za’atar and pine nut wedge salads.
a really good wedge doesn’t need a lot of extras to stand out. this simple, homemade wedge is finished with a sprinkling of za’atar and pine nuts for a nutty, aromatic flavor.
Serves: 4 Prep time: 15 minutes Cook Time: 0 minutes jump to recipe.
Who among us doesn’t like wedge salads? No, really, I’d love to know, so I can know what type of person would hate such a thing. Crunchy lettuce, creamy dressing, a couple tomatoes — if you snub your nose at that, I’m going to assume you’re lying.
On a serious note, if you don’t like wedge salads I’d reckon it’s because you had a really bad one. I think some places use it as an excuse to do salad poorly, when in reality, it should be a chance to make your ingredients shine. We all know this to be true: The less ingredients you have to use, the more it matters the quality.
So, maybe you’ve had a wedge salad or two where the lettuce was wilted, or the dressing was flavorless, or—most commonly— they only gave you one tomato. All of these do, indeed, make a bad wedge salad.
Or maybe you just don’t understand why a salad must be served as a big wedge of lettuce. Here’s the secret: you can chop the lettuce. No one’s gonna know.
I have been making wedge salads all summer (like obsessively, it’s been bad) and I wanted to write a little bit about how to make them great. It’s not hard, and at some point, you’ll just start tossing things on a plate and calling it a wedge salad. And loving it. But before you get there, this recipe is a good place to start.
Choosing the right lettuce (and making sure it stays crisp)
Wedge salads are most commonly made with iceberg lettuce. I love iceberg and have little problem with using them for wedge. If you use a standard head of iceberg, you can always get 4 servings out of it by either slicing into 4 wedges or 4 "rings”. To do the latter, lay the lettuce on its side and slice it as you would, say, a tomato. You’ll have a flat piece of lettuce that you can build your salad on, which is a super-cool presentation.
Many people prefer romaine varieties because it has a tiny bit more nutritional value (iceberg is basically water). If you want a really crunchy wedge salad, you’re going to want to chop off that top leafy portion of the romaine. Don’t throw it away: save it and use it for wraps and sandwiches or mix it into other salads. With romaine you’re going to want to buy a few heads, because 1 head of romaine will be about 2 servings.
I guess I split the difference, then, because I used Bibb lettuce. A type of butter lettuce, it’s softer than iceberg but crunchier than a standard boston or butter. It’s also a little more perky than romaine. The bibb lettuce I bought is about the size of my hand, so I bought 2 heads to split into 4 portions. This type of lettuce is great for dinner parties, where you may want a unique presentation.
For any of the lettuce, I highly recommend an ice bath. Instead of just rinsing the lettuce, fill a Cambro or otherwise large bowl with ice water (like ice, and water) and fully submerge the lettuce while you make the dressing. Drain the lettuce, using a salad spinner if available, then slice in half. Voila - super crunchy lettuce.
Storing wedge salads for later
Not sure about you, but salads are a big go-to lunch around here. And I love when they’re pre-made. So..can you make a wedge in advance?
The answer is sure, but you have to do it a certain way if you want it to be just as good the next day.
Lettuce is watery. Especially if you use iceberg, your lettuce is likely to get watery overnight, breaking any dressing you put on it before. Save the lettuce separately, if possible, and dress it fresh before eating.
Another tip, since you really don’t need it to look like a wedge everyday, is to roughly chop the lettuce and store it that way.
Toss the tomatoes in a separate container, too, preferably whole (a bento box is perfect for this salad).
These last for about 5 days. It will be obvious when it all goes bad: the dressing will separate, get chunky, and turn brownish, and the lettuce will wilt and turn brownish-red. At that point, toss it.
dressing ingredients
za’atar and pine nut wedge salad ingredients
Greek yogurt: I use Greek yogurt for everything. It doesn’t hurt my stomach very much, has a ton of protein, and can be used a zillion ways. Dressing, in fact, is a perfect way to use yogurt. I’d recommend using Greek yogurt versus regular yogurt because of the added tang, but in a pinch, either will work just fine. I’ve used 0%, 2%, and 5% fat, and I much prefer 2-5%. While lower in calories, 0% will taste more “dry”, if that makes sense — do what you gotta do, but opt for higher milkfat for a creamier dressing.
mayonnaise: This might seem redundant after adding yogurt, and you can certainly skip it, but the point of the mayo is to add creaminess and a mellowness to the texture and flavor. It’s just enough mayo to round out the tangy yogurt and buttermilk without having a mayo-y flavor.
buttermilk: Thins the dressing from a yogurt to a dressing, so don’t skip this - if you must substitute, try milk, oil, or even a splash of water.
parsley: Try to use fresh, if you can, but otherwise dried will work fine. Chop very finely or throw into a food processor to chop and combine.
dill: Again, try to use fresh here, and if you can’t, swap for dried. The dill makes the biggest difference in this dressing, so I’d recommend prioritizing it when hitting the store.
lemon: Makes the dressing a little less mellow. You only need a little bit, it goes a long way.
garlic: No dressing is the same without garlic. Use lots of it here, and add an extra clove if you’re a garlic fiend.
onion powder: Doesn’t make or break the dressing, but most ranch dressings use it. I’d recommend throwing it in if you have it on hand, it’ll taste better.
lettuce: As mentioned above, I used bibb lettuce, but feel free to use classic iceberg or the crunchy part of romaine. You really want to use a crunchy variety, here, so that the salad has texture and crunch.
cherry tomato: This can be a little less strict. Use whatever round, small tomatoes you like. I like the little on-the-vine, perfectly circular kind, but anything on the smaller side works. Cut them in half for easier eating.
scallions: Aren’t scallions good on anything? I like the punchy flavor, but if you hate raw onions, skip them. Use the whole scallion for a strong oniony flavor.
za’atar seasoning: You can find this just about anywhere these days, and you can even mix together your own pretty easily. Za’atar is a blend of sesame seeds, sumac, cumin, coriander, oregano, and thyme. It’s earthy, more than anything, and tastes really good with yogurt and pine nuts — both used here. I use this local brand and love it.
pine nuts: An awesome added crunch with mild nutty flavor. If you can’t get your hands on pine nuts (or don’t want to - pro tip, they’re less expensive in bulk at Italian markets) swap for walnuts or salted almonds.
I like chopping everything by hand, but feel free to just use a food processor.
It should look like this — chopped but smooth. If using a blender, pulse, so that you don’t blend everything into a smoothie.
za’atar and pine nut wedge salad pairing options
Yeah, a wedge is awesome on its own, but is usually used as an appetizer or a side. Here are a few things I’ve been pairing mine with, as well as a few pairing options to simply make it a meal.
hamburgers of any kind
hot dogs
pulled pork
spaghetti and meatballs
sparkling rosé
