The best Asian salad kit should be easy to make and full of fresh flavor. It should have great crunchy elements and lots of fresh produce. The dressing should be a little sweet, a little savory, and a little salty.
The term “Asian salad kit” is so incredibly vague. Asia is gigantic. Do Asian salad kits encompass all the flavors of Asia in one bag? No. I have never had an Asian salad kit that is inspired by India or Laos. For some reason, when it comes to salads, we have accepted that an Asian salad is a light and crunchy salad that has a sweet and tangy sesame dressing and either crunchy rice noodles or wonton strips. While I think the name is misleading, the taste is delicious. I tried a bunch of Asian chopped salad kits—including a Taylor Farms salad kit that absolutely slaps and a Trader Joe’s Asian salad kit with an especially tasty dressing—and these are the four options I think you should buy.
- Trader Joe’s Miso Crunch Salad Kit
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We tried all the Trader Joe’s salad kits and this one was one of our favorites. The dressing is so delicious and really sets it apart. It’s the only one we tried that is creamy. There’s a great savory saltiness from the miso. This Trader Joe’s Asian salad kit is also super crunchy, as the name suggests. I have purchased this more than once since our Trader Joe’s salad kit taste test because I love the dressing so much. TJ’s, bottle this stuff!
Credit: Merc
- Sesame Crunch Chopped Salad Kit
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This Asian salad kit came in at #3 on our ranking of Trader Joe’s salad kits. First of all, cabbage-based salad kits—especially Asian chopped salad kits—are superior. They hold up better than romaine-based salad kits. This has great sesame flavor and it’s super crunchy. Plus, there’s bok choy in it. How fun and tasty!
Credit: Merc
- Taylor Farms Asian Cashew Chopped Salad Kit
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Taylor Farms really brings it when it comes to Asian salad kit options. We tried so many versions of a generic “Asian” salad kit and this is, hands down, the best version. I love the addition of cashews. It adds more crunch and a nice nuttiness. The dressing hits almost all the taste buds on my tongue (but don’t worry, it’s not spicy). The lettuce is fresh. The cilantro and sesame seeds pack in even more flavor. I would happily buy this Taylor Farms salad kit again and top it with a little rotisserie chicken for a weekday lunch.
Credit: Merc / Taylor Farms
- Taylor Farms Thai Chili Mango Chopped Salad Kit
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Like I said in the intro: For my money, I like an “Asian” salad kit that actually evokes the flavors of a specific part of Asia. This Taylor Farms salad kit pulls in flavors from Thailand to make their chopped Asian salad kit. The best Asian salad kit, in fact! The dressing has a little kick to it, but it’s still sweet and salty. The dried mango and crispy quinoa add great texture. The base of cauliflower, brussels sprouts, broccoli, and radicchio is so hearty and crisp. This is, in my opinion, the perfect Asian salad kit. It’s worth noting that the Target dupe is also good, just not quite as good.
Credit: Merc / Walmart
Best Dressing
Best TJ’s
Best Classic
Best of the Best
Other Products We Tried: Good & Gather Asian Salad Kit, Taylor Farms Asian Salad Kit, Good & Gather Thai Chili Mango, Dole Asian Sesame
Thoughts? Questions? Complete disagreement? Leave a comment!