Crispy lettuce wedge with low-fat Russian dressing recipe

When I was a little girl, women donned their fancy frocks to go out for dinner, white-linen service signalled a serious dining place, and the starter of choice was a wedge of iceberg lettuce with exotic Russian dressing. By the time I went off to college, our dresses had morphed into love beads and jeans, and white tablecloths had all but disappeared from the kind of everyday restaurants we frequented. One thing remained, though: the iceberg lettuce appetizer. I loved it then, with dressing from a bottle, and I love it now, with my own homemade, lower-fat version. Don't knock it until you try it. And, please, don't try to fancy it up with snazzy lettuce. Give iceberg a chance.

Crispy lettuce wedge with low-fat Russian dressing

From the pantry, you'll need: reduced-fat mayonnaise or Miracle Whip, Greek yogurt, ketchup, fresh black pepper.

Serves 4. You can double the dressing and store it in the refrigerator for up to one week.

Ingredients

1 head iceberg lettuce, cut into 4 large wedges
2 Tbsp reduced fat (or regular) mayonnaise (or Miracle Whip)
4 Tbsp plain Greek yogurt (I use 0% fat)
2 Tbsp ketchup
2 small gherkin pickles
Pinch of fresh black pepper

Directions

Place one lettuce wedge on each plate.

Add remaining ingredients, plus 2 teaspoons of water, to a blender, and blend until the pickles are chopped just the way you like them and the dressing is smooth. [Note: you can make the dressing up to a week ahead; refrigerate until ready to serve.]

Place a generous amount of the dressing on each lettuce wedge, and serve cold.

[Printer-friendly recipe.]

More recipes in The Perfect Pantry:
Bacon, lettuce and tomato sandwich with turkey and chipotle mayo
Homemade mayonnaise and egg salad
Spicy Asian grilled chicken and pasta salad
Wild rice salad
Barbecue sauce

Other recipes that use these pantry ingredients:
Mayonnaise cake, from Eating Out Loud
Baked salmon ala mayonnaise, from Nook & Pantry
Stir fried chicken wrapped with iceberg lettuce, from My Korean Kitchen
Ketchup prawns, from Noob Cook
Canadian ketchup cake, from Al Dente

Comments

Yes, I would love this. (But NO Miracle Whip!)

I had to laugh because this is my mom's favorite too!You do make it look delicious!

Beautiful in its simplicity and delicious too. (Great picture)

I don't remember where I used to have this as a child, but I loved it with Thousand Island Dressing. It brings back such good memories!

My mother's variation on the dressing: Hellman's mayo and ketchup. Memories!

I remember that salad. My mother would sometimes take my sister and I to the S&W Cafeteria (which, although a cafeteria was very up-scale). My sister liked the 1000 Island but I loved the blue cheese: http://cookingfortwo.about.com/od/salads/r/wedgesalad.htm

I remember this (and the love beads) - you are so right, it has to be Iceburg.... crisp and cold. I can even get it here on occasion - and am going to next time I see it! Love the dressing!

I bet the yogurt gives it a nice depth, but I'm with Kalyn... no Miracle Whip!

Miracle Whip, Heinz ketchup, and Heinz relish! Yum! Sometimes we just used the Miracle Whip with a little salt and pepper.
Our vinaigrette was just as simple (and over iceberg, too) - Mazola corn oil, Heinz cider vinegar, salt and pepper. I use olive oil now, and not much salt, but it sure tastes good!

I love it! I remember walking quite a ways with a friend in middle school to sit at a luncheonette & have iceberg wedges with simply oil & vinegar. For some reason it tasted like a major treat!

Kalyn, I promise this tastes every bit as good with mayo (I used Hellmann's!). No MW for you.

Maris, it was very popular in the mid-Atlantic states when I was younger, so I'm not surprised your mom likes it, too.

Pauline, once a classic, always a classic. I think this lower-fat version is every bit as good as the original.

Bellini, I can go either way, Russian or Thousand Island (but of course, in Canada, it should be Thousand Island!).

Heidi, my mother's, too.

Kevin, blue cheese was definitely an upscale option, but I didn't develop a taste for it until much later in life. Now I love it, but it doesn't have that taste memory for me.

Katie, I think it was such a perfect dish that we all fell in love with it. But I don't remember my mother ever serving it at home in quite the same way.

EB, go with Hellmann's or homemade mayo. (I'll eat your Miracle Whip.)

Deb, yes! MW and Heinz were the standard in our house, too.

Donna, for me it was always Russian dressing. Nice to know how many people enjoyed the iceberg wedge, though. Let's bring it back!

Iceberg gets a bad rap but honestly it is one of my favorites!!

mine is sitting in the fridge right now....had to go destroy the planet finding greek yougurt, but so be it. Is it dinner time yet????

thanks :)

Carol, I love it too.

Milton, I'm giggling -- but I'm glad you found it!

Lydia - you're bringing back old memories - I remember when my mom first discovered Russian Dressing, it was such a "fancy" dressing back then. Love how you lightened this up!

I just stumbled on this blog. It is 4:20 am in Georgia. I love the blog, lettuce, and dressing. I will even make it with MW! Is it too early to go to Publix? LOL

I've never seen lettuce salad served as a wedge, and I like it. The salad dressing looks divine. Thanks for the link love Lydia ♥