Ina Garten Crunchy Iceberg Salad with Creamy Blue Cheese
This salad is a classic wedge-style dish that showcases crisp iceberg lettuce served cold and cut into thick wedges or chunks. It’s topped with a homemade creamy blue cheese dressing and garnished with traditional fixings like bacon, scallions, and sometimes cherry tomatoes or chives. Ina’s version is known for its perfectly balanced dressing—rich without being overwhelming.
- Prep Time: 15
- Cook Time: 10
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: 4 1x
- Category: Salad
- Method: Raw
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
For the salad:
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1 head of iceberg lettuce, cold and cut into wedges or chunks
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4 slices thick-cut bacon, cooked and crumbled
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3 scallions, thinly sliced
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½ cup cherry tomatoes, halved (optional)
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Freshly ground black pepper
For the blue cheese dressing:
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½ cup mayonnaise
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½ cup sour cream
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¼ cup buttermilk (or milk for a lighter version)
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1 teaspoon white wine vinegar
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1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
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1 small garlic clove, finely minced
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½ teaspoon kosher salt
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¼ teaspoon black pepper
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½ cup crumbled blue cheese (plus extra for topping)
Instructions
In a medium bowl, whisk together mayonnaise, sour cream, buttermilk, vinegar, lemon juice, garlic, salt, and pepper. Fold in the blue cheese crumbles and stir until evenly mixed. Adjust thickness with a bit more buttermilk if needed. Chill until ready to serve.
Remove any outer wilted leaves from the iceberg. Cut into 4 to 6 wedges or large chunks. Rinse under cold water, then drain and pat dry. Refrigerate to keep crisp until serving.
In a skillet or oven, cook the bacon until crispy. Drain on paper towels and crumble once cooled.
Place lettuce wedges on individual plates or a platter. Drizzle generously with the creamy blue cheese dressing. Top with crumbled bacon, sliced scallions, extra blue cheese, and cherry tomatoes if using.
Finish with a few grinds of black pepper and serve while everything is cold and crunchy.