Friends, you’re in for a treat. I took the wedge salad, and lightened it up. The result? A hearty salad that’s amped up in nutrition, and is as delicious as the original.
It’s Friday. It’s summertime. Let’s eat some things that taste good, shall we?
Making recipes healthier is a personal hobby of mine. But what exactly does “healthier” mean? The term healthy is definitely an individual thing. For me, when I look to healthify a recipe, I am not necessarily looking to reduce calories or focus on any sort of quantitative measure. I’m looking to bump up the nutrient factor, and get the most bang for my nutritional buck. All while being tasty of course. So with this wedge salad, the first order was ditching the iceberg lettuce.
Sorry iceberg, it’s nothing personal…you just don’t have enough depth. I’m looking for a little more from my leafy greens.
There, that’s better.
Then I replaced the chopped bacon with Blue Diamond Sriracha Almonds which was a great life decision. They added a tasty kick, and much-needed crunch. I personally don’t have anything against bacon, but I wanted a salad my veggie friends could enjoy too. I knew these almonds would fit the bill. Who am I kidding, that’s what we do all day every day.
And as a sidenote about these almonds…they’re everything.
It doesn’t even make sense for these to be so delicious. My mom and I almost killed a whole can of these before I got to any actual recipe development. They’re that good, and made the perfect bacon stand-in.
Lastly, I replaced the sketchy-ingredient filled packaged dressing with a homemade Greek yogurt based gorgonzola dressing. Also worth noting, my dad (a major blue cheese dressing and wedge salad enthusiast) RAVED about this recipe. If he approves, then you know we’re in business. Let’s just have a moment of silence for this deliciousness.
- Salad:
- 2 Heads of Little Gem Lettuce, Butter Lettuce or Romaine Hearts
- ⅓ Cup Blue Diamond Bold Sriracha Almonds, Chopped
- Optional: 2 Tablespoons Crumbled Gorgonzola for topping
- Dressing:
- ¾ Cup Plain Greek Yogurt
- ¼ Cup Crumbled Gorgonzola
- 1 Tablespoon Veganaise
- Juice of ½ Lemon
- 1 Tablespoon Apple Cider Vinegar
- ¼ Teaspoon Garlic Powder
- Salt and Pepper to Taste
- Combine all dressing ingredients together in a small bowl and mix until well-combined. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed.
- Cut each head of lettuce in half, then top with chopped almonds and optional cheese.
- Drizzle with dressing, and serve immediately.
This post was sponsored by Blue Diamond Almonds. All opinions are my own. Thank you so much for continuing to support The Balanced Berry! <3
OMG the Sriracha almonds are amazeeeee!! My bf and I killed a whole can before I was able to make my recipe too! So good!!
On another note I love wedge salads…can’t believe I’ve never recreated it myself!! This is now on my to-do list!
Aren’t those almonds AMAZING. Literally unreal. I hope you love the salad!
Lightening up a recipe is always a fun little puzzle, isn’t it? Sadly, I’m not brave enough to enjoy gorgonzola cheese, but this dish still looks tasty!
Thanks girl! Any cheese would totally work with this, btw. Feta would be awesome too!
This looks delicious! I might try it with the honey roasted almonds to give it a little sweet and savory combination!
That would be delicious! Let me know if you try it 🙂
Drooling, this looks soooo good!!!
Thank you! 🙂