Happy Weekend! Big Hubs update: he is out of his boot and walking pretty well, fortunately! Not quite ready for pickleball, but maybe in a few weeks. Just a reminder that the April class is up and ready for viewing if you are part of the online cooking class community. Everyone here eats differently and I am not going to tell you that there is one “best” diet because there are many ways to eat healthfully. Always feel free to leave a comment at the bottom of a recipe if you need a swap. Most of the time, I have a good suggestion! Here’s your dinner planner for the week:
Happy Easter Weekend! I hope you are having a lovely holiday weekend. I will be trying my best to eat only one piece of Easter chocolate a day. Wish me luck! The April cooking class will be uploaded on Monday, so be on the lookout for that. If you are not a subscriber to my classes, this month’s menu with plant-based, GF and DF swaps is:
Sopa de Fideo; Salad with Beets, Avocado, and Smoky Feta Dressing; Calabacitas;
Tex-Mex Meatballs; Healthier Nutter Butter Cookies
This is a twist of one of my favorite side dishes ever, roasted carrots with garlic yogurt. I love simply roasted vegetables as much as the next person, but sometimes I just want to elevate them and make them more interesting. This yogurt sauce also works with other spring vegetables like asparagus, radishes, sauteed snap peas, and spring onions. You can mix vegetables too for a beautiful spring holiday side dish!
Easter has always been my mom’s holiday. She hosts a beautiful luncheon with a light pasta primavera (we are Italian, so there’s pasta at every holiday!), Ina’s roasted rack of lamb, mixed roasted seasonal vegetables and potatoes, and a spring green salad. For dessert, she makes coconut macaroons, lemon-ice torte, fresh berries, and my aunt brings boxes of chocolates from Al Richard’s shop in New Jersey. I still dream about the chocolate coconut egg! I provided some inspiration in this week’s dinner planner, but there are so many recipes on the website now, it’s hard to choose! Here’s your dinner planner for the week:
This wedge salad has a creamy, tangy kefir dressing, drizzled over crunchy iceberg wedges. The crunchy iceberg lettuce is topped with delicious toppings of choice. A refreshing and flavorful twist on the classic dish.
What is a Wedge Salad?
A traditional wedge salad is a classic American restaurant salad featuring a crisp, refreshing wedge of iceberg lettuce drizzled with a traditional, creamy blue cheese dressing. It’s often found on the menu of steakhouses and is a delicious mix of flavors and textures. Typically, it’s topped with crispy bacon crumbles, juicy cherry tomatoes, thinly sliced red onions, extra blue cheese crumbles, and a sprinkle of fresh chives.
It can be served as a side salad or be transformed into a main course with additional protein (think chopped chicken and extra bacon). Today we’re making a classic wedge salad with a twist on the dressing. It’s made with a blend of Kefir (or Greek yogurt), herbs, and spices and turns out deliciously creamy, tangy, and addicting!
The cool, crunchy lettuce contrasts beautifully with the rich, creamy dressing and savory toppings, creating a simple yet satisfying salad.
Why You’ll Love This Wedge Salad
Just like fashion, there are food trends and dishes that come back into style. I think the Wedge Salad is making a comeback. My parents never bought iceberg lettuce because “it is all water,” my father said. But variety is the spice of life and sometimes I want some crunch and a juicy, crisp lettuce!
This easy wedge salad recipe hits all the marks for me and can be adapted to your taste. Do crumbled bacon or fried diced pancetta if you like, but smoked almonds are my favorite sub for bacon! I like the grated egg if you want to serve this for a luncheon, but I would skip the egg if you are serving it for dinner. Cherry tomatoes would be great here, too. Use your favorite fresh ingredients.
Like most salads, you can really make it your own, and serve it how you like. But don’t skimp on the dressing– drizzle generously and enjoy its perfectly tangy, creamy addition. Now, let’s make this beautiful salad!
Recipe Highlights
Elevate your salad game;
The kefir dressing is full of live probiotics great for gut health;
chopped fresh dill, chives, or parsley: You can use dried herbs if desired.
unrefined, cold-pressed extra-virgin olive oil
Wedge Salad
head of iceberg lettuce: Outer leaves washed with cold water, but left whole or use baby romaine heads.
smoked almonds
optional toppings: avocado, fresh chives, hard-boiled eggs, gorgonzola or blue cheese crumbles, chopped bacon, red onion, and/or sliced grape tomatoes or cherry tomatoes.
Step-by-Step Instructions
In a medium bowl, whisk together all dressing ingredients until smooth.
Cut lettuce into four to six wedges, through the core with a sharp knife. The number of iceberg wedges you cut will depend on the size of the lettuce. Spread a spoonful of dressing on the bottom of a plate or platter. Place the lettuce wedges on top and pour the remaining dressing over the lettuce. Sprinkle with chopped almonds, avocado, chives, blue cheese, and/or grated hard-boiled egg, if desired.
Serve on individual plates with additional dressing if desired.
Recipe Tips
Wash the outside of the head of lettuce but leave it whole.
Keep the core face up and visible when cutting through it so that you ensure getting a wedge that holds together.
Coating the bottom of the serving dish with dressing allows for all parts of the wedge to be well-coated.
