baby wedge salad with coconut green goddess, pickled onions and salad seeds

a fresh, crispy salad inspired by one i've never had

i read about food and restaurants often. call it part of my “job” or just a symptom of my obsession enthusiasm for cooking, eating and everything associated. so it comes as no shock or surprise, to me at least, that some of the recipe ideas i write down for future development have a url addendum attached, a little reminder of what inspired it.

today’s recipe stemmed from a simple note: “coconut green goddess” with a link to this la times restaurant review. before hitting the kitchen to work on development, i revisited the article and looked into the restaurant a bit more, finding just what i was looking for on their online menu: ‘vedge’ salad—iceberg wedge, crispy garlic & shallot, coconut green goddess (vegan, gf), $13.

i usually find it easy to jump off and away from the inspiration into my own ideas, but this time i became, like a baby duckling, extremely attached to the wedge salad. so, i decided to recreate lasita’s version as best i could, in the vacuum of my own mind and mouth, and go from there. the first version i made was good, but i didn’t love it, so i tweaked it until i did to get the recipe below.

iceberg is, in my opinion, one of the great lettuces; hot take, i know—please note i do not personally condone grilling or souping iceberg, lol. it has a fresh, watery yet crisp texture, sweetly mild flavor and stable structure that are simply unparalleled. it’s what makes a wedge salad a wedge salad but it also works as a great, thick slice for sandwiches and can be the perfect confetti-like shred for tacos, nachos, burgers (if you get weird like that) or hoagies. here, i chose to make the wedges a bit smaller, which makes it easier to share and eat; i also like the way they look on the plate, and “baby wedge”? i mean come on!

salad structure as only iceberg can

the dressing (did i mention it’s vegan?) makes enough to dress an entire head of iceberg lettuce, but i prefer to split it up and use it for various recipes throughout the week. i’ll make it fresh for this salad, then store in the fridge where it will thicken up and make a perfect sandwich spread. later, i can spoon it onto a plate as a thick, creamy bed for simple roasted veggies or toss it through with cooked grains and leftovers and top with delicate lettuce leaves and herbs to serve.

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serves 2 as a side salad or light lunch (with extra green goddess to spare)

for the coconut green goddess; can be made up to one week in advance

40 grams soft, tender herbs (i use half cilantro, half parsley but you could use either or, or a different mix with mint and basil)

1 clove garlic

100 grams coconut milk, plus more as needed

75 grams tahini (substitute: raw cashews)

1 tablespoon nutritional yeast (optional)

1 teaspoon granulated sugar (substitute: 1 teaspoon maple syrup)

1/2 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste

1 lemon

for the salad

1/2 head iceberg lettuce

2 tablespoons pickled red onions (find my recipe here)

1 tablespoon salad seeds (recipe below; substitute: store-bought fried onions, roughly chopped toasted almonds, cashews or pumpkin seeds)

1. roughly chop herbs (i usually include the stems from parsley and cilantro), and add to a blender with all of the other ingredients for the dressing. blend until smooth; if it’s ever too thick to blend, add half a tablespoon more of coconut milk and keep blending. taste and season with more salt and lemon juice as desired. if using right away, leave it out while you prep the salad, otherwise transfer to an airtight container and store in the fridge until ready to use; it will thicken as it sits in the fridge, so if you make it ahead, stir well and add more coconut milk or cold water to loosen it back into a thick, yet pourable dressing before using. you should also taste and re-season with salt and lemon juice.

2. to assemble the salad, slice the iceberg half into two wedges, then slice each of those into three pieces to make smaller (baby, if you will) wedges. arrange on a serving plate (or two), then douse each wedge generously with the dressing. pat the pickled onions dry and sprinkle over the top of the salad. finish with a sprinkle of the salad seeds and serve immediately.

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how to make salad seeds: mix equal parts poppy, flax, pumpkin, sesame and sunflower seeds in a bowl (for a small batch, start with a tablespoon of each; you can also use your own mix and ratios here, this is just my favorite). add 1/2 teaspoon chili flakes, salt and freshly ground black pepper, 1 teaspoon brown or granulated sugar and, optionally, 1/4 teaspoon each of dried mint and oregano. add 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil and mix to combine, then spread onto a parchment lined baking sheet at bake at 180°C/350°F for about 10 minutes, or until fragrant and lightly toasted. let cool before storing in an airtight container and using as a sprinkle on salads, sandwiches, eggs, soups, dips, et cetera.