A Food Processor Will Take Salad Prep From Unbearable To Easy

It's that time of the week again — you're thinking about meal prep and how you'd like to add more salad to those glass containers or jars. The only thing holding you back: You can't be bothered with all the chopping. It's completely understandable; chopping is stressful on your wrists and can take a considerable amount of time. Even so, you can stop putting off your salad prep and look at those crunchy vegetables with a smile on your face.

Of course, you could always let your anger out on your lettuce for quicker salad prep, but a food processor is safer and more efficient. The result? You may be imagining a chunky salad-smoothie, but you can quickly blitz up your favorite vegetables without liquefying them. It all comes to down to timing. This hack is also accessible to those with a blender. In a continuously complicated life, choose simple kitchen tips like this one to make meal prep effortless.

Popping some crunchy veggies into a food processor or blender can speedily give you ingredients that'll make all your healthy salad dreams come true. Salad leaves and lighter additions may be easy to prepare, but the crunchier culprits like broccoli, red cabbage, and carrots are a nuisance to chop. That's where the friendly and valuable food processor comes in handy.

To begin, wash everything and pat dry. Make sure you peel the veggies that need it and remove the ends of the others. Place medium-sized pieces of the crunchier vegetables into the food processor and blitz for a few seconds. Depending on the size you want, you can repeat the blitzing process.

While you can use a blender to get a similar effect, there is a difference between when to use a blender versus a food processor. So, expect slightly varying consistencies of veggies and take note for future reference. It's important to remember, too, that salad ingredients with high water-content, like tomatoes or cucumbers, can get mushy quickly in a food processor. So, it's best to save those for the chopping board or blitz them separately.

Using the food processor is not the only quick hack that'll make salad prep more bearable. On completing your weekly shopping, washing all your greens immediately is advisable. This will save you time later on when you actually begin your official prep. After washing, remember to pat all ingredients dry. This will help your salad retain all those wonderfully crunchy, crispy textures and prevent limp leaves.

You'll also want to remember this: To keep your salad as fresh as possible, hold the dressing 'til you're ready to start munching. Dressing can shorten the lifespan of your salad, so don't pour over until the last possible moment. An additional tip for the dressing — make sure it's made with an emulsifier (such as mustard or mayonnaise); this will help avoid a sad, soggy salad. It's time to stop putting off the salad prep. Bring out the food processor and see how simple this entire process becomes.