Top 8: The best ways to get your leafy greens in shops and supermarkets

Pic: iStock

We could grow our own salad leaves, or buy full heads in markets and supermarkets which these days look like works of art. 

But when bagged leaves are good, they are worth buying for days when we need a handful to add to sandwiches and salads to provide some extra vitamins and texture.

How salads are bagged can be contentious. It’s difficult to establish if inert gas is inserted into bags to keep them fresh. 

Our shopping expedition revealed quite a few bagged ‘in a modified atmosphere’, some in non-recyclable cellophane. 

However, many of our rejects were not fresher despite often-used ‘life-extending’ treatment.

Our Top 8 were in top condition when we bought them, even when they had a shelf life of almost a week. 

Reusable plastic bags are better for the environment than cellophane bags which are not recyclable or compostable, so watch labels.

We didn’t have space to include kale and spinach, which usually keep better than lettuce, and they make delicious salads served with fried bacon pieces, hardboiled eggs, or dressings of puréed apple flavoured with lime juice, honey, chilli and soy sauces. 

Try SuperValu Spinach & Baby Kale, €2.29 for 200g.

Cork Rooftop Farm packaged salads. Pic: Denis Minihane.

Cork Rooftop Farm 200g €3

In a resealable plastic carton, this had a very good mix of leaves which had been picked the day before. This is a good and varied mix of lettuce leaves and includes microgreens which are also available in tubs. The freshest and most vibrant of the selection. Good price. From the Coal Quay shop, Cork.

Score: 9.5

Kilbrack packaged salads.

Kilbrack Organic Farm 122g €2.99

A well-balanced mix which included rocket, red and green lettuces, and chicory. In a biodegradable bag with no sell-by date, it was fresh and crunchy and delicious with hardboiled eggs, roasted red pepper and a few chopped anchovies. Well established as organic, this farm always has top-notch produce, though not cheap. Grown in Doneraile Co Cork, widely available in markets and NeighbourFood.

Score: 9

McCormack lambs' lettuce.

McCormack Family Farms Lambs Lettuce 75g €1.

A handy size with small, soft leaves, grown in Co Meath. Useful to tone down the pepperiness of rocket, and to mix with other more sturdy leaves. Plenty of other salad leaves from the brand are worth a look too. Available in supermarkets and independent retailers nationwide.

Score: 8

Kildinan Farm packaged salad.

Kildinan Farm Organic mixed leaves 100g €2.90

Fat and juicy salad leaves include spinach, mustard leaves and lettuces which are obviously harvested with care in Ballyhooley, Co Cork. Leaves were quite large so no end bits needed to be trimmed. In a plastic resealable and reusable bag. Available in SuperValu nationwide.

Score: 8.5

Annabella mixed salad.

Annabella Farm Organic mixed salad 100g €2.75

Mainly lettuce leaves, including lambs lettuce, with some rocket. The best-before date is nine days from purchase, but some leaves needed to be trimmed before testing. This Mallow Co Cork farm is certified organic – comforting that chemicals are not used. In a plastic resealable bag. Widely available in SuperValu countrywide, NeighbourFood, we bought in Superfruit, English Market, Cork.

Score: 8

Horizon Farm mixed-leaf salad.

Horizon Farm Mixed leaves 125g €3

In a plastic resealable and reusable bag, there’s a lively, unusual mix including red and green Mizuna Japanese leaves, mustard, rocket pak choi and kale. Good to mix with fresh lettuce. The leaves kept well for a few days. We bought in Bradleys, Cork. Also available in Co Cork: Superfruit, Centra Crosshaven and Ballinspittle, Menloe Stores, Rohu Inishannon, and SuperValu Kinsale.

Score: 8.5

Tesco Caesar Salad.

Tesco Creamy Caesar salad kit 240g €1.69

With four days to go to the sell-by date, Romaine/Cos lettuce had no signs of deterioration with a good amount of thick dressing flavoured with anchovy and tamarind. The croutons were crisp with olive oil, salt and black pepper. A handy complete meal on a hot day. You could add chicken, leftover meats, or hardboiled eggs for substance. This won over Lidl Meadow Fresh (€1.69) which had good leaves but the dressing was not as good. 

Score: 8.25

Tesco Irish Pak Choi.

Tesco Irish Pak Choi 450g €1.75

Greatly undervalued for salads, this is usually stir-fried. As a bagged salad ingredient it keeps better than most and is handy to have in the fridge. It’s more watery than flavoursome, but also crunchy when fresh. Shred the root and leaves and dress with a little olive oil flavoured with garlic, ginger, sweet chilli sauce and a hot chilli sauce such as sriracha, soy sauce, lime or lemon juice.

Score: 8.5