Kitchen Lessons · Kitchen Mistakes
Why Is My Salad Soggy?
The short answer
Two things: wet greens, and dressing added too soon. Dry your greens thoroughly, and dress the salad lightly, right before you eat it.
Dry your greens
Water clinging to the leaves dilutes the dressing and leaves everything slick. A salad spinner is worth the drawer space; otherwise pat them properly dry before they go in the bowl.
Dress at the last minute
Dressing slowly wilts greens the whole time it sits on them. Add it just before serving, and only enough to coat — a glossy leaf, not a drenched one.
For make-ahead, build in a jar
Dressing on the bottom, sturdy things (beans, grains, cucumber) next, delicate greens on top. Nothing touches the dressing until you tip it out.
Gina's tip
Sturdy leaves — romaine, kale, cabbage — hold up far better than baby greens if you know it'll sit a while.