Wedge Salad with Mushroom “Bacon” & Creamy Herb Dressing (vegan)

The Wedge Salad, a true classic. One that deserves far more attention in my opinion. When I think of a traditional wedge, I think of a creamy dressing, salty bacon bits, and, of course, a crisp and refreshing wedge of iceberg lettuce. So I when I decided to make a vegan version of this salad, I took some cues from the OG. We’ve got the iceberg lettuce, of course, and the creamy herb dressing. And we’ve got the chewy, salty and satisfying bacon element too, we’re just using roasted mushrooms instead. A trifecta of flavor and texture perfection. But I didn’t stop there. I also added some pickled red onions, just to add some acidity to balance out the richness off the dressing and the mushroom “bacon.”

Well friends, it came together just as I had hoped – as not just a salad, but a SALAD. One that I craved everyday until every last drop of dressing was gone. And oh my gawd this dressing. I blend raw sunflower seeds with olive oil, water, lemon juice and herbs to create the creamiest Green Goddess-style dressing of all time – a must try! But my favorite part about this re-discovered gem is that it’s a totally different & fun way to eat salads. Normally I would say I like my salads chopped, you know, so you get a little bit of everything in each bite. But with wedge salads it’s different. The layers of the iceberg lettuce were made to enjoy in big-bite form. There’s just something about the way the dressing absorbs into the layers of the lettuce. It’s a texture-vibe that is worth the effort of fork-and-knife. Agree? Disagree? Let me know below!

Wedge Salad with Mushroom “Bacon” & Creamy Herb Dressing
Serves: 4

Ingredients

Mushroom “Bacon”
4 salads servings

1 lb cremini mushrooms (aka baby Bella)
1/4 cup olive oil
1 teaspoon sea salt

Creamy Herb Dressing
makes 2 cups, 6 servings

1/2 cup raw sunflower seeds, soaked*
1/2 cup olive oil
2/3 cup water
3-4 scallions, white & green parts, chopped
1 large clove garlic, peeled & roughly chopped
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, plus more to taste
1 to 1.5 teaspoons teaspoons sea salt, to taste
1 cup fresh basil leaves, loosely packed
2 sprigs fresh tarragon, optional, remove stems

For Salad
4 servings

1 small head ice berg lettuce (enough for 4 wedges)
pickled vegetable of choice, get my picked onion recipe here

To Make

For the “bacon.” Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Slice mushrooms into uniform thin slices. In a large bowl, toss sliced mushrooms with olive oil and salt. Spread onto a baking sheet, some overlapping is fine. Bake for about 4 minutes, tossing 2-4 times during baking. While the mushrooms won’t taste exactly like bacon, they should have a salty, rich flavor and a chewy, crispy texture.

For the dressing. Blend all ingredients, sunflower seeds through salt. The texture should be super smooth and creamy. When smooth, add fresh herbs and blend until herbs are finely chopped and distributed. Season with more salt and lemon juice to taste. Refrigerate.

To assemble the salad. Cut the head of iceberg into 4 wedges (1 per person), through the root-end/core. Trim the core off of each wedge. Add wedges to serving platter or plates. Pour dressing over the top of each wedge, sprinkle with mushroom bacon and finished with a pickled veggie of choice, I’m using my quick pickled red onions.