Description
A crisp and refreshing wedge salad featuring crunchy iceberg lettuce wedges topped with cherry tomatoes, hard-boiled eggs, crispy bacon, red onions, and toasted garlic panko breadcrumbs, all drizzled with a creamy homemade garlic ranch dressing.
Ingredients
Scale
Salad Ingredients
- 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 Greek yogurt)
- ½ cup buttermilk (or more if you want it runnier)
- ⅓ 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 dried)
Instructions
- Make the Homemade Ranch Dressing: In a mixing bowl, combine sour cream, buttermilk, mayonnaise, lemon juice, grated garlic, garlic powder, onion powder, kosher salt, and dill. Whisk thoroughly until smooth and well incorporated. Set aside to let flavors blend.
- Cook the Bacon: Cut bacon slices into 1-inch pieces. Place in a skillet over medium heat and fry until crispy. Transfer the cooked bacon to a paper towel-lined plate to drain excess fat, then set aside.
- Hard Boil the Eggs: Place eggs in a pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil and cook for 10 minutes. After cooking, transfer eggs to an ice bath for 5 minutes to cool, then peel and quarter them.
- Prepare Toasted Garlic Panko Breadcrumbs: In a dry skillet over medium heat, toast the panko breadcrumbs until golden and crispy. Allow to cool completely before using.
- Prepare the Lettuce Wedges: Cut the iceberg lettuce in half lengthwise, then cut each half into 4 wedges. Arrange the wedges on a large serving platter.
- Assemble the Salad: Drizzle some of the homemade ranch dressing over the lettuce wedges. Top with halved cherry tomatoes, quartered eggs, crispy bacon pieces, and finely chopped red onions. Drizzle additional dressing over the top.
- Finish with Garnishes: Sprinkle the chopped chives and toasted garlic panko breadcrumbs evenly over the salad. Serve with extra ranch dressing on the side and enjoy immediately.
Notes
- For a lighter dressing, substitute sour cream with Greek yogurt and adjust the buttermilk amount for desired consistency.
- Make sure to cool the toasted breadcrumbs before adding to maintain their crispness.
- This salad is best served immediately to preserve the crunch of the iceberg lettuce and toasted breadcrumbs.
- You can prepare the ranch dressing a few hours ahead and refrigerate for enhanced flavor.
- Use kosher salt for seasoning, but adjust to taste if using table salt.
- Optional: Add freshly cracked black pepper to the dressing for extra flavor.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Salad
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
Keywords: wedge salad, iceberg lettuce salad, homemade ranch dressing, crispy bacon salad, garlic panko breadcrumbs, easy summer salad
