Trader Joe’s Pizza Ranch Salad Kit Might Be Your New Favorite Bagged Salad

Salad kits are convenient as hell. You get all the ingredients you need to make an easy side or (relatively) healthy lunch, all in one convenient bag. And you can even use that bag to make the salad. Now, I do have a few questions about why Trader Joe’s saw a salad kit and thought to bring it into the world of pizza. After all, pizzerias aren’t exactly known for their stellar salads. But as a Midwesterner will tell you, pizza was made to be dipped into ranch dressing, so at least this flavor combo isn’t something new.

But what the hell is a Pizza Ranch Salad? Well, according to Trader Joe’s, it’s a pretty standard salad mix—romaine lettuce, shredded red cabbage, carrot batons—with four cheese crisp crumbles (the four cheeses being parmesan, romano, asiago, and fontina), herb flatbread strips, more parmesan cheese, and pizza-seasoned ranch dressing. (And no, it doesn’t have anything to do with the Midwestern pizza buffet chain.) Per bagged salad expert Jordan Myrick’s instructions, I eyeballed half of all the toppings and dressing, dumped them into the bag, and gave it a good mix. Then I added the rest of the toppings and dressing and shook and massaged the bag some more. After taking a bite of the finished product, I have to say, I really see what TJ’s was going for with these pizza ranch salad kit—take note, pizzerias!

New Product!

Trader Joe’s Pizza Ranch Salad Kit

Trader Joe’s

Pros: The veggies are fresh and crunchy. The ranch is creamy, herbaceous, and bolstered with actual pizza sauce ingredients, like onion, garlic, and tomato. Then come the flatbread strips, four cheese crisp crumbles, and grated parm. All these toppings combine to make it taste like you’re actually eating a slice of pizza dipped into good, tangy ranch dressing. Don’t ask me how it works, it just does!

Cons: It feels bad to say, but there’s almost too much going on here? Trader Joe’s throws a lot in this salad kit to really make it taste like both pizza and a salad. So much, in fact, that it’s hard to mix in the bag as god my Sporked colleagues intended. Still, if you’re a maximalist and you own a big bowl, this is a pretty perfect side dish for your next frozen pizza night.

Rating:

9/10

Sporks