Taylor Farms Caesar Salad Kit Review
Author’s note: Not a paid or sponsored review, as always. I have no affiliation with Costco or Taylor Farms. Enjoy my unbiased nonsense, friends!
It was fate.
Costco was out of romaine lettuce. “Inconceivable!” So I bought this Taylor Farms Ultimate Caesar Salat Kit instead. I’m not generally a fan of salad kits. But, desperate times. You know.
What’s in the kit?
The caesar salad kit comes with a bag of toppings: parmesan cheese, croutons, caesar dressing, and an odd packet of “organic” green powdered seasoning. All neatly packed — bags within bags — like Russian nesting dolls.
Romain lettuce
The romaine lettuce is fresh, and hacked into giant chunks. This is not a complaint. Just an observation. For caesar salad, I consider this appropriate. And bigger pieces mean the lettuce stays fresher longer. Behold, this lettuce monster:
The label assures me the romaine is already washed and “ready to eat.” I was pleased that there were no wilted, browned, or rotting pieces in the bag. Beautiful deep green color. Sweet flavor. Very good lettuce.
Caesar dressing
You get two packets of the dressing. And, as a single person, I appreciate this. It’s much easier to portion the salad kit into multiple meals and eat it over several days.
This is pretty decent caesar dressing, too. It’s got a pleasant, creamy thickness. And it’s flavorful and natural-tasting. I was impressed by the ingredients. There are even anchovies, which made me happy. Definitely not cheap-tasting dressing.
Parmesan cheese
The parmesan cheese is shredded into thin, stiff shards. It tastes natural and authentic. While not a lot of cheese here, it’s portioned appropriately for the rest of the salad.
Croutons
The croutons are “fine.” I wouldn’t rave about them. But I wouldn’t complain about them, either. They’re small, sad lumps, and only very slightly seasoned. But crisp, and not stale tasting. If you want better croutons, I really like Publix brand caesar croutons, which include dark rye bread cubes. More flavor.
Serving the caesar salad
I ate my Taylor Farms Caesar Salat kit with a chilled rotisserie chicken from Costco. This is where that odd packet of “organic” green seasoning powder came in handy. When sprinkled over the salad, it really gives the meat some extra flavor. The ingredients list stuff like garlic, sea salt, turmeric, yeast extract, and even bell peppers. Once it is mixed into everything else, it doesn’t really stand out. It just makes everything taste tastier.
Quick and convenient
This salad kit would be a great item to buy if you are ordering a Costco food court pizza to go. Salad with your cheap pizza. A quick and convenient option for a family meal. It’s significantly cheaper than buying a whole package of each of these things individually (dressing, croutons, cheese, lettuce, etc.).
Ingredients in Taylor Farms Ultimate Caesar Salad Kit
Here is my best attempt at typing out the ingredients:
- Romain Lettuce
- Caesar Dressing (Soybean Oil, Water, Parmesan Cheese [Pasteurized Milk, Cheese Cultures, Salt, Enzymes], Egg Yolks, Red Wine Vinegar, Contains less than 2% of: Worcestershire Sauce [Distilled Vinegar, Molasses, Sugar, Water, Salt, Onion, Anchovy, Garlic, Spice, Tamarind Extract, Natural Flavors, Chili Pepper Extract], Salt, Lemon Juice Concentrate, Garlic, Spice, Mustard Bran, Anchovy Extract, Xanthan Gum, Dehydrated Onion, Dehydrated Garlic)
- Croutons (Enriched Wheat Flour, Canola Oil and/or Sunflower Oil, Sugar, Salt, Yeast, Garlic Powder, Romano Cheese [Part Skim Cow’s Milk, Cultures, Salt, Enzymes], Dehydrated Parsley, Natural Flavor)
- Parmesan Cheese (Parmesan Cheese [Pasteurized Milk, Cheese Cultures, Salt, Enzymes], Powdered Cellulose [to prevent caking])
- Organic Caesar Seasoning (Sea Salt, Organic Spices, Organic Red Bell Pepper, Organic Turmeric, Organic Sunflower Oil, Organic Yeast Extract, Organic Garlic Oil, Natural Flavor)
Really, the only items on this list that annoy me are the soybean oil & unnecessary “natural flavor.” Otherwise, this is much better than I expected.
Made in the USA.
Nutrition Facts
Since the nutrition facts are awkwardly based on 5.5 servings (you monsters!), you’ll have to adjust this to reflect a more normal portion: a 1 cup serving contains 160 calories. You get 13 grams of fat (3 grams saturated fat) and 4 grams protein. There are just 6 grams total carbohydrates, of which 2 grams are fiber and 1 gram is sugar (0 grams “added sugar”). There’s 15% your daily value sodium, and 5% your daily value cholesterol per serving. I was also surprised to see the hefty Vitamin K (60% DV), Vitamin A (35% DV), and Folate (25% DV).
Price and Servings
The 20 ounce salad kit cost $4.39 at my local Costco warehouse.
The label says you are getting 5.5 servings per bag (can we please stop it with the weird “half servings” in packages? Who does this?!), but I’d hazard you’re either getting 6 very dainty (miserly) little side salads, or 4 decent meal salads, IF you add a generous amount of your own protein. That’s what I did: four chicken caesar salads. Four complete meals.
Since Costco’s rotisserie chicken is $5, that means my four salads cost $2.35 each. Which is fantastic for a meaty, fresh salad. IF you serve this as 6 tiny side salads without protein, the cost is about 73 cents per salad.
Shelf Life
This item doesn’t have a long shelf-life. Mine was dated for about a week after purchase. But this doesn’t make me mad. Nobody wants salad that’s been sitting on the shelf for a month!
Dramatic Conclusion
I liked this caesar salad kit. It’s fresh, well-portioned, and flavorful. The ingredients are fairly straightforward and natural. It’s a great price. And very convenient. It might turn me into a salad kit person!
The Awesome-o-Meter rates this an enthusiastic “Yaaas.”
The End.
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