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Chop, peel, and toss your greens more efficiently.
Planning to try a new salad recipes? There are so many fun ways to incorporate salads into a healthy dinner routine whether it’s putting salad on a pizza or setting up a DIY chopped salad bar. But if the thought of preparing all the components for a salad makes you nervous, we’re here to help!
To find out just how easy it is to incorporate deliciously fresh salads into your weeknight dinners, we asked Erin Merhar, Food Director at ThePioneerWoman.com, to share her thoughts on the best salad tools you can buy right now. “A salad spinner is one of the most used gadgets in my kitchen!” she says. “It’s key to cleaning and then removing excess water effectively, without wasting tons of paper towels. It’s also great for cleaning all sorts of leafy herbs.” Along with Erin’s favorite salad spinner, we’ve included her pick for a produce storage container and other go-to tools for dicing and chopping up salad ingredients. There are even some handy tips for shaking up your favorite salad dressing recipe and food storage options for work lunches.
Most of these products are budget-friendly, easy additions to your kitchen. Products like salad spinners, food choppers, vegetable peelers, and mason jars all make it easier than ever to chop, mix, and dress your favorite salad. So if you’re looking to upgrade your kitchen gear, shop some of our recommendations below!
“When storing salad greens, excess moisture is the enemy!” Erin says. If your lettuces are moist or wet, they’ll become soggy faster and they won’t be able to hold onto that delicious salad dressing. All in all, without a salad spinner, you’ll likely have a sad salad. This one from OXO is durable, easy to use, and dishwasher-safe.
A big bowl might sound like an obvious kitchen staple, but it’s even more important for tossing and serving a salad. These covered melamine bowls from The Pioneer Woman collection can go straight from the kitchen to your outdoor cookout. Plus, the floral patterns are so pretty!
Erin loves using this storage container for her washed and dried salad greens. “The perforated interior basket and air vent on the top allows for airflow to keep greens dry yet still crisp, and the long, rectangular shape makes efficient use of the space in my fridge,” she says. It works by using a carbon filter to trap ethylene gas (the natural gas that makes fruit and veggies ripen) so you don’t end up with wilted greens or mushy tomatoes.
Is there anything more practical than a mason jar? Not only can jars be used to store fresh herbs, but they’re also a fun vessel for transporting individual salads (try making Ree’s Layered Salad in mason jars for your next picnic). Plus, mason jars are the perfect tool for salad dressing. Just add your salad dressing ingredients, close the lid, and store it in the fridge. Then, shake it up before tossing with the salad—it’s that easy!
If you want to pretend like you’re at one of those delis that makes chopped salads, this tool is for you! The stainless steel bowl and slicer combo lets you chop up all your salad ingredients at once—and in less time! The product description recommends using a “chop and spin action, instead of rolling or rocking.” Try it out with Ree’s Ranch Chopped Salad.
Make every day ‘take your salad to work day’ with this convenient food container. It will keep all your salad ingredients separate so you never wind up with a soggy salad again. The dishwasher-safe glass bowl has a tray with four compartments, a leak-proof dressing container, and even a reusable fork.
These salad servers are handcarved from natural olive wood. They’re easy to maneuver for mixing your salad ingredients together and they’ll look beautiful on your dining room table. Now, that’s a win-win!
Useful for more than just removing the skin from apples, a good vegetable peeler can also be used to make pretty ribbons of carrots or zucchini to add to your salads. You can even use it to shave strips of parmesan cheese over your Caesar salad. We love this one that comes with three heads in different sizes.
Skip the chef’s knife and try cutting your veggies instead—with scissors! This fun gadget makes it easy to prepare chopped salads right into your serving bowl. The stainless-steel blades are sharp enough to cut through veggies and fruits without dirtying your cutting board.
If you live in an area where an outdoor garden isn’t possible or you simply don’t have a green thumb, this countertop garden will make it easy to harvest your own fresh veggies and herbs! The hydroponic garden can grow up to 6 different herbs or veggies, without soil (or mess). Choose from salad greens, peppers, basil, and more.
10 Best Salad-Making Tools – Top Salad Gadgets for Your Kitchen – The Pioneer Woman