Use your favorite toppings like avocado, fresh chives, hard-boiled eggs, gorgonzola or blue cheese crumbles, crisp bacon, red onion, and/or juicy tomatoes.
Substitutions
Instead of kefir, you can use an equal amount of buttermilk or 3 ½ tbsp. milk and ½ tbsp. lemon juice OR ¼ cup mayonnaise and 1 ½ tbsp. lemon juice.
Greek yogurt or coconut yogurt
Iceberg lettuce or baby romaine heads
Smoked almonds or cooked bacon
Serving and Storage Tips
This iceberg wedge salad can be served as a perfect side dish to accompany any protein and baked potato (think restaurant style!) or as a main dish with additional cooked chicken or slices of bacon.
Once dressed, this salad is best served right away. If prepping for later, store prepared ingredients in separate containers and the dressing in its own airtight container. Assemble and dress when ready to serve. The salad components should be served within 48 hours and the dressing will last up to a week in the fridge.
If you give this recipe a try, snap a pic and tag @pamelasalzman onInstagram so I can see your beautiful creations. I also really appreciate readers taking the time to leave a star rating and review! Lastly, subscribe for free to my site for the latest recipes and updates.
For more delicious recipes and to learn how to be a better cook, check out my monthly online cooking classes. I have been teaching people for 15 years how to cook healthy food that their families love! Join me!
1head iceberg lettuceoutside leaves washed, but left whole or baby romaine heads
½cupsmoked almondschopped
Optional: avocado
Fresh Chives
1-2Hard-boiled eggsgrated (I use a box grater)
Gorgonzola or Blue cheesecrumbled (I used 2 or 3 ounces)
Instructions
In a medium bowl, whisk together all dressing ingredients until smooth.
Cut lettuce into four to six wedges, through the core. The number of wedges you cut will depend on the size of the lettuce. Spread a spoonful of dressing on the bottom of a plate or platter. Place the wedges on top and pour remaining dressing over the lettuce. Sprinkle with chopped almonds, avocado, chives, blue cheese, and/or grated hard boiled egg, if desired.
Notes
Recipe TipsWash the outside of the head of lettuce but leave it whole. Keep the core face up and visible when cutting through it so that you ensure getting a wedge that holds together. Coating the bottom of the serving dish with dressing allows for all parts of the wedge to be well-coated. Watch this video on Instagram for a visual demo. Use your favorite toppings like avocado, fresh chives, hard-boiled eggs, gorgonzola or blue cheese crumbles, crisp bacon, red onion, and/or juicy tomatoes.Substitutions Instead of kefir, you can use an equal amount of buttermilk or 3 ½ tbsp. milk and ½ tbsp. lemon juice OR ¼ cup mayonnaise and 1 ½ tbsp. lemon juice. Greek yogurt or coconut yogurt Iceberg lettuce or baby romaine heads Smoked almonds or cooked baconServing and Storage Tips This iceberg wedge salad can be served as a perfect side dish to accompany any protein and baked potato (think restaurant style!) or as a main dish with additional cooked chicken or slices of bacon. Once dressed, this salad is best served right away. If prepping for later, store prepared ingredients in separate containers and the dressing in its own airtight container. Assemble and dress when ready to serve. The salad components should be served within 48 hours and the dressing will last up to a week in the fridge.
I just came back from a few days in the desert for the BNP Paribas tennis tournament. It’s my favorite desert event, and it once again did not disappoint. One of the most common questions I receive is “where can I find your desert recommendations?” One of the reasons I moved my newsletter to Substack is for the ability to search through the archive of past newsletters. Go to my Substack. Tap the word “archive” and type in the search icon whatever you are looking for. Question for you – I am considering NOT sending out two separate emails for my dinner planner which is published on my site on Friday nights and for the new recipe of the week, typically published on Wednesdays. Another option is to publish the dinner planner in the free section of my newsletter. If you have thoughts about this, let me know! Here’s your dinner planner for the week:
I had a collard greens salad for the first time last year at a restaurant and I had low expectations, but the server assured me I would love it. He was 100% right and I was blown away. Collard greens are softer than kale but heartier than lettuce and super, super nutritious. They have a mild flavor (unlike kale), but a soft, silky texture. I cannot stop making collard greens salads! You can try thinly sliced collard greens with any of your favorite dressings. My only caveat is that the greens do not have as long a shelf life as kale, so buy them and eat them! Once you fall in love with them, you can add them to soups and stir-fries too. By the way, this dressing is amazing and would be equally good on a chopped salad with romaine or iceberg. One of the other takeaways from this recipe is using finely crushed crackers or nut meal instead of toasted breadcrumbs for texture. I much prefer smaller crunchy things over big pieces.
Happy weekend! Do not forget to set your clocks ahead Saturday night (tonight!) I do love the extra light at the end of the day but it takes me a day or two to adjust. Looking ahead, next Sunday is St. Patrick’s Day, a HUGE opportunity to feed your family naturally green food and not get eye rolls!
In case you didn’t know, I have a separate newsletter on Substack that I publish every Monday. It is not connected to my email list for my site, so if you do not want to miss out on all my fabulous finds and a new recipe every now and then, subscribe here! Here’s your dinner planner for the week:
