Food Recipes Salads Green Salads Bad Roman Wedge Salad Be the first to rate & review! The classic wedge salad gets an Italian take topped with spicy ranch and antipasti. By Nick Gaube Updated on August 24, 2023 Tested by Food & Wine Test Kitchen Tested by Food & Wine Test Kitchen Recipes published by Food & Wine are rigorously tested by the culinary professionals at the Dotdash Meredith Food Studios in order to empower home cooks to enjoy being in the kitchen and preparing meals they will love. Our expert culinary team tests and retests each recipe using equipment and ingredients found in home kitchens to ensure that every recipe is delicious and works for cooks at home every single time. Meet the Food & Wine Test Kitchen Rate PRINT Share Photo: Matt Taylor-Gross / Food Styling by Barrett Washburne Active Time: 30 mins Total Time: 30 mins Servings: 4 servings Order a wedge salad at New York’s Bad Roman, and you’ll get this thick slab of crunchy lettuce, seasoned with olive oil and lemon juice, topped with a spicy Italian ranch dressing and loaded with toppings, including garlic croutons, two kinds of pickled peppers, soppressata, and fresh herbs. Here’s how to make it at home. Frequently asked questions How do you make a wedge salad? Any kind of wedge salad is centered on a large piece of iceberg lettuce, which is crunchy and crisp enough to stand up to all the toppings. A traditional wedge salad often includes bacon, tomatoes, croutons, and blue cheese dressing, but variations abound. This version of the wedge salad leans toward Italian ingredients, with pickled peppers, soppressata, herbs, and a ranch dressing made spicy with Calabrian chiles. How do you cut a wedge salad? We took the easy route and cut the head of iceberg lettuce into thick slabs, but at the restaurant, they use bamboo skewers to be more precise for each order. To follow their method, hold the head of lettuce with the root side down and insert an eight-inch bamboo skewer horizontally, about a quarter of the way up. Make sure the skewer protrudes on the opposite side. Rotate the head of lettuce 90° and insert a second skewer (this will help secure the leaves when the portion cut is made). Using a long, sharp serrated knife, remove the bottom half inch of lettuce and discard. There should be about 1 inch of lettuce between cut and skewers. Make a second horizontal cut 1 inch above skewers, leaving a 2-inch thick slab of lettuce. Remove skewers and place lettuce on the plate. Notes from the Food & Wine Test Kitchen The spicy ranch dressing in this salad is a slight change from the traditional wedge salad dressing, but it’s the toppings that make this wedge salad stand out. The soppressata, which is a dry-cured pork salami, is salty and meaty, while the pickled pepperoncini and sweetie peppers are tangy and add a little heat. Crunchy, garlicky croutons and fresh herbs contribute to the layers of texture and flavor. Ingredients Spicy Ranch Dressing 2 cups mayonnaise (such as Hellmann’s) 1/2 cup buttermilk 4 teaspoons hot sauce (such as Frank’s Red Hot) 4 teaspoons white balsamic glaze 1 1/2 tablespoons crushed Calabrian chiles 2 teaspoons lemon juice, fresh squeezed from 1 lemon 1/2 tablespoon apple cider vinegar 1 1/2 tablespoons powdered ranch seasoning (such as Hidden Valley Ranch) 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano 1/4 teaspoon dried basil 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt 2 teaspoons chopped dill Wedge Salad 1 head iceberg lettuce, cut horizontally into thick slices 4 teaspoons olive oil 1 tablespoon lemon juice Kosher salt as needed 4 tablespoons Spicy Ranch Dressing 1/2 cup sliced pepperoncini peppers 1/4 cup sliced black olives 1 cup toasted garlic croutons 1/4 cup quartered slices of soppressata 1 cup halved cherry tomatoes 1 pepper pickled sweetie red peppers 1/4 cup celery leaves 2 tablespoons torn basil leaves Directions Make the Spicy Ranch Dressing Combine mayonnaise, buttermilk, hot sauce, white balsamic, Calabrian chiles, lemon juice, and apple cider vinegar in a mixing bowl and whisk together. Add ranch seasoning, oregano, basil, salt, and dill. Stir to combine. Taste and add more salt and lemon juice if necessary; recipe makes about 3 cups dressing. Store in an airtight container in refrigerator. Make the Wedge Salad Lightly dress each lettuce slab with olive oil, fresh lemon juice, and kosher salt. Spoon a generous layer of Spicy Ranch Dressing on top of lettuce. Divide toppings among lettuce slabs and distribute evenly in this order: pepperoncini, olives, garlic croutons, soppressata, sweetie drop peppers, tomatoes, celery leaves, and basil. Rate It Print