Wedges are BACK, baby! This vegan wedge salad doesn't use any blue cheese dressing. Instead, it goes a deliciously different direction.
This vegan wedge salad is based on the Russian Wedgie that Dave and I had at Modern Times Dankness Dojo in Downtown LA. Unfortunately, since our visit, it looks like the DTLA location has closed, but there are other locations to check out! I can't vouch for their menus, though, since I haven't been.
It stars crisp, iceberg lettuce topped with a mix of smoky, salty, and crunchy ingredients and finished with creamy, vegan Russian dressing.
It is an absolute dream, and I can't wait for you to eat it!
Recipe notes
Don't be overwhelmed by the length of the recipe below. There are quite a few from-scratch elements, but each one is incredibly easy to make. Let's break down the order of operations.
I recommend getting the beets into the oven first, then making the pickled onions and dressing while the beets and croutons bake. These are oven adaptations of my air fryer beets and air fryer croutons. You're using the oven here, so you can cook both at the same time. If you have two air fryers, feel free to prepare them that way instead.
While the beets and croutons are in the oven, pickle the onions, whisk together the Russian dressing, and slice the lettuce.
Put it all together, and you have got the salad of your DREAMS, my friends!.
How to store leftovers
If you are not planning to serve all four salads, I recommend storing the ingredients separately. Here are instructions for each:
- The pickled onions will keep for two to three weeks in an airtight container in the fridge.
- The beets will keep for three to four days in a container in the fridge.
- Store the croutons in an airtight container in the pantry, where they keep for seven to 10 days.
- The dressing will keep for three to five days in an airtight container in the fridge.
- Loosely wrap the lettuce in a plastic bag, where it will stay fresh for a day or two in the fridge.
If you have leftover prepared salad, store it in the fridge, and eat it within two days of preparing. It will get soggy with time, but the flavor is still amazing!
Vegan wedge salad with a Russian twist
Ingredients
For the beets
- 2 cups diced beets - ½" pieces
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
For the croutons
- 2 cups diced rye bread - ½" pieces
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
For the pickled onions
- 1 sliced red onion - about 2 cups
- ½ cup apple cider vinegar
- 1 cup water
- 1 ½ teaspoons sea salt
- ¼ cup sugar
For the dressing
- ½ cup vegan mayo
- ¼ cup ketchup
- 2 tablespoons prepared horseradish - or more, to taste. See note.
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon vegan Worcestershire sauce
- salt - to taste
For the salad
- 1 small head of iceberg lettuce
- ¼ cup Bacos - or other vegan bacon bits
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400° F.
Bake the beets and croutons
- In a large bowl, combine the beet ingredients, toss to coat, then spread onto half of a lined sheetpan. Bake for 15-20 minutes, stirring once.
- Toss the crouton ingredients together in a large bowl, then, when the timer for the beets goes off, arrange the croutons on the other half of lined sheetpan. Bake for 10-15 minutes, checking in every 3-5 minutes for doneness.
Meanwhile, pickle the onions
- Stuff the onions into a pint-size mason jar.
- Combine the remaining pickled onion ingredients in a small saucepan, and heat them until they boil, stirring until the sugar dissolves. This should only take a few minutes. Turn off the stove, and pour the hot brine into your jar. The heat from the brine will soften the onions.
Make the dressing
- Combine all of the dressing ingredients, except the salt, in a small bowl, and whisk to combine. Season with salt, to taste.
Assemble the salad
- Use a large knife to slice the lettuce into 4 wedges. Place each wedge pointy-side-up on a plate. Remove some of the upper leaves, so your lettuce piece forms sort of a shallow cup. Save those leaves for another use -- salad, sandwich, etc.
- Top each wedge with ¼ of the beets, croutons, and Bacos. Then, drizzle each wedge with 1-2 tablespoons of the dressing and 1-2 tablespoons of the onions. You will likely have leftover onions and dressing, so set these out in case anyone wants extra on their salads.
Have a question? Tried this recipe? Share your thoughts!