Which Protein to Pair with Your Favorite Trader Joe’s Salad Kits

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Trader Joe’s salad aisle doesn’t get all the hype compared to its other sections, but its quality and creativity deserve all the praise. The grocery chain’s spread of fresh greens, flavorful dressings, and delicious toppings make it an aisle worth visiting every time. Next time you stock up on your favorite salad kits at Trader Joe’s, pick up some protein to pair with it.

Salad kits are often a last-minute shopping cart addition, the product that comes to mind when you remember you need some veggies to accompany dinner. The salad kits at Trader Joe’s, however, are anything but an afterthought. Like a number of products from the chain, the salad kits come packed with unique offerings, such as cornbread croutons, barbecue-sauce flavored dressing, and a pizza-inspired salad spread.

The kits make eating salads a wholly pleasurable experience, and bulking it up with some protein elevates it into a meal rather than just a side. Although there are Trader Joe’s pre-made salads that already come with meat or seafood, having a salad kit you can return to over and over again may be preferable compared to the one-sized servings of greens. Additionally, choosing your own protein for the salad gives you plenty of delicious customization options.

Trader Joe’s Lemony Arugula Basil Salad is a fresh melody of arugula, roasted almonds, nutty parmesan, and sweet carrots, all wrapped up in a zesty basil lemon vinaigrette. The salad is the very epitome of summer, and nothing complements it more than a handful of juicy shrimp. The crustacean is slightly sweet, balancing out all the citrusy elements of the salad. Still, its mild flavor caters to the lightness of the salad without dominating it.

Shrimp is delicious with practically any preparation methods, but highlighting the freshness of the seafood is the best way to complement the summery salad. Whipping up some garlic butter shrimp adds a nice, pungent flair to the salad while elevating the zestier aspects of the kit. The crustaceans are sauteed in olive oil, then tossed in a garlic, butter, white wine, and lemon juice mix before being served.

To keep things extra fresh, skip the oil and butter and steam the shrimp with white wine and water, instead. A crisp choice like pinot grigio or Chablis gently infuses the shrimp with a mild, mineral taste that enhances the peppery salad. Flavor the steaming liquid with fresh ingredients, such as sliced lemons, parsley, and shallots, to add layers of flavor to the arugula and basil salad.

If there was ever a salad fit for a backyard barbecue spread, Trader Joe’s BBQ & Black Pepper Toscano Chopped Salad is it. The kit transforms tender cornbread into crunchy croutons, places it on a bed of crisp, shredded cabbage and carrots, and elevates the coleslaw-like base with a creamy barbecue and sweet onion dressing. While the salad on its own certainly has a bold flavor, what barbecue is complete without chicken?

The BBQ & Black Pepper Toscano kit already got the number one spot in our Trader Joe’s salad ranking, but the addition of grilled chicken breast would make us rank it higher if possible. Slices of the slightly charred meat would complement the earthy greens and pungent alliums in the dressing. To allow the nutty, black pepper Toscano cheese and molasses-flavored dressing to stand out, keep the spices on the chicken breast simple. 

Wet brine the meat for a juicier finish, and add a sprinkle of lemon zest for a zingy taste. If you don’t have access to a grill, searing the chicken breast still brings a rich flavor to the salad. To play up the flavors of the dressing, season the breast with Dijon mustard, smoked paprika, onion and garlic powder, and a dash of brown sugar.

A blend of shredded cabbage, kale, Brussels sprouts, and radicchio, Trader Joe’s Sweet Chili Mango Salad is reminiscent of a veggie-forward stir fry that can easily be bulked up with slivers of steak. The greens get a sweet kick with pieces of dried mango and a Thai sweet and spicy dressing made with red jalapeños, lime juice, garlic, and paprika. Filled with rich, aromatic flavors, seared flank steak enhances the bold salad with a meaty taste.

