Between its uber-retro status and the tendency to be covered in bacon, wedge salad is usually off the table, so to speak, for vegetarians and vegans. But not in this case! This versatile, simple and vegan Green Goddess Wedge Salad is poised to take its rightful place alongside a variety of main dishes. Heck, it may even steal the show.
Green goddess salad dressing is creamy--chock full of herbs and, often, mayo. I chucked the mayo but retained the herbs (tarragon, in this case), and brought in avocado and a bit of tahini for some nice creaminess. After all, I strongly felt like green goddess dressing should be, well, green!
This recipe uses two of my favorite vegan kitchen hacks. The first is the aforementioned tahini in salad dressings. If you haven't tried it, do! It adds a luxe creaminess that will transform your homemade salad dressings forevermore. The second involves probably my favorite ingredient ever: smoked paprika. Whenever a recipe calls for bacon, consider this wonder spice for a nice jolt of smoky flavor without the meat.
📖 Recipe
Ingredients
For the Smoky Roasted Chickpeas:
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- 1 15-ounce can chickpeas (garbanzo beans)
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
For the Green Goddess dressing:
- ¼ cup olive oil
- ½ medium avocado, pitted and diced
- 3 tablespoons chopped scallions
- 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons fresh tarragon leaves
- 1 tablespoon tahini, sesame seed paste
- 1 medium clove garlic, minced
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt + more to taste
- ⅛ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper + more to taste
- 2-3 tablespoons water
For the Green Goddess Wedge Salad:
- 1 head iceberg lettuce, outer leaves removed and cut into four wedges
- Green Goddess dressing
- 1 pint cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
- ½ medium avocado, pitted and diced
- 2-3 scallions, sliced
- Smoky Chickpeas
- Black Pepper, optional
Instructions
Make the Smoky Roasted Chickpeas:
- Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with a couple of layers of paper towels. Drain and rinse the chickpeas and pour onto the paper towel. Roll and blot the chickpeas until fairly dry. Transfer chickpeas to a medium bowl and discard the paper towels. Drizzle the olive oil over the chickpeas, along with the smoked paprika and salt. Stir gently and thoroughly to combine. Return the chickpeas to the bare baking sheet, spreading so they're in a single layer. Bake until browned and crisp, 30-40 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool.
Make the Green Goddess Dressing:
- Add the olive oil, avocado, scallions, lemon juice, tarragon, tahini, garlic, ¼ teaspoon salt, and ⅛ teaspoon freshly ground pepper to the pitcher of a blender or to a food processor fitted with the S-blade. Pulse until completely pureed. Add water, one tablespoon at a time, and blend until the dressing is pourable but still thick. Taste and add additional salt and pepper if desired. Cover tightly and refrigerate until ready to serve.
Make the Green Goddess Wedge Salad:
- Arrange the iceberg wedges on single plates or a platter. Drizzle with the dressing and top with the tomatoes, avocado, scallions, and chickpeas. Grind some black pepper over the top if desired and serve.
Ami@NaiveCookCooks says
Kare such a genius idea and such a gorgeous wedge salad!!
Kare says
Thank you so much, Ami!
Linda Graham says
The key to any wedge salad is to get the lettuce wedge as cold as possible. I put mine into the freezer for 10-15 min before adding any other ingredients.
Kare says
Great tip! Love it.
Emily says
I love the idea of mixing in tahini with the other more traditional Green Goddess dressing ingredients. I don't care for mayo, and I've tried yogurt, but tahini seems like a great twist!
Kare says
Tahini is truly a miracle ingredient for dressings! Love love love it.
Anna says
yumm so simple and delicious!!
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KalynsKitchen says
I love the sound of this!
Kare says
Thanks Kalyn!
Jennifer @ Delicious Everyday says
Love the look of this. Fantastic colors, very appetising!
Kare says
Thanks so much, Jennifer!
Joanne says
I strongly suspect that even if I wasn't a vegetarian, I would choose this green goddess version of a wedge salad over the traditional blue cheese and bacon smothered one any day!