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Cool and crisp Little Gem Wedge Salad with beets, tomatoes, radishes, herbs and coconut bacon, topped with Creamy Gorgonzola dressing. 
  
The clearest way into the Universe is through a forest wilderness.
John Muir
The classic wedge salad gets an upgrade here with little gems replacing traditional iceberg lettuce and the addition of beets, tomatoes, radishes, herbs, and coconut bacon, topped with cool, creamy Gorgonzola Dressing.
Delicious, crunchy and refreshing- it makes for a light dinner on its own.
Or for heartier appetites, serve it alongside grilled steak or grilled chicken.  

ingredients in a wedge salad laying on the counter

Ingredients in Wedge Salad

  1. Lettuce- Little gems, romaine hears or iceberg lettuce – use a cool crisp sturdy lettuce, one that will hold up to the dressing).
  2. Veggies: tomatoes, radishes, beets, salad turnips, or cucumber
  3. Herbs: flat-leaf parsley, dill, basil or tarragon
  4. Dressing: Creamy Gorgonzola or Blue Cheese
  5. Toppings: Bacon Crumbles or Coconut Bacon, toasted seeds (pumpkin or sunflower), nuts ( toasted hazelnuts, etc.)

How to make Wedge Salad

Step One: Cook the Beets

Roast or blanch until tender, peel and slice. Chill!! You can do this ahead so the beets are really good and cold.

peeling beets

Step Two: Make the Dressing

Simply whisk the ingredients together. The gorgonzola dressing is best COLD, so be sure to chill it.

To elevate the dressing try using smoked blue cheese if you can find it!

Summer Wedge Salad with beets, tomatoes, radishes and romaine hearts, topped with a creamy gorgonzola (or blue cheese) dressing. Keep it vegetarian or add mustard glazed bacon crumbles. #wedge #romaine #beetsalad #beets #wedgesalad

TIP: Make the dressing and blanch the beets up to 3 days ahead!
Step Three: Prep the veggies
Halve or quarter the little gem lettuces.
Prep your veggies, cutting them into bite-sized pieces.
Step Four: Assemble the Wedge Salad
To plate individually– lay the lettuces down on a plate and dress with the gorgonzola dressing.  Arrange the beets, tomatoes, herbs and radishes, and optional coconut bacon crumbles over the top and drizzle with a little more dressing.
Season with fresh pepper.
Alternatively, serve in a large bowl. Toss lettuces with the dressing first, then add the remaining ingredients and toss again, adding more dressing as needed.
So much flavor happening here!
Cool and crisp Wedge Salad with little gems, beets, tomatoes, radishes, herbs and coconut bacon, topped with Creamy Gorgonzola dressing. 
Enjoy this cool and crunchy summer salad and let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
Hope you are having a beautiful sun-filled week!

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Cool and crisp Wedge Salad with little gems, beets, tomatoes, radishes, herbs and coconut bacon, topped with Creamy Gorgonzola dressing. 

Little Gem Wedge Salad

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Description

Cool and crisp Wedge Salad with little gems, beets, tomatoes, radishes, herbs and coconut bacon, topped with Creamy Gorgonzola dressing.

Ingredients

Units Scale
  • 3–4 baby little gems, romaine hearts or 1 large iceberg lettuce
  • 1 cup cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
  • 2 cups beets, roasted or blanched, chilled, diced, or cut into wedges
  • 1 cup sliced radishes (or cucumber)
  • 1/8 cup very finely sliced red onion, optional
  • 1/2 cup coconut bacon (see notes) or bacon crumbles (or sub vegan bacon bits)
  • Fresh herbs- parsley, chives, basil, dill, or tarragon
  • Gorgonzola crumbles

Gorgonzola Dressing:

  • 1/2 cup mayo
  • 1/4 cup sour cream
  • 1/2 cup crumbled gorgonzola cheese (2 ounces) or sub-smoked blue cheese for MORE flavor
  • 1 small clove of garlic, finely minced or grated
  • 1 tablespoon finely chopped shallot or onion
  • 1 tablespoon vinegar- Apple cider, red wine or white vinegar
  • 2 tablespoons chopped chives
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • Pepper to taste
  • optional– a splash of Worcestershire sauce (for more depth) or 1/2 teaspoon horseradish for a little kick.

Instructions

  1. Cook (roast or steam) the beets and chill.  Peel and either slice or dice.
  2. Make the dressing:  Mix all dressing ingredients in a small bowl and immediately refrigerate. You want the dressing to be really cold! Feel free to make ahead!
  3. Assemble: When ready to serve, cut the little gems into halves or quarters and place on individual plates. Pour some of the chilled dressing over the top, add the veggies and herbs, and a little more dressing, and top with bacon or coconut bacon and gorgonzola crumbles and serve immediately. Alternatively, feel free to make a big bowl of salad -toss the wedges with the dressing, coating well, then add the veggies, herbs. Toss again, adding more dressing as needed. Top with coconut bacon and gorgonzola crumbles.

Notes

The key to this salad– is making sure the salad is very cold and every ingredient is chilled. You can make the dressing and beets ahead. I like to use my instant pot for steaming beets to keep the kitchen cool in summer.

To elevate, use smoked blue cheese in the dressing.

Instead of bacon crumbles, try making Coconut Bacon.

Any leftover dressing will keep 7 days in the fridge.

Nutrition

  • Serving Size:
  • Calories: 495
  • Sugar: 9.5 g
  • Sodium: 1415.8 mg
  • Fat: 35.6 g
  • Saturated Fat: 10.7 g
  • Carbohydrates: 34.1 g
  • Fiber: 4.4 g
  • Protein: 16.1 g
  • Cholesterol: 48.8 mg

Keywords: beet salad, beet salad recipe, wedge salad, wedge salad romaine, gorgonzola dressing, blue cheese dressing, summer salad recipe

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Comments

  1. Just enjoyed this delicious salad for dinner. Thank you for another great recipe!
    I thought the coconut bacon got lost a bit, but have been enjoying snacking on it separately. I didn’t include onion in the salad or extra cheese crumbles. Made some garlic bread to go with it. Hoping the leftovers are still good tomorrow!

    Reply

  2. Hey Sylvia,

    This looks amazing! Just FYI, I clicked on the coconut bacon link in the notes and it looks like the hyperlink is linking to the wrong page? Are you able to update by chance?

    Reply

    1. It should go to a Spinach Salad which has the coconut Bacon recipe in it. No?

      Reply

  4. This salad was just ok for me. I thought the bacon was going to be amazing but it was very chewy. I did like the blue cheese dressing! I was very good! I will use it in the future on a grilled romaine salad that is similar to this one.

    Reply

    1. Thanks for your feedback. I’m wondering if it was because the bacon was refrigerated after being cooked? I’ll adjust the recipe. Thanks!!

      Reply

  6. Normally wedge salads always seem very huge and heavy to me, but this one looks perfectly portioned and the ingredients are all fresh and beautiful, you’ve sold me!

    Reply

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Hi, I'm Sylvia!

Chef and author of the whole-foods recipe blog, Feasting at Home, Sylvia Fountaine is a former restaurant owner and caterer turned full-time food blogger. She currently lives in the Pacific Northwest and shares seasonal, healthy recipes along with tips and tricks from her home kitchen.

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