The Best Salad Greens For Rich And Creamy Dressings

Dressing is what distinguishes a salad from simply a bowl of raw veggies; it's the flavorful glue that unites all your greens and mixins into a cohesive dish. There are dozens of types of salad dressings, the majority of which fall into two categories: Light, oil-based dressings and rich, creamy mayo or dairy-based dressings. This article focuses on the latter, and we spoke to an expert for her insight into the best salad greens for rich and creamy dressings. Our expert is Chef Megan McCarthy, chef at Edible Garden at the Atlanta Botanical Garden, founder of Healthy Eating 101, and a Have A Plant® Ambassador for The Foundation for Fresh Produce.

"Use crunchy lettuce (like iceberg or romaine) or hearty greens (like kale)," McCarthy advised. "Their sturdy texture stands up to thick, rich dressings without becoming soggy."

Rich and creamy dressings don't just sit heavy in your stomach, but they're also heavy on the greens you toss them with, so you'll want to choose the types of greens that won't buckle or turn to mush under the weight of the dressing. While iceberg and romaine are delicate greens, they're crunchy and sturdy enough to take on a creamy dressing while also providing a crunchy contrast. Hearty winter greens like kale, cabbage, swiss chard, endive, and radicchio have robust flavors and textures that rich and heavy dressings will balance. You can also blend these crunchy and hearty greens for an even more depth of texture to receive a creamy dressing.

Crunchy greens like iceberg and romaine should be dressed right before serving. Classic examples of romaine and creamy dressing pairings are chef's salads to toss with Thousand Island dressing or a creamy ranch. A wedge salad with a hunk of crunchy iceberg lettuce is the perfect foundation for a chunky blue cheese dressing. These crunchy greens can also take on heavy toppings like boiled eggs and meat. In fact, you could substitute a honey mustard dressing for a thick, creamy blue cheese on this classic Cobb salad recipe.

Hearty greens can, and often should, be dressed in advance. Kale will benefit from sitting in dressing for up to 30 minutes before serving while you can dress coleslaw up to 20 minutes in advance. The acidity in creamy dressings, whether it's lemon juice and Worcestershire sauce in a classic Caesar dressing, or buttermilk in ranch dressing, will tenderize their leaves. Furthermore, leftover dressed hearty greens will keep in the fridge for a few days. We have many coleslaw recipes like this kale slaw with yogurt-based dressing to put to the test. 

You can also add crunchy mix-ins and toppings with a bit more dressing right before serving. For example, you can use Caesar dressing on kale, let it sit, and parse it out by the plateful. Then add these Fresh Gourmet crunchy croutons, shaved parmesan, and even toasted chickpeas to each plate before digging in!