Trader Joe’s Complete Salad – Kale Quinoa Salad

…and pumpkin seeds! Why don’t you mention the pumpkin seeds, Trader Joe’s? Why are you ashamed of them?

I’ve been very interested in Trader Joe’s line of Complete Salads (like their Harvest Blend, and Baby Spincah & Pecan versions) so I immediately jumped on Trader Joe’s brand new Kale Quinoa Salad.

Like all the other salads in the Complete Salad line, this is an amazing deal. For only $4 you get a massive bag of greens that could easily feed two cows, let alone two people. I’m something of a salad fiend, regularly sitting down to eat massive bowls of salad for lunch and dinner in the same day, and even I was overwhelmed by the huge portions you get from this bag. Definitely a good deal.

This salad is what it sounds like –a mountain of kale (in this case baby kale), packaged with a large bag of toasted quinoa. By itself this may not sound very appealing, but TJ’s dresses the salad up nicely – leanding it some more body with a handful of shredded broccoli, diced carrot, chopped red cabbage and radicchio, and scattering in a handful dried cranberries, and pumpkin seed kernels to provide flavor accents. That’s a pretty damn Complete Salad, if I do say so myself.

If you asked me to name one thing that Trader Joe’s consistently knocks out of the park, I’d say practically everything. But if you really pinned me down, I’d say their salads. The saladsmith have really honed their saladsmanship skills to elevated levels, and their skills are on full display here.

Of course any salad lives or dies by its dressing choice, and Trader Joe’s has certainly screwed up this part of the equation on occasion. In this case, TJ’s decided to pair the greens with a “lite” lemon vinaigrette. This suits the salad very well, the zingy zest making the salad taste as light and fresh as a spring breeze.

While I enjoyed this salad, your mileage may vary. The hard balls of crunchy quinoa give it a texture that isn’t usually found in salads, and there’s a ton of it. Unlike the cooked quinoa found in Trader Joe’s Wheat Berry and Quinoa Salad, there’s a real, crunchy, nutty texture here that will make or break the salad for you. If you’re already a fan of toasted quinoa, you’ll love this – but if you’ve never had it before you may want to proceed with caution.

The Breakdown

Would I Recommend It: Yes, as long as you don’t mind the texture of crunchy quinoa.

Would I Buy It Again: Absolutely – I think I’ll top mine with some roasted chicken next time.

Final Synopsis: A zesty, refreshing salad perfect for spring, and another great addition to the Complete Salad line.

Trader Joe’s Kale Quinoa Salad – Nutrition Facts