This wedge salad with garlic yogurt dressing makes a crisp, tangy Full GAPS side in about five minutes. The dressing uses five measured ingredients and comes together in one glass jar. Keep the lettuce cold, blend the dressing until no oil ring or garlic pieces remain, and pour it over the wedges just before they reach the table.
GAPS stage: Full GAPS, once raw lettuce and homemade 24-hour yogurt are both tolerated.
Prep time: 5 minutes
Yield: About 1 cup dressing for 1 head iceberg lettuce.
The part that makes this recipe useful is already having the yogurt ready. In our kitchen, a jar of 24-hour yogurt can become breakfast, a sauce, or a quick dressing without starting another long project. That kind of advance preparation matters on the days when dinner needs one cold, crunchy side and there is no time for another cooked dish.
This is still a specific recipe, rather than a blank formula for any yogurt or lettuce. The ingredient is homemade whole-milk yogurt cultured for at least 24 hours, and the salad is one cold head of iceberg cut into wedges. The olive oil stays raw. The dressing amount, texture, and timing all depend on those choices.
Ingredients
Garlic Yogurt Dressing
- 1 cup homemade plain whole-milk yogurt, cultured for at least 24 hours
- 1 garlic clove
- 1 tablespoon additive-free apple cider vinegar
- 2 to 3 tablespoons fresh cold-pressed olive oil, used raw
- 3/4 teaspoon natural mineral sea salt
Wedge Salad
- 1 head iceberg lettuce, cut into wedges
The yogurt gives the dressing its body. Start with a cold batch that is already fully cultured and has a clean, distinctly sour smell. A thicker batch makes a dressing that clings more heavily to the lettuce; a softer batch will pour more freely. Store-bought yogurt is not the ingredient measured for this version.
The garlic, cider vinegar, and salt sharpen the mild yogurt. Use the single measured garlic clove. The finished dressing should contain no large pieces, but it does not need extra garlic to taste seasoned. The tablespoon of cider vinegar adds acidity without turning the dressing watery.
Cold-pressed olive oil is used as a raw finishing oil here. Begin with 2 tablespoons. That lower end of the source range keeps the dressing thick. Add the third tablespoon only when you want a looser pour. Because the range is part of the recipe, both textures are valid; the visual cue tells you when to stop.
Choose a firm, tightly packed head of iceberg. Keep it refrigerated until you are ready to cut it. The core helps each wedge stay together, so cut through it instead of trimming it away first. Remove only any browned outer leaf or browned end before cutting.
Method
- Put the yogurt, garlic, apple cider vinegar, olive oil and salt in a large glass jar. Blend with an immersion blender until the garlic is finely dispersed and the dressing looks smooth. A standard blender also works.
- Cut the cold iceberg head into wedges and arrange them on a serving plate. Pour the dressing over the wedges just before serving.
For step 1, use a jar wide enough for the immersion-blender bell to sit flat and stable on the bottom. Add the full measured yogurt, garlic, vinegar, 2 tablespoons olive oil, and salt. Pause after the first blend and look through the glass. The dressing should be an even pale cream with no large garlic pieces and no shiny layer of oil sitting on top.
If a separate oil ring remains, blend again briefly until it disappears into the yogurt. If the dressing is smooth but thicker than you want, add the remaining tablespoon of olive oil and blend just until the texture is even. The finished dressing should fall from a spoon in a thick ribbon rather than splash like a thin vinaigrette.
For step 2, cut straight through the cold head and its core so each piece stays connected. Arrange the wedges with enough room for dressing to reach the cut surfaces. Pour only when you are ready to serve. The dressing should settle between some of the leaves while the wedge remains firm enough to cut with a fork and knife.
What to Look For
The dressing is ready when it looks uniformly creamy. You should not see a clear olive-oil layer, a pool around the edge, or visible chunks of garlic. Run a spoon through the jar: the track should close slowly, and the dressing should coat the spoon instead of running off immediately.
The lettuce should feel cold and crisp before it is dressed. A freshly cut wedge holds its layers together at the core and has firm, pale cut edges. Once the dressing is poured, serve it promptly. The goal is contrast: creamy dressing on lettuce that still snaps when cut.
