Nutritional Facts are ESTIMATED. Your actual nutritional info with this recipe may vary depending on the brands you choose. “Eating Gluten and Dairy Free” is not a registered dietician or nutritionist. The provided nutritional info above is based on a generic calculator, if you want more accurate info, use your nutritional calculator of choice where you can choose brands and get more info that way.
Hey, It's Victoria!
Welcome! Victoria creates yummy gluten and dairy free recipes to make mealtime more delicious and less stressful without breaking the bank.