I Ate 25 Trader Joe's Salads In One Day—This One Is The Absolute Best
You can cross everything off your grocery list at Trader Joe's, but the main draw is their prepared foods. You can easily upgrade your meal with one of their pre-cooked proteins, and their salad selection is unmatched.
Trader Joe's offers everything from grab-and-go salads to complete salad kits in a bag. You can find classic recipes as well as ones with Trader Joe's twists—so there's a salad for every mood and occasion.
That being said, not all Trader Joe's salads are equally delicious. So our team rounded up every Trader Joe's salad we could find (25 in total!) and tasted them head-to-head. And there were several standouts that we can wholeheartedly recommend. Here's our ranking of every Trader Joe's salad, from worst to best.
Mediterranean Style Salad Kit
Do yourself a favor and skip this salad. It's not bringing much to the table besides the crispy chickpeas and flatbread croutons. The red wine vinaigrette is uninteresting at best, the toppings get lost within the greens. We were wholly underwhelmed after eating this one. In the words of one taster: "Boo. Boring."
Waldorf Salad
A Waldorf salad is already dated, and the version from Trader Joe's doesn't make a convincing case for a comeback. The greens quickly wilt under the weight of the toppings, and every component is chopped just a little too large to eat easily. If you want a dose of nostalgia, you're better off making a Waldorf salad from scratch.
Turkey Harvest Salad
We were so excited to see this fall-forward salad at TJ's, but it's definitely a letdown. Our tasters found the kale to be tough and overwhelming, with one adding that there were "not enough mix-ins to balance it." We specifically wanted more Brussels sprouts and other fall-forward flavors to make this salad special.
Chinese Inspired Salad
When a Chinese-inspired salad is made well, it hits. The version from Trader Joe's is unfortunately a miss. The flavor is bland and watery, the dressing is far too sweet, and we were hoping to find more chicken. Does it fit the bill for a Chinese-inspired chicken salad? Sure. But does it bring us joy and satisfaction? Definitely not.
Harvest Salad With Grilled Chicken
The Harvest Salad with Grilled Chicken tastes good, if a little uninspired. The Dijon dressing is nice, the chicken is nicely cooked, and the chunks of cheddar bring a nice burst of savory flavor. But nothing about this salad is exciting. Considering the breadth of fun and inventive salads at Trader Joe's, this one is definitely skippable.
Pacific Salad
If you want your salad to be light and crunchy, opt for the Pacific Salad from Trader Joe's. Texture is the main appeal here, with crispy iceberg lettuce, fried rice noodles, and toasted almonds bringing a lot to the table. But there's not much going on in the flavor department besides sweet and watery. This salad would probably be more successful with a different type of lettuce; as is, it's just okay.
Avocado Ranch Salad Kit
This salad is proof that sometimes there can be too much of a good thing. We love a crispy, carby element to a salad, but Trader Joe's goes a little too crazy with the corn chips here. Think of it as a taco salad served in one of those crispy tortilla bowls, but chopped up. The flavors are fine, sure, but we're kind of losing the salad plot.
Southwest Salad
One taster described this salad as "kind of mid," and we're inclined to agree with them. It's the kind of southwest-style salad you can find at any grocery store—creamy dressing, black beans, a smattering of corn kernels. It's not mind blowing by any stretch of the imagination, and there are better salads with a similar flavor profile out there (including ones at Trader Joe's).
Miso Crunch Chopped Salad Kit
Trader Joe's offers a lot of different salads with Asian-inspired flavor profiles, and their Miso Crunch Chopped Salad kit is one of the better ones. It's still pretty basic, with a base of only cabbage, carrots, and kale. A few of our tasters noted that there wasn't enough dressing to adequately coat each bite. The main gripe, however, were the non-vegetable components. The sesame seeds are untoasted and a bit bland. And, somehow, there are too many chow mein noodles—so much so that one taster said that this salad was almost more noodles than vegetables.
Baby Spinach And Greens Salad
This salad was polarizing, and it all comes down to the bleu cheese. It's by far the most prominent flavor and arguably overwhelms every other ingredient in the container. Even bleu cheese lovers thought that Trader Joe's went a little overboard here, but at least the dried fruit and raspberry vinaigrette offer a nice sweetness that tames the sharpness of the cheese.
Caesar Style Salad Kit
Caesar salads are ubiquitous in the bagged salad world, so you probably already know how this version from Trader Joe's tastes. One taster described this "as classic as a classic can be, in a good way." The dressing is lighter than your average store-bought caesar, which works to the salad's advantage and keeps the greens crispy. It's not going to knock your socks off, but this salad will certainly satisfy.
Mozzarella And Tomato Salad
This salad takes inspiration from a classic caprese and turns it into a hearty meal. You can find tomato, mozzarella, and balsamic, naturally, but it also features pine nuts and black olives on a bed of mixed greens. Our tasters enjoyed this salad overall, but had some notable complaints. First, the mixed greens are delicate and easily get overwhelmed and soggy in the presence of the other ingredients. Also, the flavor of the black olives easily takes over the entire meal—so the olive-averse should steer clear.
