Green goddess wedge salad with little gem lettuce, a garlicky green goddess dressing, and a shower of crunchy, delicious toppings!
green goddess wedge salad is about as luscious as a salad can get!
My green goddess wedge salad is a fresh wedge of lettuce topped with all manner of crispy bits, from crunchy radishes, cukes, and snap peas to fried pancetta and mini butter toasted croutons. The green goddess dressing is bursting with garlic and herbs, all blended up in a mayo sour cream base that you will want to slurp up with a spoon it’s so good.
wedge salad origin story
Wedge salads are salads that make use of an intact head of lettuce, usually cut in half or quarters. It’s been around for sometime, but really had its moment in the 1960s. Like all good things from the Mid-Century, it’s making a comeback. Only now instead of being a pale wedge of iceberg topped with a blob of blue cheese dressing and some crumbled bacon, the wedge salad has blossomed into a thing. Check out my Fully Loaded Wedge Salad for inspo.
what you’ll need
- Little Gem style lettuce
- We’ve updated the old fashioned iceberg wedge with a Little Gem style lettuce. Little Gem is a small firm head of lettuce developed by crossing romaine with butterhead lettuce. If you can’t find little gem style heads of lettuce, go with a small romaine or a butterhead. You can even find baby iceberg lettuce now!
- green goddess dressing
- I made a thicker version of my classic Green Goddess dressing for this wedge salad. It’s super zesty and the star of this recipe. Be prepared to be wowed!!
- mini cucumber
- mini cucumbers are like English cucumbers, but smaller. They have thin skin, less seeds, and better texture than classic cucumbers.
- radish
- any variety of radish you like, they add crunch and a bit of spice to the salad. Either finely dice them, or slice them.
- spring onions
- I always search out the skinniest bunch.
- snap peas
- take a sharp knife and sort of shave off one side to reveal the cute little peas inside.
- pancetta
- I don’t know why but pancetta is even better than bacon!
- mini croutons
- I know I said the green goddess was the star of the salad, but these mini croutons nearly steal the show! I made them myself, toasted in butter, but you can also buy any ready made croutons you love and crumble them into smaller pieces.
how to make a green goddess wedge salad
- We start with small heads of lettuce, sliced in half lengthwise. Arrange them cut side up on salad plates, or you can arrange them all on a platter, family style.
- Next slather on a thick creamy green goddess dressing, letting some drip down the sides.
- Scatter your veggies, pancetta, and croutons over the dressing.
- Don’t forget to serve with a steak knife, you’re gonna need it to slice through all those deliciously crunchy layers!
green goddess wedge salad substitutions
- Bacon can be used instead of pancetta.
- Use whatever veggies are in season and that you love! Carrots, peppers, or tomatoes would all work well.
- Add chopped hardboiled eggs for extra protein.
- Use a lemony poppy seed dressing or a classic vinaigrette for a lighter salad.
- A creamy caesar dressing can be used to make a caesar wedge salad.
more stunning salads we love
- Charcuterie Salad
- Watermelon and Couscous Salad
- Cherry Tomato Caprese Salad
- Mediterranean Orzo Salad with Shrimp
- Marinated Tomato Salad
- Salmon Cobb Salad
Green Goddess Wedge Salad
Green goddess wedge salad with little gem lettuce, a garlicky green goddess dressing, and a shower of crunchy, delicious toppings!
Servings: 4 servings
Ingredients
green goddess dressing
- 2 cups parsley
- 1/3 cup snipped chives
- 1/2 cup fresh dill
- 1/4 cup fresh tarragon
- 1/4 cup basil leaves
- 2 Tbsp lemon juice
- 2 garlic cloves, peeled
- 2 anchovies
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- 1/3 cup sour cream
- salt and fresh cracked pepper to taste
salad
- 5 ounces pancetta, chopped finely
- 2-4 small Little Gem style heads of lettuce
- 1 small (mini) cucumber, cut into small dice
- 4 scallions, sliced
- 4 radishes, cut into small dice
- 12 snap peas, sliced open along one side to reveal the peas
Instructions
dressing
- Put everything in to a good processor or blender and process until smooth and creamy. Taste it and feel free to adjust any of the ingredients. Refrigerate the dressing until cold. It will thicken as it chills. Note: you can do this a day or two ahead of time.
croutons
- Chop your bread into very small cubes. Toast in the butter, or the reserved pancetta fat over medium heat until toasted and crisp, tossing and stirring almost constantly. Sprinkle with a little salt and set aside.
salad
- Fry the pancetta until crispy and drain on paper towels.
- Trim the stem ends but keep them intact and slice the heads of lettuce in half lengthwise. Peel off any damaged outer leaves.
- Put each half cut side up on a salad plate. If your heads are very small you can do 2 to a serving.
- Spoon a nice amount of dressing on each wedge, letting it drip down onto the plate.
- Top with your chopped veggies, then the pancetta, and croutons ~ be generous!
- Add fresh cracked black pepper, and serve asap.
Notes
Fry your croutons in the grease from the pancetta, if you like.
Nutrition
Calories: 513 kcal · Carbohydrates: 17 g · Protein: 10 g · Fat: 46 g · Saturated Fat: 14 g · Polyunsaturated Fat: 16 g · Monounsaturated Fat: 14 g · Trans Fat: 0.3 g · Cholesterol: 63 mg · Sodium: 560 mg · Potassium: 630 mg · Fiber: 3 g · Sugar: 4 g · Vitamin A: 4022 IU · Vitamin C: 59 mg · Calcium: 169 mg · Iron: 5 mg
Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate only. This information comes from online calculators. Although The View from Great Island attempts to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures are only estimates.
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Looks delicious and gives us a chance to use our tarragon and chives from the garden.How much anchovy paste = two fillets?Thx
I’d go for a teaspoon, but you can always go up or down to taste.