Louis dressing is a classic accompaniment to a classic wedge salad. Light and flavor-packed with juicy crab, crisp iceberg lettuce, and avocado.
Louis dressing is often confused with Thousand Island and Russian dressing. It’s actually completely different, and done well, quite tasty.
The origin of the dressing is disputed. The Olympic Club in Seattle, The Davenport Hotel in Spokane, Washington, Solari’s Restaurant, Bergez-Frank’s Old Poodle Dog Restaurant and the St. Francis Hotel in San Francisco, and the Bohemian in Portland all claim to be the home of the dressing, with the invention in either the 1900s or 1910s. In all cases, the original salad was made with Dungeness crab.
Louis Dressing – Wikipedia
When I was a little girl, wedge salads were all the rage. I hated them because I couldn’t figure out how to eat it. Luckily for me, they came back, and I love them.
I did a big shop on Friday, and almost forgot to get something for dinner, so I picked up some crab and some asparagus. I’m not sure what I was thinking, but when the produce truck that comes to my neighborhood honked his horn, I ran out and got a nice head of iceberg lettuce to make my wedge crab salad with Louis dressing.
Wedge Salads
The thing that I love about wedge salads is that the iceberg lettuce does not fight with the dressing or other ingredients. You get a nice, crunchy bite that explodes flavors in your mouth. What could be better?
How to make Louis Dressing
Louis Dressing is very easy to make. You probably have the ingredients you need in your refrigerator right now. The main ingredients for Louise Dressing are mayonnaise, ketchup, and lemon. The lemon is what sets it apart from Thousand Island and Russian dressings.
True Lemon is my preferred lemon addition. It’s a great way to keep lemons in your house without worrying about whether they are going to go bad. True Lemon is crystallized lemon and lemon oil without any preservatives or artificial ingredients. Because it’s a powder, it does not affect the viscosity of liquids the way that adding lemon juice will.
The great thing about wedge salads like this is you can add a variety of vegetables or protein. It’s a great way to use up leftovers. Shrimp are a traditional ingredient in Louis salads. If you are lucky enough to have lobster, please use it and enjoy it!
You can double or triple this recipe and refrigerate it for about a month. Have lots of salads!
Louis Dressing Recipe
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Wedge Crab Salad with Louis Dressing
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Ingredients
- ¼ cup balsamic ketchup
- ½ cup mayonnaise
- ½ tsp Worcestershire
- ⅛ tsp Tabasco
- 2 True Lemon crystallized lemon packets
Instructions
- Mix all ingredients together. Taste for seasoning. Serve over or on the side of salad.
Notes
If you don’t have True Lemon crystallized lemon, use 1 teaspoon lemon juice instead. The True Lemon is preferred, however, because it is not liquid and you will have a nicer dressing.
Ha! I remember having problems eating Wedge salads when I was little, too. Glad they’re making a come back. Tried the Louis dressing and really loved it. Thanks!