We all buy pre-made salads from the grocery store—bagged salad kits or deli containers—because they’re convenient, not necessarily because they taste better than homemade. Convenience makes healthy choices easier, and prepping salad components ahead of time is a simple way to eat more vegetables.
Below is a segment I recorded for my local TV station, Studio 5, showing how to recreate popular store-bought salad kits at home.
If your goal is to eat more vegetables, pre-made salad kits are a great model to follow. When components are portioned and ready, you’re more likely to grab a salad during a busy week.
I went to the grocery store and photographed every salad kit I could find to note ingredients and recreate them at home. Here are the kinds of salads I replicated:
- Caesar Salad: Lettuce, chicken, Parmesan, bacon, croutons, creamy Caesar dressing.
- BLT Salad: Grape tomatoes, chicken, bacon, cheddar, mixed greens, cabbage, carrots.
- Apple Walnut Salad: Mixed greens, apples, chicken, blue cheese, candied walnuts, cranberries, carrots, sweet dressing.
- Southwest Salad: Lettuce, chicken, tortilla strips, shredded cheese, ranch (add beans or corn if desired).
- Farmhouse Ranch: Greens, chicken, sunflower seeds, croutons, bacon, ranch dressing.
- Cranberry Walnut Salad: Greens, feta, candied walnuts, dried cranberries, raspberry vinaigrette.
- Chef Salad: Greens, hard-boiled egg, chicken, ham, Swiss cheese, croutons, ranch.
- Cobb Salad: Greens, turkey breast, hard-boiled eggs, bacon, blue cheese.
- Maple Bourbon Bacon: Romaine, shredded broccoli, cabbage, green onions, carrots, bacon, almonds.
- Asian Salad: Greens, cabbage, carrots, celery, wonton strips, sliced almonds, green onions.
- Poppyseed Salad: Greens, chicken, dried cranberries, sliced almonds, poppyseed dressing.
For more salad inspiration, try grilled chicken salads or low-calorie dressing recipes for dressing ideas.
I decided to recreate the store kits and portion the toppings into separate containers, keeping an extra-large container of washed greens on hand. Pre-portioning makes daily salads quick to assemble and easy to take on the go.
The salad prep
Beyond chopping vegetables, my prep included cooking about 15 chicken tenderloins, boiling 4 eggs, and candying almonds. The cooked chicken worked across several salads. For the TV segment I prepared five of my favorite kits and packed them in divided containers for convenience.
Caesar salad
The Caesar kit contains Parmesan, precooked chicken, bacon bits, croutons, and a creamy Caesar dressing. Keep dressings separate until ready to eat to maintain crunch.
The Southwest Salad
The Southwest version is simple and flexible: tortilla strips, precooked chicken, shredded cheese, grape tomatoes, and corn. Black beans would be a great addition for protein and fiber.
The chef salad
The chef salad features hard-boiled eggs, precooked chicken, cubed ham, cubed Swiss cheese, croutons, cucumber, and carrot sticks—classic, filling, and portable.
The Asian salad
The Asian-style salad includes wonton strips, green onions, carrots, celery, and sliced almonds for crunch. Use a sesame-ginger or soy-based dressing when serving.
The Poppyseed salad
My favorite is the Poppyseed salad. I candied sliced almonds by melting 1/4 cup butter with 1/4 cup brown sugar in a skillet, stirring in about 1/3–1/2 cup almonds, and cooking 3–4 minutes until coated. Cool the almonds on parchment paper.
This salad combines the candied almonds with craisins, chicken, and a creamy poppyseed dressing. I often add chopped apples for sweetness, but I leave them out of pre-packed kits to avoid browning.
Store the assembled kits in the refrigerator until you’re ready to eat. For the greens, rinse and dry thoroughly. Spinach, baby kale, and romaine are my top picks. Line an airtight container with paper towels to absorb moisture—the greens should stay fresh for 5–7 days.
Print a checklist of these salad kits to make prep easier at home.
Those are my favorite copycat salad kits. Which combinations would you add to your rotation?