The Wedge Salad Recipe? This is her cooler Mediterranean Cousin, The Greek Wedge Salad.

Sydney Marchese
Mar 1
4 min read

The Wedge Salad is steakhouse staple recipe. It's often not subjective either, just a simple mixture of iceberg, blue cheese, tomato, and a good house dressing. And there's nothing wrong with that either. But in my journey to enjoy a wedge salad, The Greek Wedge Salad was born. A classic Wedge Salad recipe with a Mediterranean twist. With briny kalamata olives and salty feta cheese, it's the perfect wedge salad to tuck into before a great big steak!

Why I love the Mediterranean Wedge

Can everyone remember their first Wedge Salad or is it just me? I'll set the scene, Majors Steakhouse, Long Island, New York. A luxurious red booth, a seven year old girl with wild eyes and a hungry stomach. A wedge of lettuce slid across the table, and my mouth twisted in disappointment. What the hell was I going to do with that. It was literally just lettuce.

But I was so hungry, the steak order had just been put in. No part of me wanted to munch on a pile of lettuce, but when my dad held out the fork I felt so hungry. So I shrugged, let the pile of lettuce and a hunk of blue-cheese down my throat and was hooked ever since. I've never been able to visit Majors Steakhouse without getting one again.

The Greek Wedge Salad was born many years later. With a batter appreciation for iceberg lettuce I set out to make the next great wedge. Which led me here to this recipe, this is the perfect salad to go with a nice steak or grilled chicken. With fresh vegetables, there is no cook time, just set aside a few minutes to chop. With a zesting lemon vinaigrette that comes together in minutes, The Greek Wedge Salad is bound to be a crowd pleaser!

The Greek Wedge Salad Recipe

Cook time and Servings

Recipe serves 4

Prep Time: 30 Minutes

Active Time: 10 Minutes

Ingredients

Although this list may look a bit intimidating, cooking is personal. If you don't have an ingredient, or just down right don't like one, skip it. Your kitchen, your rules. Let my recipe be the guide, let your instincts do the rest!

The Greek Wedge Salad

1 Head of Iceberg Lettuce

The Cheese

1/3 Cup Crumbled Feta Cheese

1 tsp. Lemon Zest

1 tsp. Crushed Red Pepper Flakes

The Mediterranean Topping

2 tbsp. Pimento, diced finely

1/4 Cup Kalamata Olives, diced

1 Small Shallot, sliced finely

1 tsp. Garlic, minced

2 tbsp. Fresh Parsley, finely chopped (use 1 tbsp. Dried Parsley, for substitution)

2 tbsp. Extra Virgin Olive Oil

The Dressing

1/2 Cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1/4 Cup Red Wine Vinegar

1/2 Lemon, juiced

1 tsp. Garlic, minced

1 tsp. Salt

1 tsp. Pepper

1 tsp. Paprika

1/2 tsp. Chili Powder

1 tsp. Dried Parsley

Method

1) Start with the The Mediterranean Topping, gather the ingredients and medium sized bowl. Dice, pimento, kalamata olives finely and put into bowl. Slice the shallot thinly and add to bowl. Mince garlic and fresh parsley before mixing with rest of ingredients. Add the extra virgin olive oil, mix throughly and set aside.

2) Next, grab a mason jar, dressing bottle or container that you can close. This will ensure your ability to mix dressing together before serving. In the jar add extra virgin olive oil, red wine vinegar, the juice of half a lemon, minced garlic, salt, pepper, paprika, chili powder and dried parsley. Secure the cap on the mason jar or container and shake vigorously for emulsion. Dressing can be left in container before service, make sure to mix right before serving as well.

3) Prepare the cheese. In a small dish add the feta. Zest a lemon and add to cheese, then add crushed red pepper flakes. I crumble this mixture with a fork to create smaller pieces of cheese to stick better to the wedge.

4) Cut the iceberg lettuce. Turn the head of lettuce so the but is facing you. Remember, a wedge salad is served whole, so our goal is to keep it intact. With a chefs knife cut around the but of lettuce, angling the blade at a 70* angel to cut away the connection of the lettuce but. Bring the knife around the entire but, trying your best to follow the angle of your original cut. (Think of it like cutting into the top of a pumpkin, you angle the cut so the lid doesn't fall inside the pumpkin. In this case we want the lettuce but to come out without destroying the rest of the wedge). Remove but and cut wedge into four even pieces.

5) Assembly. Place ice bergs wedges on desired serving tray. Top the wedge first with the Mediterranean Topping, then the Feta Cheese. Shake dressing and then drizzle generously over each wedge. Ready to serve immediately.

Tips and Variations

The Dressing: If you don't have a container that closes, a whisk is a great alternative. No fresh lemon juice? Substitute with 1 tbsp. of the bottled lemon juice, or half a fresh lime.

The Lettuce: If cutting the wedge overwhelms you feel. Free to chop the iceberg how ever you please and top accordingly. You can also substitute with romaine lettuce.

Tip: The dressing, cheese and topping can all be made and stored separately before serving.

Recipe Wrap-Up

The Wedge Salad has been a heartfelt staple in my household. I hope the remix of tradition with The Greek Wedge Salad is something fun and flavorful you can make in your own kitchen.

Be sure to tag me on Instagram @sydsachef if you give the recipe a try!