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Crunchy, bright, and ultra-fresh - even after days in the fridge. You can have crisp, green salads all week long, and everyone can make their salad just the way they like it. It's THE most convenient way to eat your veggies.
How many times have you bought a bag of greens for salad, put them in the dark recesses of the vegetable drawer, and pulled them out days later and found they have turned into a bag of slimy leaves?
Leafy greens will not have to go to waste any more!
I'm going to show you the best way to make a bowl of crisp salad that you can actually enjoy for up to a week. Fresh salad is a welcome addition to almost any dinner, and keeping some on hand is a great way to have a healthy lunch ready to go at a moment's notice - just add protein, salad dressing, maybe something crispy or crunchy, and you've got yourself a meal.
"Thanks for the tips! I can never get my salad to stay fresh enough."
-Ben
Rules for Keeping Salad Fresh All Week
Here are the important things to remember in order to have crisp, green lettuce for your salads:
- The lettuce must be clean. You need to wash the lettuce leaves really well under running water, or swish them in a bowl of water to remove any dirt or (more importantly) bacteria that might be there.
- The lettuce must be dry. I'm not saying you should shake off the water and call it good, I'm talking -D.R.Y. Bone Dry. If there's any condensation or water droplets on your lettuce, it will wilt more quickly. And if it's left like that for very long, it will start to get slimy 🤢 But don't worry, I'll show you how to get bone dry lettuce, below.
- You need to cut out the center rib in the lettuce leaf - it's the part that turns brown the quickest. Learn what I mean below ⬇️
- Don't add any wet vegetables to the salad bowl. I usually just store the salad greens on their own in the fridge, and then add all the extras from my Salad Bar when I pack a lunch, or just set out the Salad Bar on the dinner table and let everyone make their own salad the way they like it. . But if you don't want your lettuce greens to just sit their all alone in the bowl, scroll down to the FAQs to learn what vegetables you can safely add to your salad bowl.
Here's What You'll Need
To extend the life of your greens, you need the right tools and the right preparation. But don't worry, it's not complicated or time consuming.
- Lettuce - You want to go with more leafy types here. My favorite is romaine lettuce - it's both leafy and crunchy, and it stores very well. Spinach can also be included. But iceberg lettuce won't last in this salad bowl. It browns too quickly once it's cut.
- Absorbent large kitchen towel or two - use these to blot the excess water off the salad leaves after the lettuce has been washed.
- Sharp knife and cutting board
- Salad spinner - this is optional, but really convenient. Like this Oxo large salad spinner. You can also place your lettuce in a big kitchen towel and spin it using your arm (perfect if you're a baseball pitcher). And you should probably do it outside - water drops will spray out. Try it, it's really kind of fun!
- A clear airtight container to store the salad in - Clear is essential, so you will see it and use it often. If something is in a solid colored bowl in your fridge, you won't remember to use it. Ask me how I know. 😩 I like to use my Rubbermaid storage bowl, or my Pyrex glass storage containers for this.
Here's How You Do It
Time needed: 1 hour
Have crisp salad greens all week long, even after days in the fridge. Here's how:
- Clean the Lettuce
Wash lettuce (under the faucet is fine) and shake off excess water. Add to a salad spinner and spin until most of the water comes off.
- Lay lettuce on towel to dry
Gently spread out the lettuce leaves so they can dry thoroughly. Cover lightly with a second towel to keep them clean. Press gently with the towel to help blot off any excess water.
- Cut out the thick ribs
The thick, white rib will be the first to turn brown. Cut that out with a sharp knife and discard it. Ribs on very small, baby lettuce leaves will probably be okay to leave, they take a lot longer to turn brown. The thick ribs can often brown in less than a day.
- Tear or chop lettuce into bite sized pieces
I usually cut with a knife if I know we'll be eating salad in the next couple of days. If I know it might sit for the whole week, I break it or tear it more gently into small pieces, or leave it in large leaves inside the bowl and chop it right before we eat the salad. The less the delicate greens get ripped up or chopped, the longer they will last.
