The Store-Bought Dressing I Use to Make My Famous “Pretzel Salad” All Summer Long

A good salad isn’t hard to find, but an easy one is. As much as I love a bowl of greens piled high with things, I can’t pretend like it isn’t work. Corralling all the disparate parts is like conducting a full orchestra I have no time for, especially when the hunger pangs strike or barbecue season hits and I’d rather not toil over stovetop-fried croutons. 

It’s at these moments when I turn to my trusty three-ingredient pretzel salad. Conceived on one intensely hot and humid grocery run, it’s expressly designed to beat the heat and come together with minimal perspiration. It doesn’t fall flat the way some store-bought salad kits might either. It’s been my saving grace every summer since, and odds are you won’t regret adding it to your roster, either.

Zesty, light, crunchy, spicy — this dish delivers on all those fronts and is a breeze to put together all thanks to three ingredients you may already have in your kitchen: Snyder’s Hot Buffalo Wing Pretzel Pieces, Ken’s Zesty Italian Dressing, and a prewashed head of iceberg lettuce. 

The idea originated one very sweaty night when a friend and I were ravenous but deeply uninterested in eating anything above room temp. We played around with the idea of a classic wedge salad, but ultimately decided against it, preferring not to turn on the stove to fry the bacon that’s typically served with the original.

Still, a salad seemed like the move so we perused the aisles in search of ingredients that would deliver the same tableau of savory flavors to a refreshing iceberg lettuce canvas — minus the active labor — and when we stumbled on the pretzel bites and dressing it felt like they chose us, not the other way around. We knew from experience that these ingredients were great solo, and within five minutes of arriving home (that’s how long it took to make), we were happy to report that they tasted even better together.

We ate it solo that night but ever since it’s been a part of my regular rotation. I’ve found that it pairs well with all kinds of recipes: It’s right at home with barbecue favorites like burgers and dogs, but also a great way to offset the richness of more winter-forward fare, like a Bolognese pasta.  

What’s more, the blueprint is infinitely adaptable, so you needn’t feel pigeonholed with that specific combo of flavors. I’ve tried variations with honey-mustard pretzels and balsamic Ken’s, and another more in line with a traditional wedge salad recipe that uses bacon-cheddar bites and blue cheese dressing. The possibilities are limitless, and the Buffalo-Italian version is really only the tip of the iceberg. 

Ideally you’ll be able to find a prewashed head of iceberg lettuce, but if not you’ll want to start by thoroughly rinsing the greens, then chopping it into quarters, and placing each wedge onto its own plate. 

Next up, pop open the Ken’s and drizzle on about 3 tablespoons per wedge. Iceberg lettuce is firmer and crisper than more delicate leafy greens like watercress and tolerates heavy dressing particularly well, so you can eyeball this part instead of dirtying a measuring spoon without fear of a soggy salad. 

Now for the “hardest” part: Chopping the pretzel pieces. They’re about an inch and a half long straight out of the bag, but you want them to be small enough to adhere to the lettuce on their own, so shoot for half-inch bits and don’t worry if they aren’t uniform. In fact, it’s better if there’s a little residual pretzel dust, because this will work its way into all of the nooks and crannies of the wedge, ensuring a bit of spice in every bite. Use about half a bag for the full recipe, then sprinkle what you have evenly on all four wedges and serve. 

Buy: Ken’s Steak House Zesty Italian Dressing, $2.49 for 16 ounces at Amazon 

This article originally published on The Kitchn. See it there: The Store-Bought Dressing I Use to Make My Famous “Pretzel Salad” All Summer Long