Dairy-Free Wedge Salad with Marinated Tomatoes
This light, crisp, and refreshing dairy-free wedge salad features a wedge of iceberg lettuce topped with homemade dairy-free ranch dressing, balsamic marinated tomatoes, and salty bits of bacon. Perfect for your weekday lunch, an appetizer, or a dinner side, this wedge salad recipe does it all!
At the end of summer, I found myself with a surplus of grape tomatoes. I’m not entirely sure how it happened but I wasn’t all that mad about it. After making a half dozen pans of focaccia with balsamic marinated tomatoes, I was looking for another way to use the deliciously marinated tomatoes, enter the wedge salad.
What is a Wedge Salad?
The wedge salad gets its name from the quarter head of lettuce served up in the shape of a wedge. It often features blue cheese dressing, bacon, and additional blue cheese on top. Some other toppings you might see on a wedge salad include tomatoes or onion.
This version of a wedge salad ditches the blue cheese dressing and crumbles for a dairy-free alternative plus adds balsamic marinated tomatoes for a sweet, juicy finish.
Why We LOVE This Wedge Salad
Aside from being super easy to make and an absolute treat to enjoy, here are a few more reasons we love this dairy-free wedge salad recipe.
- Crisp fresh greens. I’m not sure there is anything more refreshing than a bite of cold iceberg lettuce.
- Juicy marinated tomatoes. Between the fresh tomatoes and the zing of the balsamic vinegar these tomatoes are a must.
- Dairy-Free. Made with a simple, homemade ranch dressing, this salad packs in the flavor without any of the dairy.
- Lunches for a week. Add some fresh shrimp or chicken to make this a filling and flavorful lunch you can prep in advance for the week.
How to Make a Dairy-Free Wedge Salad
This salad breaks down into 3 main parts. The marinated tomatoes, the dairy-free ranch dressing, and the assembly.
Balsamic Marinated Tomatoes
- Grape tomatoes– I have used a variety of grape or cherry tomatoes to make this recipe. Pick your favorite variety.
- Garlic– Fresh garlic scraped over a microplane to make it nice and fine.
- Oil + Vinegar– Olive oil and balsamic vinegar are used to marinate these juicy tomatoes.
- Seasoning– A mix of salt, pepper, and dried basil season these marinated tomatoes.
How to Make Marinated Tomatoes
- Chop tomatoes: Half or quarter the grape tomatoes (I prefer them quartered) and set aside in a bowl.
- Make marinade: In a small mixing bowl whisk together garlic, olive oil, balsamic vinegar, salt, pepper, and dried basil.
- Coat tomatoes in marinade: Pour the balsamic marinade over the grape tomatoes and stir to coat.
- Marinate tomatoes: Store in the refrigerator in an air-tight container at least 30 minutes before serving but overnight is best.
Dairy-Free Ranch Dressing
- Mayo– You can use vegan or traditional mayo in this recipe.
- Oat milk– To thin out the dressing. I like that it keeps it creamy without adding any additional flavors to the dressing.
- Apple Cider Vinegar– Adds a little tang to the ranch dressing.
- Garlic– Freshly grated over a microplane to make it easy to mix into the dressing.
- Spices– A blend of parsley, dill, dried chive, salt, and pepper season this homemade ranch dressing.
How to Make Dairy-Free Ranch Dressing
- Mix wet ingredients: In a mason jar, mix together mayo, oat milk, and apple cider vinegar with a small whisk.
- Add seasoning: Next add the microplaned garlic, parsley, dill, dried chive, salt, and pepper.
- Combine and store: Whisk until smooth and store in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
Parts of the Dairy-Free Wedge Salad
- Iceberg Lettuce– A fresh head of iceberg cut into quarters.
- Marinated Grape Tomatoes– Chopped grape tomatoes tossed in a balsamic marinade.
- Bacon– I love using a thick cut bacon on these delicious wedge salads.
- Dairy-free Ranch Dressing– To add a creamy tangy topping to the wedge.
- Green onion– For garnish and a small pop of flavor.
- Balsamic Drizzle– For an extra dose of that irresistible balsamic flavor.
Assembling a Dairy-Free Wedge Salad
- Prepare the iceberg lettuce: Cut the core out of the head of lettuce. Then remove the outer layer of lettuce.
- Cut into quarters: Next slice the head of lettuce in half and then cut each half in half to make a wedge.
- Plate the lettuce: Place one quarter of the iceberg lettuce rounded side down on a plate.
- Add marinated tomatoes: Top the lettuce wedge with marinated grape tomatoes, be sure to drizzle some of that delicious balsamic marinade on top and into the the layers of the lettuce.
- Top with bacon: Sprinkle with chopped bacon.
- Add ranch: Drizzle on a few tablespoons of dairy-free ranch dressing.
- Garnish: Sprinkle with green onion and a drizzle of balsamic glaze (for some extra deliciousness) and enjoy!
Helpful Kitchen Tools
Here are just a few of the tools I find helpful when making this simple wedge salad recipe.
- Mason Jar– Perfect for making and storing the dairy-free ranch dressing.
