The Overlooked Pantry Item That Elevates Even The Most Basic Salad Kit

Salad kits are one of the handiest products in the grocery store. Preparing a salad — even a simple one — can require a ton of chopping, mixing, and preparing. But when you buy a salad kit, you have all of the ingredients you need for a nutrient-dense lunch or side dish. But to improve it in one easy swoop, all you have to do is add in some chopped pickled vegetables straight from a jar in your pantry.

Because, despite their convenience, salad kits, whether they're Asian, Mediterranean, Caesar, or anything else, can be a little lacking in the flavor department. Luckily, adding chopped pickles to improve your store-bought salad kit means barely any work and instantly adding bags of flavor. While there are already salad kits out there made for pickle lovers, dicing up some of your favorite preserved ingredients and stirring them into a basic salad will add saltiness and tanginess. And most pickled vegetables also have a crunchy texture, which will also bring diversity to every bite. 

There is an impressive variety of pickled vegetables to try, from radishes to red peppers, so you should have no shortage of ingredients worth adding to your salad kit. Pickled red onions are a great place to start. They have a sweeter and tangier flavor than the sharp, raw, unpickled version. You can chop them up and add them to a standard green salad kit, or pair them with regional favorites like crumbled feta, chicken pieces, and olives. If you prefer a sweeter addition to your salad, reach for a jar of bread and butter pickles; while they do have a fair amount of tang, the syrupy sweetness is really what shines. Pair them with a coleslaw salad kit; the sweetness will cut the sulfuric flavor of the cabbage and highlight the sweetness of the carrots. 

You can also venture outside of pickled veggies into pickled proteins. Pickled anchovies are in good company with a Caesar salad kit. Their natural umami and salty flavor elevates the pre-packaged dressing and grated cheese.