Have You Heard? Wendy’s Has Fresh, Great-Tasting Salads

When you think of Wendy’s, do you think of fresh salads? I must admit, I didn’t before. To me, a stop at Wendy’s meant a burger and fries – and yes, guilty as charged, most likely a chocolate Frosty.

But that changed recently when I was invited to an event at Wendy’s to learn about the way they have totally upped the salad game. It really shifted my perception of the way Wendy’s prepares and serves all the food on their menu.

And now? A stop at Wendy’s means I have to make a tough decision between one of their seriously delicious salads. (The chocolate Frosty will still be a given, of course, but now without the guilt since I’m saving so many calories.)

I love salads, but I don’t make them at home a lot. I can’t just have lettuce, croutons and dressing and call it a day. I need a lot of ingredients, but it takes time and effort to source a good recipe, buy, wash, chop, cook (if necessary) and prepare everything. I work and I have a family that includes two toddlers – I need meals to be quick and easy.

So what could be quicker and easier than swinging by Wendy’s and picking up a salad? Literally nothing.

Ah, you say – but what about the ingredients they use? Are they fresh? Are they tasty? Those were my questions, too, and I arrived at Wendy’s eager to find out the answers.

Wendy's Mozzarella Chicken Salad

At the event I attended, Hayley, a member of Wendy’s Culinary Team, told us all about how their salads are dreamed up, tested, tweaked, prepared and served. And it was really eye-opening.

Listening to Hayley and chatting with some of the other members of Wendy’s Culinary Team made it clear that they are passionate about creating salads that are both fresh and flavorful.

Wendy’s Mozzarella Chicken Salad

Yes, Wendy’s is a quick service restaurant. But when it comes to making salads, they’re not about taking bags of low-quality, pre-packaged ingredients and dumping them into bowls. They’re about taking ingredients like whole heads of romaine and iceberg lettuce, carefully-sourced strawberries and juicy grape tomatoes – all of which are delivered to Wendy’s restaurants multiple times per week – and washing and hand-chopping them in the restaurant. I know that we were all curious about Wendy’s Mozzarella Chicken Salad.

Wendy’s Mozzarella Chicken Salad:

The salad is topped with warm, freshly-grilled chicken, fresh mozzarella cheese, juicy grape tomatoes and crunchy French bread croutons. It is then drizzled with a creamy basil pesto sauce and finished with Marzetti® Simply Dressed® Light Balsamic Vinaigrette.

Wendy's Mozzarella Chicken Salad

After learning about Wendy’s commitment to freshness and quality in their salad ingredients, I was anxious to dig in. We had the chance to sample four of their salads: the Fresh Mozzarella Chicken Salad, the Taco Salad, the Power Mediterranean Salad, and Wendy’s newest seasonal salad, the Strawberry Mango Chicken Salad – available June through September of this year.

My favorite was  Wendy’s Mozzarella Chicken Salad

Wendy's Fresh Mozzarella Chicekn Salad

Wendy's Fresh Salads

Wendy's Fresh Salad

Wendy's Fresh Salad

They were all delicious, but the two that sent my taste buds over the edge were the Strawberry Mango Chicken Salad and the Power Mediterranean Salad.

I can already tell that the Strawberry Mango Chicken Salad is going to be my jam this summer. I love a sweet and salty combination, and the strawberries, mangoes and honey citrus vinaigrette alongside the honey roasted sunflower seeds make this salad the perfect sweet-and-salty blend. I can just taste the summery freshness of this salad in every bite.

The Power Mediterranean Salad was a surprise favorite of mine. I know I’m way behind the trend here, but I had never tasted quinoa before. After having some on this salad, I totally get why it’s so popular. There is just so much flavor packed into this salad. Every bite has some sort of savory goodness, from the chick peas to the white beans to the sun-dried tomatoes. I’m looking forward to enjoying this salad all year long.

Have you tried any of these salads or the Wendy’s Fresh Mozzarella Chicken Salad?

One more thing that really stuck out to me in hearing from the Culinary Team is their eagerness for people to get exactly what they want out of Wendy’s salads. Want to swap feta cheese for crumbled blue cheese? Just ask. Want to omit an ingredient altogether? No problem. They want your salad to be made to order just for you.

I have gone back to eat at Wendy’s a few times since the event, and each time the salads have been just as fresh-tasting, just as aesthetically pleasing as they were at the Wendy’s Culinary Team event.

And to me, that is pretty fresh.

Wendy's Fresh Salads

Disclosure: This is a sponsored post. All opinions are mine!

About Audrey

Audrey McClelland has been a digital influencer since 2005. She’s a mom of 5 and shares tips on her three favorite things: parenting, fashion and beauty. She’s also a Contemporary Romance Author.

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