- Small whisk– Used to mix up both the balsamic marinade and the ranch.
- Round Glass Pyrex Storage– These large glass pyrex bowls are perfect for storing the cut wedges of iceberg lettuce.
Dairy-Free Changes to Wedge Salad
Two main changes keep this wedge salad deliciously dairy-free.
- Use a dairy-free ranch dressing. The traditional wedge salad features blue cheese dressing but I have swapped it out for a homemade dairy-free ranch that will still lend the salad some tang without any of the dairy.
- Omit blue cheese crumbles. A traditional wedge salad may also include blue cheese crumbles or an alternative cheese topping. I’ve opted to skip the cheese or cheese replacements entirely for this version of a wedge salad.
Pre-Made Dairy-Free Ranch Dressing
If you don’t feel like making your own dairy-free ranch for this wedge salad, here are a few different pre-made dairy-free ranch dressings you might want to try instead.
Storing and Shelf Life
I would recommend storing the parts of this salad individually and then assembling them together when you plan to enjoy the salad.
- Marinated Tomatoes– Keep the balsamic marinated tomatoes in the refrigerator for up to 5 days in an air-tight container.
- Dairy-Free Ranch– Stores best in the refrigerator in an air-tight container for up to 7 days.
- Bacon– Cooked strips of bacon will keep for about 4-5 days in the refrigerator in an air-tight container.
- Iceberg Lettuce- Store the chopped quarters of the iceberg lettuce in an air-tight container for up to 7 days (or until it starts to brown).
How do I eat a wedge salad?
There are two different ways you might go about eating your wedge salad, although I am sure you could probably come up with some more creative ways as well.
- Slice as you go– Simply slice bites off the wedge as you eat through the salad in rows.
- Chop it all up– Slice the salad into bite sized pieces before you begin eating (as pictured above).
Serving Suggestions
This crisp and delicious wedge salad pairs perfectly with any lunch or dinner entree. Here are a few different dishes I would serve this simple salad with:
- Pesto BLT
- Mom’s Homemade Hamburger Helper
- Creamy Garlic Pasta with Shrimp
- Oven-Baked Chicken Breasts
- Vegan Gnocchi with Creamy Sun-Dried Tomato Sauce
If you tried this fresh dairy-free wedge salad recipe feel free to leave a comment below, I would love to hear how it went! You can also snap a picture and share it with me on Instagram by tagging @mylifeafterdairy to share all your life after dairy adventures!
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Dairy-Free Wedge Salad
This light, crisp, and refreshing dairy-free wedge salad features a wedge of iceberg lettuce topped with homemade dairy-free ranch dressing, balsamic marinated tomatoes, and salty bits of bacon.
Ingredients
Balsamic Marinated Tomatoes
- 1 pint Grape Tomatoes
- 1 clove Garlic minced or microplaned
- 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
- 1 Tablespoon Balsamic Vinegar
- ¼ teaspoon Salt
- ¼ teaspoon Pepper
- ½ teaspoon Dried Basil
Dairy-Free Ranch
- ½ cup Mayonnaise
- ¼ cup Non-dairy Milk I used oat milk
- ½ teaspoon Apple Cider Vinegar
- 1 clove Garlic minced or microplaned
- ½ teaspoon Dried Parsley
- ½ teaspoon Dried Dill
- ½ teaspoon Dried Chive
- ¼ teaspoon Salt
- ¼ teaspoon Pepper
The Wedge Salad
- 1 head Iceberg Lettuce cut into 4 pieces
- 4 slices Bacon cooked and chopped
- Green Onion for garnish
- Balsamic Drizzle
Instructions
Balsamic Marinated Tomatoes
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Half or quarter 1 pint grape tomatoes (I prefer them quartered) and set aside in a bowl.
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In a small mixing bowl whisk together 1 clove minced garlic, 2 Tablespoons olive oil, 1 Tablespoon balsamic vinegar, ¼ teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon pepper, and ½ teaspoon dried basil.
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Pour the balsamic marinade over the grape tomatoes and stir to coat.
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Store in the refrigerator in an air-tight container at least 30 minutes before serving but overnight is best.
Dairy-Free Ranch Dressing
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In a mason jar, mix together ½ cup mayonnaise, ¼ cup oat milk, and ½ teaspoon apple cider vinegar with a small whisk.
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Next add 1 clove microplaned garlic, ½ teaspoon dried parsley, ½ teaspoon dried dill, ½ teaspoon dried chive, ¼ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper.
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Whisk until smooth and store in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
Assemble the Wedge Salad
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Prepare the head of iceberg lettuce and cut into quarters.
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Place one quarter of the iceberg lettuce rounded side down on a plate.
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Top the lettuce wedge with marinated grape tomatoes, be sure to drizzle some of that delicious balsamic marinade on top and into the the layers of the lettuce.
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Sprinkle with chopped bacon.
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Drizzle on a few tablespoons of dairy-free ranch dressing.Sprinkle with green onion.
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Add a drizzle of balsamic glaze (for some extra deliciousness) and enjoy!
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