Mini wedge party salads are tiny bites of crisp chilled lettuce drizzled in your favorite dressing and loaded with salad toppings. Serve them up for your next party for a savory appetizer everyone can enjoy.
Parties and events are always packed with heavy foods and sweets so why not bring an easy-to-share salad recipe like this one? Prepped in minutes flat and easily customizable this wedge salad recipe is one everyone can enjoy.
What is Wedge Salad?
A wedge salad is a fun spin on the classic (but boring) salad. By slicing up a head of iceberg lettuce we can get nifty little triangles of lettuce layers that are conveniently stacked and ready for your toothpicks or skewers. Serving wedge salad on a stick is a great way to make a statement piece from something as simple and as basic as a salad.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
Who doesn’t enjoy a good salad? With this wedge salad appetizer, there is so much more to love than the crisp greens. Here are a few reasons why we really enjoy these wedge salad skewers:
- They’re very easy to serve. Salads have always been a sit-down and eat with a fork type of dish, but these salads are meant to be finger foods, making them portable and perfect for parties where seating is limited.
- They pair well with anything. There’s never a wrong time for a salad and a light and refreshing recipe like this one is always welcomed. You can serve them up in the heat of summer or enjoy them at the holiday office party, they’ll even make a splash at potlucks.
- The beauty is in simplicity. Half of the fun of these salads is how simple they are to make and how basic the toppings are. Yes, it may not be loaded with much, but they look much more temptin that way.
Wedge Salad Ingredients
Iceberg lettuce. You will need 1 head of cold and crisp iceberg lettuce. This will make several mini wedges depending on how small you cut them.
Salad dressing: Some of the more popular salad dressings to serve with a wedge salad include Ranch, Blue Cheese, and Balsalmic Vinaigrette. That said, you can select any dressing you desire, but keep in mind that the toppings will stick better if you use a thick and creamy dressing.
Optional Wedge Salad Topping Ideas
You can use any of your favorite salad toppings for these wedges but here are a few great suggestions you might enjoy:
Tomatoes– diced or cherry tomatoes (sliced in half or left whole)
Cucumbers– thinly sliced or diced
Peppers- diced or sliced into thin strips
Hard-boiled Eggs- cooked, peeled, halved, quartered, or diced
Bacon– Cooked and crumbled
Cheese– Shredded cheddar cheese, crumbled blue cheese, or even Feta would work well
Red Onion– Thinly sliced
Chives– Chopped small
Radishes- Sliced thin
Meats– Cooked steak, shrimp, or even shredded chicken are great options
Salt and Pepper– Added to taste *optional
How to Make Mini Wedge Party Salads
How to Cut Wedge Salad
Wash your lettuce head thoroughly to remove any dirt and debris. Remove the outer leaves if needed.
Slice your lettuce head in half straight through the middle.
Now place the halves cut side down and slice each half into 4 sections before slicing each section in half again, making a total of 16 mini wedges.
If needed, cut off the hard bottom stem pieces from some of the wedges. You can even choose to rewash any of the wedges at this point, but make sure to dry them well before continuing.
Plate the Salads
Plate the wedges so that they are resting with the larger bottom halves on a plate.
If desired you can insert a toothpick or skewer through the center. This will help to hold the wedges together and to make them easier to serve to guests.
Assemble
Drizzle your dressing(s) over the top of the wedges.
Add the salad toppings. The dressing will help them to adhere to the lettuce.
Add salt and pepper to taste, if desired.
Serve cold and enjoy.
How to Serve Wedge Salad for a Crowd
Prepare the lettuce wedges up to a few hours in advance of the party and wait until ready to serve before adding the toppings. This will keep the salad cooled and crisp and ready to eat. If party space permits I would recommend setting up the wedge salads like a buffet table or toppings bar where guests can customize their own salads by adding toppings of their own choice.
Pro Tip: Have napkins ready and on hand- they can be a little tipsy when you serve them, but this is a perfect way to bring something “healthier” to a party or to entice your kids to eat their veggies!
Mini Wedge Party Salads
Ingredients
- Iceberg lettuce
- Salad dressing
Optional Wedge Salad Topping Ideas
- Tomatoes
- Cucumbers
- Peppers
- Hard-boiled Eggs
- Bacon
- Cheese
- Red Onion
- Chives
- Radishes
- Meats
- Salt and Pepper
Instructions
Cut Wedge Salad
- Wash your lettuce head thoroughly to remove any dirt and debris. Remove the outer leaves if needed.
- Slice your lettuce head in half straight through the middle.
- Now place the halves cut side down and slice each half into 4 sections before slicing each section in half again, making a total of 16 mini wedges.
- If needed, cut off the hard bottom stem pieces from some of the wedges. You can even choose to rewash any of the wedges at this point, but make sure to dry them well before continuing.
Plate the Salads
- Plate the wedges so that they are resting with the larger bottom halves on a plate.
- If desired you can insert a toothpick or skewer through the center. This will help to hold the wedges together and to make them easier to serve to guests.
Assemble
- Drizzle your dressing(s) over the top of the wedges.
- Add the salad toppings. The dressing will help them to adhere to the lettuce.
- Add salt and pepper to taste, if desired.
- Serve cold and enjoy.
Nutrition
A Brief History of The Wedge Salad
No one is sure how or when the first wedge salad was created but the first written publication of the wedge salad happened in 1916 in a cookbook and since that time the salad has taken on new variations and even become a staple menu item in many steakhouse restaurants.
What to Serve with a Wedge Salad
You can serve up just about anything with your lettuce wedge salad. With unlimited toppings, you can make loaded wedge salads or keep them simple. These would be great for serving up next to sliced pizza, grilled meats from a BBQ, or depending on the toppings available these iceberg wedge salads can even be great for an Italian pasta night (pepperoni, pepperoncini, and Italian vinaigrette).
Is Wedge Salad Keto?
You can easily make your wedge salads keto-friendly by choosing to use keto-approved dressings and toppings. This means that everyone can enjoy these mini salads regardless of dietary restrictions!
Here Are Some More Easy Appetizer Recipes To Enjoy Soon
- GREEN CHILE BEAN DIP
- EASY FRIED CHEESE STRAWS
- CAPRESE POPS
- EASY RANCH SAUSAGE ROLLS
- EASY BIG MAC BITES
- OVEN BAKED CHICKEN WINGS
- CROCKPOT SWEET AND SOUR MEATBALLS
- RANCH CHICKEN BACON KABOBS
- BACON CHEDDAR DEVILED EGGS
- BACON WRAPPED SHRIMP
- MINI CHEESE BALLS
- TACO BITES
These mini wedge party salads are a fun and simple appetizer recipe that everyone can enjoy. From the cold crisp lettuce greens to the creamy dressings and salad toppings in every bite, this is one recipe everyone can enjoy.
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