Eccentric Wedge Salad

Wedge salads have GOT to be one of my favorite salads. Typically they consist of a wedge of iceberg lettuce with loads of bleu cheese dressing and crumbles of bacon on top. The iceberg wedge is the perfect vessel for that dressing because when it’s cut open there’s an instant formation of nooks and crannies for that dressing to seep down into. It’s crispy and refreshing, but also a bit plain and definitely NOT the most nutritious salad around town.

This version is a bit different, which is why I like to call it eccentric! It’s a bit more nutritious with the addition of two new lettuces to the mix – radicchio and romaine. If you’re not familiar with radicchio, it looks like a small head of red cabbage but it’s actually a chicory, and has just a slightly bitter, crisp taste. Romaine is your classic Caesar salad lettuce – Bright green in color and extra crispy.

Instead of a calorie laden, heavy bleu cheese dressing, I threw together a tangy dressing using greek yogurt and buttermilk. Buttermilk may sound fattening but it’s actually low in fat, high in protein and calcium, and contains probiotics – those beneficial bacteria that help keep your digestive system happy and healthy. The bleu cheese is crumbled on the top at the end, so that you can control how much or little you’d like on your dish.

To top it off I used bacon (of course!) – Can’t mess around too much with the classic version! This recipe also adds in some delicious, crispy sautéed red onions that have been glazed in a maple syrup. Be sure that you spread the onions out well on a silpat or plate while they are cooling, otherwise, they will turn into one big ‘ol mass.

I hope you’ll give this twist on the classic wedge salad a try – Eccentricity at its best!

Eccentric Wedge Salad

Course: Salad

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 40 minutes

Servings: 4 large salads

Author: Inspired by The Kitchn Cookbook by Sara Kate Gillingham and Faith Durand, Clarkson Potter 2014

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Ingredients

• Dressing
• 1/3 cup Greek yogurt
• 1/3 cup buttermilk
• 3 teaspoons vinegar (cider white wine, white balsamic)
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 2 tablespoons chopped chives
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Crispy Onions
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 1/2 red onion very thinly sliced
• 1 tablespoon maple syrup
• 1/2 teaspoon vinegar (cider white wine, white balsamic)
• pinch of salt
• Salad
• 1 head radicchio
• 1 head iceberg lettuce
• 1 heart of romaine
• 6 strips of bacon
• 1/4 - 1/2 cup crumbled bleu cheese

Instructions

1. Heat the olive oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add the onion slices and a pinch of salt. Stir and arrange in your pan in a single layer. Reduce the heat to low and cook for 10 minutes, stirring a couple of times. After 10 minutes, add in the maple syrup and vinegar. Stir once again to combine and cook for an additional 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Increase your heat to high and cook for 1 - 3 minutes, until your onions become nice and crispy. Immediately remove the onions to a silpat or dinner plate and spread apart with two forks so that the onions do not form together into one big mass.
2. Cook your bacon over medium-low heat until crispy. Set aside on paper towels, let cool slightly, and crumble.
3. To make your dressing, add all ingredients to a small mason jar or other sealed container. Shake well to combine and season, to taste, with salt and pepper.
4. To assemble your salads, quarter each of your lettuces. Place one quarter of each lettuce on a plate, top with dressing and sprinkle with bacon, crispy onions and crumbled bleu cheese.

 ERIN’S PAIRING:

• The bleu cheese and bitter radicchio in this salad call for a sweeter white wine such as a Riesling or Sauternes.