The absolute best packaged salad kits, featuring fresh greens, nuts, croutons, and sachets of dressing, are the ultimate in convenience. Simply decant the entire bag into a bowl and toss everything together with a drizzle of the accompanying dressing and crunchies before digging in. However, while these kits are fuss-free, they can get boring if you’re eating the same variety every week with the same main meal; a flavor that was once complex and inviting can begin to taste one-note with over-familiarity. An effortless way to make your store-bought salad kit twice as flavorful is to employ one easy trick: Mix up a couple of kits to create a new and improved salad.
This move is simple but garners superb results because all the elements are ready-prepped. All that’s required on your part is a little creativity when it comes to selecting complementary flavors and a quick assembly job. For example, you could mix a Caesar salad kit with sweet kale to increase your intake of leafy greens, or easily combine a Green Goddess salad kit with a Southwest-style bag that includes an aromatic cilantro-based dressing. Alternatively, a crunchy slaw with shredded cheese would work brilliantly with a bacon Caesar by offsetting its saltiness, and a salad with tangy pickles would complement a bag of crunchy leaves that comes with a creamy, mustard-based dressing. Taylor Farms’ dill pickle chopped kit is the best salad kit in our opinion, as it contains brioche croutons and a herby dill ranch dressing.
Endless salad mixing possibilities
Of course, you don’t have to combine one entire store-bought salad with another. You can be flexible with the ratios and use a handful of one bag to add interest to the other, skip one of the dressing packets altogether, or use all the croutons or nuts in one family-sized serving. Love a healthy dose of salad dressing? Combine both sachets or mix them into a homemade vinaigrette to create a personalized lip-smacking elixir. Want to sub the cranberries in your broccoli salad kit for a handful of pumpkin seeds from the pantry? Go right ahead.
Other genius ways to improve store-bought salad kits include using a homespun dressing, incorporating fresh fruit for a sweeter vibe, or tossing in some toasted nuts for crunch and aroma. You could also add a fermented ingredient, like pickled red onion, capers, or olives, to lend your salad a complex tang and umaminess. And why stick to using the crunchies in your bag of salad? Consider scattering over pitta or bagel chips, crushed tortillas, or crackers. The key to making an unforgettable salad is to create an inviting mix of textures, flavors, and aromas. Use the right combination of crispy, salty, sweet, and crunchy elements, and your bowl of dressed greens is guaranteed to sing.