- Store greens in a clear bowl with a tight fitting lid.
Top the salad greens with a dry paper towel to help absorb condensation that will inevitably develop. After a day or two, change the paper towel. The secret to storing salad greens for a week is to make sure they are as dry as possible.
Bonus Tip 👇
Do you love crunchy iceberg lettuce in a salad? Me too. But you can't cut it up and expect it to stay fresh for even a day -it will turn brown. But you can keep a whole head of iceberg lettuce in an airtight storage bag or container and chop up just a little to add to your salad right before serving it.
"This is great! i pack my hubby's lunches a few days before he goes to work and his salads always get gross and slimy. I am gonna use the paper towel tonight! thanks!
Allyson
Keeping Salad Greens Fresh - FAQs
If you check on the paper towel each day, adding a fresh one as needed, this salad bowl can stay fresh for a whole week. Any browed bits that you may find in there are most likely pieces of rib. They are most likely not spoiled, the brown color comes from oxidation from being exposed to air. Just pick those out when you find them, and the salad will still be ready to safely eat. If you have leftover salad greens after 7 days, it's probably best to toss it out, wash the bowl, and make a fresh batch.
There are a few. After a decade of making salads this way, here are the vegetables I've found that work: Bagged shredded carrots (if they're dry), bagged broccoli slaw, and dry vegetables such as dry radish slices. You can also include whole grape tomatoes because the seeds are not exposed. Do not add any cut vegetables that are wet or moist when sliced, like cucumber slices, sliced bell peppers, or anything like that.
The best way to pack a salad for lunch is to use a divided lunch container or bento box so you can keep the salad greens separate from the moist things you will be putting on top of the salad like protein, fruits and vegetables, and crunchy toppings like croutons. I'll add some links to my favorite ones below. Keep the salad dressing in a small individual container, too. Then when it's time to eat, top the salad greens with the dressing and all the other salad ingredients, and toss them together and eat.
Products I Used
Bento Boxes: Here are some of my favorite bento boxes that are perfect for salads.
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Buy Now → Prepping the salad greens: Tools that I recommend for successfully making a big bowl of crispy green salad.
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Pyrex glass storage containers
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Salad Bowl + Salad Bar = Quick & Healthy Meals
What's better than a big bowl of fresh, crispy salad greens that you can make once and use all week?
A mini salad bar to go with it! I've also been making my in-home mini salad bar for over a decade now (it's pretty much a family tradition at this point.) Come learn about how you can make one of your own! How to Make a Salad Bar.
Abigail says
Such awesome tips! I wish I read something like this years ago. I can't tell you how many times I've thought I was kicking butt with my food prep only to open up a practically inedible soggy salad by Wednesday morning. I'll definitely have to hang on to these tips 🙂 Thanks for posting!
beneficialbento says
Abigail, I have been making up my salad bowls each week for over 2 years now, and I can tell you it's a tried and true method! I hope you'll try it - I'd love to hear what you think.
liz says
I have to ask -- so the salad greens really don't get soggy? And (more what I'm asking) - the greens really get dry enough, laying them on out on towels? The water doesn't pool in the little folds?
I am in a CONSTANT race with greens to keep them from going bad and any tips appreciated!!
I have certainly tried spinning greens and storing them but found they ended up going bad faster - had more water collected on them that way. I've never tried the air dry thing, but it's actually hard for me to picture how it'd work!
Thanks.
beneficialbento says
Thanks for your question! Water is the killer for salad greens - once the lettuce is totally dry, it will not get soggy. Laying them out on towels is the best way I've found, and it really does work! I spin the lettuce first, then I just spread the lettuce greens out on towels, cover them with a second towel and just let them dry out for an hour (or even more) while I get some other tasks done. Maybe you could try it with a small amount of lettuce first to see how you like it.
allyson tice says
this is great! i pack my hubbys lunches a few days before he goes to work and his salads always get gross and slimy. i am gonna use the paper towel tonight! thnaks!
Ben (ada) says
Thanks for the tips! I can never get my salad to stay fresh enough.