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5 from 2 votes

Little Gem Wedge Salad with Bacon, Blue Cheese, and Warm Garlic Croutons

A new take on the classic wedge salad made with little gem lettuce, crispy bacon, creamy blue cheese dressing, and warm garlic croutons!
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time15 minutes
Course: Salad
Cuisine: American
Servings: 4
Calories: 531kcal
Author: Leigh Anderson

Ingredients

Croutons

  • 2 c torn day old bread
  • 1/4 c olive oil
  • 2 cloves garlic

Dressing

  • 1/2 c whole milk Greek yogurt
  • 1/2 c crumbled blue cheese plus extra for serving
  • 1 clove garlic grated
  • 3 tbsp chopped chives plus extra for serving
  • 3 tbsp white wine vinegar
  • salt and freshly cracked black pepper

Salad

  • 4 heads little gem lettuce
  • 8 slices bacon cooked and crumbled
  • 3 hard-boiled eggs grated or finely chopped
  • 1/4 red onion thinly sliced
  • 1 c cherry tomatoes halved
  • 4 radishes thinly sliced

Instructions

Croutons:

  • Heat a saute pan or cast-iron skillet over medium heat. Add the olive oil to the pan, once it's hot add in the torn bread and garlic cloves. Cook, stirring frequently until the croutons are golden brown and crispy. Transfer the croutons to a paper towel-lined plate to absorb the excess oil. Season with salt. If you need to re-warm the croutons just pop them in a 300F oven for 5 minutes.

Dressing:

  • To prepare the dressing whisk together all of the ingredients in a bowl. Use the whisk to break up any large chunks of blue cheese. The dressing will be very thick, add 2-3 tablespoons of water to thin it to a pourable consistency.

Salad:

  • Cut the little gems in half lengthwise then arrange them on a platter. Top each half with a generous amount of dressing followed by hard-boiled egg, crumbled bacon, sliced tomatoes, onion, radish, crumbled blue cheese, chopped chives, and lastly the warm croutons. Serve immediately!

Notes

 
Ingredient Notes and Substitutions:
  • Little Gem Lettuce: Use romaine if you can't find Little Gem.
  • Blue Cheese: Feta or Goat Cheese will work.
  • Chives: Scallions may be substituted for chives.
  • Yogurt: Sour cream or creme fraiche.
  • Bacon: Turkey bacon or you can skip the bacon altogether if you prefer a vegetarian salad.
 
Make-ahead instructions: 
The dressing, croutons, and hard-boiled eggs can be made up to three days in advance. Re-warm the croutons just before serving at 300F for 5 minutes.

Nutrition

Calories: 531kcal | Carbohydrates: 20g | Protein: 18g | Fat: 42g | Saturated Fat: 13g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 186mg | Sodium: 740mg | Potassium: 395mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 656IU | Vitamin C: 12mg | Calcium: 199mg | Iron: 2mg