Mixed Greens
Mixed greens refers to a blend of young, tender salad leaves -- often a combination of baby lettuces, spinach, arugula, frisée, and radicchio -- sold together as a ready-to-use salad base. This page covers it as the versatile, mostly-raw salad foundation it is.
How to buy
Look for crisp, dry leaves with vibrant color and no sliminess, browning, or excess moisture pooling in the bag or container, which speeds spoilage. A good mix should smell fresh and grassy, not sour.
How to store
Refrigerate in its original container or a bag with a dry paper towel to absorb moisture, and use within 3-5 days; the mix wilts faster than sturdier greens.
Culinary profile
- Flavor
- Flavor varies by blend, generally combining mild notes (butter lettuce, baby spinach) with peppery ones (arugula, mustard greens) and occasional bitterness (radicchio, frisée), giving a more layered taste than a single lettuce.
- Texture
- Tender and delicate, which means the leaves wilt quickly once dressed; best tossed with dressing just before serving rather than ahead of time.
- Aroma
- A fresh, faintly grassy smell, with a peppery sharpness if arugula or mustard greens are part of the blend.
How to prepare
- Tossed as a salad base — Combined raw with dressing, toppings, and protein as the foundation of a salad.
- Lightly wilted — Briefly warmed in a hot pan or with a warm dressing poured over, softening the leaves just slightly.
- Used as a sandwich bed — Layered into sandwiches and wraps for crunch and color.
- Blended into smoothies — Added raw to smoothies, where the delicate leaves break down easily.
- Used as a garnish or plate bed — Arranged under or alongside a main dish as a simple, fresh accent.
Classic dishes
American
- American garden salad — A mixed green salad topped with tomato, cucumber, and other raw vegetables as a casual side dish.
- Cobb salad — A composed salad of mixed greens topped with rows of chicken, bacon, egg, avocado, and blue cheese.
- Spinach salad with warm bacon dressing — Tender greens wilted slightly under a warm, tangy bacon vinaigrette.
- Wilted greens with bacon vinaigrette — Mixed greens briefly softened by a hot dressing poured just before serving.
Italian
- Insalata mista — A simple Italian mixed green salad dressed with olive oil and vinegar, often served alongside a main course.
- Arugula and parmesan salad — Peppery greens tossed with shaved parmesan, lemon, and olive oil.
French
- Mesclun salad — The classic French mix of young salad greens that gave the term 'mixed greens' its origin, dressed simply in vinaigrette.
- Salade niçoise — A composed salad built on a bed of mixed lettuces, topped with tuna, egg, olives, and vegetables.
Mediterranean
- Mediterranean greens salad with lemon and olive oil — A simple salad of mixed leaves dressed with lemon juice, olive oil, and herbs.
Greek
- Horta — A simple Greek dish of mixed wild or cultivated greens, boiled and dressed with olive oil and lemon.
Korean
- Modum namul — An assorted plate of seasoned vegetable and wild green banchan, conceptually similar to a composed mixed greens salad.
Spanish
- Ensalada mixta — A Spanish mixed salad of greens, tomato, onion, and olives, often part of a tapas spread.
Middle Eastern
- Fattoush — A bread salad built on a base of mixed greens and herbs, tossed with crisp pita and sumac.
German
- Blattsalat — A simple German mixed leaf salad dressed in a light vinaigrette, often served with heavier main courses.
British & Irish
- Side salad with fish and chips — A small mixed green salad served alongside fried fish as a light, fresh counterpoint.
Substitutions
- Swiss Chard — Much heartier and better suited to cooking than raw salads; use young, tender chard leaves if substituting raw, and shred finely.