You’ll want to snag a bag on your next visit.
When chopped salad kits first came out, I thought they were frivolously expensive for the convenience.
A kit didn’t seem worth the per-meal cost.
Photo: Getty Images
These days, I sing a different tune.
In the past few years, salad kits have gottensignificantglow-ups.
At this point, I would and could happily live off of them.
Target’s Good & Gather line of bagged chopped salad kits is especially appealing.
However, the dizzying array of options begs the question: which ones are worth buying?
With tremendously high hopes, I set out to find out.
Here is my ranking, from worst to best.
Avocado Toast
My first reaction was, “Yay!
After the work of assembling it, eating it felt anticlimactic.
But when you hear a superlative like “everything,” you hope for a flavor explosion.
This was more like a sparkler.
The pinch of everything seasoning in the dressing was too discreet.
EatingWell hasits own recipefor a perfect version, andevery salad kit producer has itwith very little variation.
But Good & Gather’s version was arguably among the best renditions I’ve had.
Pops of soft dried cranberries also did their job well to balance that bitterness with sweet-tart bursts.
The creamy, tangy dressing and fresh cilantro throughout were a highlight without being overbearing.
Sweet carrots, square-chopped cabbage, and tortilla strips put crunchiness above all else.
Asian Style
Several salads that I was looking forward to trying let me down.
Then there was thisthe salad Idreadedhaving to eat that shockingly ended up in my top three.
But the more I kept eating, the more it grew on me as I picked out familiar nuances.
It started to remind me of sweet cabbage and chicken gyoza.
The cilantro made me think of Thaipapaya salad.
These kernels make an ideal mix-in: crunchy, sweet and crumbly without ever getting soggy.
But in this case, bravo!
Unlike the other chopped salad kits, this one doesn’t offer the added nutrition and satiety of high-fibercabbage.
A romaine lettuce base made it light, refreshing and crisp.
It’s notspicy, though.
Only very mildly dill-flavored, they had a fresher taste despite being slightly (expectedly) oil-logged.
Bottom Line
Good & Gather’s chopped salad kit collection is a mixed bag.
I felt that all of the salads were missing a little something.
For those in a pinch or too tired to think, this is a major pro.
There are a lot of truly interesting, creative salad concepts here that are restaurant- and dinner-worthy.
While I appreciate that they have unique exclusive varieties, they don’t all deliver as promised.
And now that you know which ones to buy, it’ll be money well spent.