This recipe belongs on Full GAPS after raw vegetables and cultured dairy are already tolerated. The 2020 GAPS guidance introduces raw vegetables gradually after cooked vegetables are going well, beginning with softer lettuce and peeled cucumber. The same source places homemade yogurt in the dairy-introduction sequence. This wedge salad requires both pieces to be in place.
If raw lettuce is not working for you yet, use a cooked vegetable side rather than trying to force this salad into an earlier stage. Slow-Cooked Kale with Garlic keeps the vegetable cooked and gives you a different, complete recipe. If cultured dairy is the part you have not introduced, come back to this dressing later; this post does not invent a dairy-free version of the measured yogurt formula.
Storage and Serving
Keep the lettuce and dressing separate until serving. Once the cold yogurt dressing sits on the cut leaves, the wedge begins to soften and loses the crisp texture that makes this recipe work. Cut and dress only the amount you plan to serve at that meal.
The original recipe treats the dressing as a make-ahead jar dressing for the week. Keep it covered and refrigerated, and label it with the date of the yogurt batch so blending it into dressing does not erase the age of the cultured ingredient. Stir or blend briefly if a small amount of liquid separates while it rests.
The cold, tart dressing pairs well with a rich roasted main. Slow-Roasted Garlic and Lemon Chicken is a practical match because the salad can be cut while the chicken rests. The salad is also useful beside grilled meat, vegetables, fish, or shellfish, which is how the source suggests using the same dressing beyond the wedge presentation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I Use a Regular Blender?
Yes. Put the same measured five dressing ingredients in the blender and process only until the garlic is finely dispersed and the mixture is smooth. Scrape the sides if needed, then check for an oil ring before deciding it is finished.
How Much Dressing Does This Make?
The batch makes about 1 cup of dressing for 1 head of iceberg lettuce. The number of servings depends on how you portion the lettuce.
When Should I Dress the Salad?
Dress the wedges immediately before serving. You can make the yogurt dressing ahead, but keep the head cold and uncut until the meal is nearly ready.
Can I Use Store-Bought Yogurt?
Store-bought yogurt is not the ingredient specified for this version. Use homemade plain whole-milk yogurt cultured for at least 24 hours, after that cultured dairy form is part of your GAPS progression.
Why Is My Dressing Thin?
The starting yogurt may be soft, or the full 3 tablespoons of oil may make the pour looser. Begin with 2 tablespoons and look at the texture before adding the third. Do not add a thickener that is not part of this recipe.
Can I Use a Different Lettuce?
The dressing can be served with other vegetables, meat, or seafood, but this measured salad uses iceberg. Iceberg’s compact layers and core create the wedge shape. Another lettuce would be a different serving idea rather than the same wedge presentation.
Related Recipes
The first thing to prepare is Homemade 24-Hour GAPS Yogurt. Make and chill that batch before planning the dressing. For a separate dairy-free dressing rather than an unmeasured substitution, use a fully tested dressing recipe built around its own ingredients and ratios.
If quick sauces and dressings are the part of Full GAPS that keeps meals from feeling repetitive, the Sauces, Dressings & Condiments Cookbook is the most relevant WFLI collection for this recipe. It brings the separate measured recipes together without turning one dressing into a list of unsupported swaps.
Recommended Equipment
Use a wide-mouth glass jar that gives the immersion-blender bell enough room to sit flat. The food-contact shaft and bell should be stainless steel. A standard blender works too. You also need a sharp chef’s knife, a stable wooden cutting board, and a neutral ceramic serving plate large enough to hold the wedges without stacking them.
Wedge Salad with Garlic Yogurt Dressing
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Put the yogurt, garlic, apple cider vinegar, olive oil and salt in a large glass jar. Blend with an immersion blender until the garlic is finely dispersed and the dressing looks smooth. A standard blender also works.
- Cut the cold iceberg head into wedges and arrange them on a serving plate. Pour the dressing over the wedges just before serving.
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