Broccoli And Kale Slaw
The Broccoli And Kale Slaw has been around for years, and it's popular for a reason. Many of our tasters kept coming back for more. But, compared to the other salads in the Trader Joe's lineup, this salad is almost too sweet. There are dried cherries, dried blueberries, and a super sweet dressing. One of our tasters described this as a "dessert salad."
Green Goddess Salad
The Green Goddess Salad at Trader Joe's is solid in so many ways: the greens are crisp, the dressing is far better than other brands, and the chicken thighs are well-cooked. But there's one glaring issue with this product, and it's the puffed rice. We normally like the added crunch of puffed rice, but whatever Trader Joe's uses is tough and gets stuck in your molars. It's a pretty good salad as long as you throw out the rice.
Sweet Chili Mango Complete Salad Kit
We weren't expecting this salad to pack the punch that it does. Even those of us with high spice tolerances thought it had a major kick, so if you're less comfortable with heat, proceed with caution. The blend of cabbage, kale, and Brussels sprouts offers great crunch and heartiness. However, there was one complaint voiced by a few tasters: the mango itself. The dried fruit has a leathery and chewy texture, which threw some people off.
Crunchy Slaw
The flavor profile of the Crunchy Slaw is very similar to their Chinese Inspired salad, but many of our tasters considered this to be a step up. There's great texture, thanks to the cabbage and crispy noodles. And the peanut-based dressing adds more nuance than a simple soy vinaigrette. It still veers a little sweet, though, so keep that in mind before you buy.
BBQ & Black Pepper Toscano Chopped Salad Kit
If you want to eat a salad but still want big and bold flavors, this salad kit is for you. The barbecue dressing is the dominant flavor here, but the crumbles of Black Pepper Toscano cheese add a delightful richness. "It's not too heavy, but enough to satisfy a barbecue craving," one taster said.
Broccoli Slaw & Kale Salad
Not to be confused with the Broccoli and Kale Slaw, the Broccoli Slaw and Kale Salad is an individually portioned salad that offers much more variety and balance. It similarly features dried fruit, but thankfully not in an overwhelming amount. The texture and crunch were the highlight for every taster, with many people citing the sunflower seeds as their favorite component.
Elote Chopped Salad Kit
Trader Joe's knows what they're doing when it comes to elote-inspired foods, and this salad is no exception. Tasters loved how creamy the dressing is, and the crunchy cornbread crumbles were a much welcomed substitute for an average crouton. Our only gripe is that we wish there was more corn.
Southwestern Chopped Salad Kit
The Southwest-style salad has been around forever, so you won't necessarily be introduced to any new flavors in this salad kit. But the Southwestern Chopped Salad Kit from Trader Joe's is markedly better than its competitors. The cabbage-romaine combination offers the right amount of crispness without wilting, and the additional herbs make this salad taste especially zesty. This would be a great side salad on its own, or as a main course with the addition of a protein.
Field Fresh Chopped Salad
This is not the kind of salad that jumps out at you from the refrigerator case, especially compared to other Trader Joe's product with trendier buzzwords. But the Field Fresh Chopped Salad is something you should try at least once. It's particularly hearty, with big chunks of chicken and well-seasoned pearl couscous. Our tasters particularly loved the sweet basil dressing, with one describing it as "surprising and delightful."
Lemony Arugula Basil Salad Kit
This is by far one of the most simple kits available at Trader Joe's, but it's proof that you don't need a large ingredients list to make a stellar salad. "It feels a little classier than your average bagged salad," one taster said. The arugula is crisp, light, and allows the mix-ins to truly shine. One taster said that you could definitely serve this salad at a dinner party.
Lemon Chicken & Arugula Salad
While this salad has lemon, chicken, and arugula, but those aren't necessarily the ingredients that shine. The seasoned pearl couscous adds texture and considerable heft, and the dressing is both sweet and spicy (a great complement to the peppery arugula). "This is the best salad from Trader Joe's by far," one taster said.
Vegan Super Spinach Salad
This salad has been a TJ's staple for years, and there's a reason why. It's not often that a fully vegan salad is this substantial and filling. On paper, a lot of the ingredients don't necessarily make sense together; but here, it works. "I don't even like quinoa, but this tastes amazing," one taster said. Another added, "I like the addition of cranberries." And it all comes together with the sweetness and tang of the carrot ginger dressing. This salad is a winner.
Sesame Miso Salad With Salmon
When we were buying all of these salads, the cashier shared that this was her favorite. Our team of tasters had the same opinion—the Sesame Miso Salad is straight up delicious. Out of all of the Asian-inspired salad dressings at Trader Joe's, the savory miso dressing here is by far the best.
But the star of the show is definitely the salmon. "The salmon was amazing and tasted great with the flavors of this salad," one taster said. It's flavorful, perfectly cooked, and adds a little bit of decadence to each bite.
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