Description
A refreshing and crunchy Crisp Wedge Salad featuring iceberg lettuce wedges topped with cherry tomatoes, hard-boiled eggs, crispy bacon, red onion, chives, and toasted garlic panko breadcrumbs. Served with a creamy homemade ranch dressing made from sour cream, buttermilk, mayonnaise, and herbs, this salad is perfect for a light lunch or a delicious side.
Ingredients
Scale
Salad
- 1 head iceberg lettuce (cut into wedges)
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes (halved)
- 4 eggs (hard boiled and quartered)
- 6 slices bacon (cooked and chopped)
- ¼ small red onion (finely chopped)
- 3 tablespoons chives (finely chopped)
- ½ cup toasted garlic panko breadcrumbs
Homemade Ranch Dressing
- 1 cup sour cream (or use Greek yogurt)
- ½ cup buttermilk (or more if you want it runnier)
- â…“ cup mayonnaise
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 2 cloves garlic (grated or more to taste)
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 2 teaspoons onion powder
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt (or more to taste)
- 3 tablespoons dill (finely chopped or use dried)
Instructions
- Prepare the salad ingredients. Cut the head of iceberg lettuce into wedges and arrange them on a serving plate. Halve the cherry tomatoes, quarter the hard-boiled eggs, finely chop the red onion and chives, and cook the bacon until crispy, then chop it into pieces. Set these aside for topping the salad.
- Make the homemade ranch dressing. In a bowl, combine sour cream or Greek yogurt, buttermilk, mayonnaise, lemon juice, grated garlic, garlic powder, onion powder, kosher salt, and chopped dill. Whisk thoroughly until smooth and creamy. Adjust the consistency by adding more buttermilk if desired.
- Toast the garlic panko breadcrumbs. Heat a skillet over medium heat and add the panko breadcrumbs. Toast them, stirring frequently, until golden and fragrant. Remove from heat and let them cool slightly.
- Assemble the salad. Drizzle the homemade ranch dressing generously over the iceberg wedges. Top with halved cherry tomatoes, quartered hard-boiled eggs, chopped bacon, finely chopped red onion, and chives. Sprinkle the toasted garlic panko breadcrumbs over the top for added crunch.
- Serve immediately. Enjoy the salad fresh to maintain the crisp texture of the lettuce and the crunchiness of the breadcrumbs.
Notes
- For a lighter dressing, substitute sour cream with Greek yogurt.
- Adjust the garlic quantity in the dressing based on your preference for pungency.
- If buttermilk is unavailable, use milk mixed with a tablespoon of lemon juice or vinegar as a substitute.
- To make this salad vegetarian, omit bacon and consider adding toasted nuts for crunch.
- Use fresh dill for best flavor, but dried dill works as a convenient alternative.
- Toast breadcrumbs carefully to avoid burning and bitterness.