Flank is one of the absolute best types of steak cuts for salads, and its lean, beefy flavor works well with the sweet and spicy chili mango salad. The lack of fat ensures the cut isn’t too overpowering, but it still packs an umami punch that makes Trader Joe’s Sweet Chili Mango Salad even more mouthwatering. To help tenderize the lean meat, marinate it for 30 minutes before cooking it. 

The salad already has a bold flavor, so a simple white vinegar, soy sauce, and black pepper marinade will do for the steak. A quick sear on medium heat keeps the steak tender, while giving it a nice crust that complements the toasted quinoa and sunflower seeds in the salad. Brown each side for around seven minutes, then allow the steak to rest before slicing it and adding it to your salad.

Whenever a Tex-Mex or Southwestern-inspired meal is in need of something extra, black beans are always the clear answer. They’re a little earthy, a little meaty, a little sweet; basically, black beans fit whatever role you need them to, and in this case, that’s a hearty protein boost for Trader Joe’s Southwestern Chopped Salad. The kit contains peppery green onions and cilantro, fresh cabbage and carrots, and crunchy tortilla strips and pepitas — a serving of black beans deepens all these ingredients, while adding a slight creaminess with their tender chew.

Despite the boost they bring, the legumes are somewhat mild, and there are all kinds of ways you can elevate the flavor of canned black beans to enhance the Southwestern salad even more. The kit leans earthy and aromatic, so you can add a bright kick by tossing the beans with some freshly-squeezed lime juice before adding them to the salad. To bring out more of the heat from its poblano-spiced avocado dressing, fry up the beans with dried chile peppers, onions, and garlic. You can also amp up their meaty flavor by simmering the beans in mushroom or beef stock, or just keep things simple with a salt and pepper seasoning combo.

Like salmon, Trader Joe’s Organic Mediterranean Style Salad embraces both fresh and rich flavors without coming across as overwhelming. The kit is composed of romaine lettuce, bitter radicchio, and mild celery, but it gets a flavor boost from roasted chickpeas, tangy dried tomatoes, and spiced-flatbread strips. Salmon straddles the line between buttery and light with ease, perfectly complementing the array of flavors presented in the Mediterranean salad.

The fatty fish has a luscious mouthfeel that elevates the lettuce and celery, as well as a mild sweetness that both tempers the bitter radicchio and mellows out the dried tomatoes. To maintain the fresh flair of the salad, focus on salmon’s natural flavors. Poaching the salmon filets in olive oil enhances the Mediterranean-inspired salad by imbuing the salmon with grassy notes, while also keeping the flesh extremely tender. When poaching the fish, add in some garlic cloves and slices of lemon to balance out the oil’s peppery notes.

Baking the salmon filet with spices and fresh herbs also works to turn it into a delicious salad topper. You can pull from the onion and garlic flavors of the seasoned flatbread strips, or match the tangy vinaigrette by seasoning the fish with basil and oregano. Either way, keep the fish wrapped in aluminum foil as it bakes so it stays moist and tender.

Trader Joe’s Elote Chopped Salad takes the vibrant flavors of the popular Mexican street food and turns it into a hearty salad. The crispy corn kernels, creamy cotija cheese, and tangy jalapeño and lime dressing are dressed up with cabbage, kale, green onions, lettuce, and carrots that add a crunchy boost to the dish. To amp things up even more, a scoop or two of slow cooker carnitas makes a delicious topping for the bold salad.

The meat is tender and superbly moist, balancing out the crunchier elements of the salad. A splash of freshly-squeezed orange juice flavors the meat, boosting the tart jalapeño and lime dressing, while the ground cumin delivers a slight warmth that stops the salad from being acerbic. The mild acidity of oranges works well with carnitas, but you can opt to add a sprinkle of lime juice to better complement the dressing.

For the seasoning mix, go with spices you might normally add to elote. Ancho chile powder adds an earthy, sweet depth to carnitas, while Tajín delivers a tangy heat. Add a dash of garlic and onion powder for a sweet pungency, and keep things fresh with some cilantro or parsley. You can also elevate it with seasonings found in the elote salad toppings, such as rosemary or smoked paprika.