Wedge Salads with Merlot Vinaigrette

in Goat cheese, Lighter & Healthier, Pork, Salads, Wine

Wedge Salad

“You’ll be so proud of me. I ordered lettuce on my hamburger at lunch today.”

Aaahhh. The ongoing adventure of trying to get my husband to eat more plants. And for the record, I was extremely proud of him. Even more so when he responded, “Let’s eat a salad,” when I ask him what he wanted for dinner.

Light, crisp, and fresh, wedge salads are currently one of our favorite weekend lunches. Iceberg lettuce gets a bad rap for being decidedly un-gourmet but try to dress a BLT with anything else. It’s not my favorite salad green but it’s crisp and crunch definitely makes iceberg my favorite dressing green. And it’s one of the few green things that my husband will eat voluntarily.

My favorite wedge salad includes:
1/4 head iceberg lettuce
Crumbled gorgonzola or goat cheese
Crispy pancetta
Chopped Roma tomatoes
Fresh basil
Salt & Vinegar or Sugared almonds
Merlot vinaigrette (recipe follows)

Wedge Salad

Merlot Vinaigrette
1/4 cup Merlot vinegar (or your favorite red wine vinegar)
1/2 tsp honey
1 small clove garlic, finely chopped
liberal amount of ground black pepper
pinch of sea salt
pinch of red pepper flakes
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Whisk all ingredients together while streaming in the olive oil. Go heavy on the black pepper for a peppery vinaigrette.

More salads:
Spinach & Nectarine Salad
Rosemary Coleslaw
Avocado & Orange Salad

13 comments… add one
  • I have a hubby who doesn’t react kindly when I tell him we’re having salad for dinner. “What’s the main dish?” is usually his response. Sigh.

    While I typically loathe iceberg lettuce, I do enjoy the crunch, and slathered in all of those ingredients that you have listed makes it a worthwhile feast!

  • I usually shy away from iceberge wedges, but this one honestly looks good!

  • Looks great Shawnda!

  • Looks perfect!

  • Kate

    I love Wedge Salads, and like you believe they decidedly need a blue cheese and a ham product.

  • my DH is the same way!! i can never get him to eat a salad….

    yours looks beautiful!

  • Deborah

    This is a beautiful way to dress up iceberg! It sounds delicious!

  • Hi
    I am new to your blog and love it:-) photos look great and I like your enthusiasm and passion about food. I look forward to see more of your cooking:-)
    X M

  • That is one sexy wedge of iceberg! If it is presented like that, I might skip the froufrou mesclun salad and have this instead!

  • I LOVE that you made a wedge for dinner! It was one of our staples this past summer when we ran out of gas in our grill and were too lazy to go buy some!

  • When I met my husband, the only veggie he ate was Zaxby’s fries. So I feel ya! I’m happy to report my guy now also orders vegetables on his burgers, and he no longer picks the veggies out of spaghetti sauce!!

  • What an elegant salad. Lovely recipe. Perfect for vegetarians too, as they can simply leave out the meat. I’d have a hard time deciding whether to use goat’s cheese or gorgonzola.

  • I tried your recipe for lunch today and loved it so much I blogged about it. I think the pancetta and pepper make this recipe something special. Thanks for sharing . . .

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