PRODUCT REVIEW: Trader Joe’s Green Goddess Salad Dressing

Trader Joe’s got me again.

Each visit to one of the Trader Joe’s here in Dallas is like a Where’s Waldo game for all the new products they have placed throughout the store. It’s so fun to me when you find a new product to try, don’t you think?

I can NEVER resist trying a dressing, especially one that boasts such fresh and simple ingredients. You guys know my motto, the fewer ingredients the better!

When you’re trying to focus on your macros and really counting calories it can be frustrating to have a perfectly portioned salad, only to realize the amount of calories and fat in the dressing you want to have will totally throw everything way off. And for this reason I was immediately intrigued by this Green Goddess dressing.

Immediately I whipped up a salad and added some of this dressing along with a little dollup of Ithaca Cold Pressed Hummus. And here’s what I thought about it…

The Taste: It kind of catches you by surprise. It hits you with a strong basil note right away. Then you can taste the hints of avocado and green onion. You’ll for sure need a breath mint after eating this dressing, that’s for sure. It may have Goddess in the name, but you’ll have dragon garlic breath after eating this dressing.

I will say that the flavor is good, but I wish the basil wasn’t so intense so that the rest of the ingredients had a fighting chance of standing out. This turned out to be a blessing in disguise though and meant I really didn’t need to add much to my salads. Just a little bit will add a little pop of extra flavor without a lot of added calories, fat or sugar.

In fact, the best benefit is that it is super low in calories and fat content. Only 20 calories and 2 grams of fat per serving, while my all time favorite healthier Green Goddess Dressing from Tessemaes packs about 80 calories per serving and 9 grams of fat.

The Texture:

This is an interesting one. The texture is not at all what you would typically get in a traditional creamy version of Green Goddess dressing, but it isn’t at all what you would get in some of the other healthier versions either. It’s in a league of its own.

The texture makes you feel like you’re eating a really freshly made dressing, which is nice. It is a bit of a thicker dressing, though it isn’t creamy either. I would equate the texture to a basil pesto almost. So if you’re into that sort of thing, then this dressing may be right up your alley!

The Price:

You’ve got to love Trader Joes because their price points are so great. It makes it super easy to try new products and not have guilt if you end up not liking something.

This Green Goddess dressing will run you around $3.50, which isn’t bad compared to the $6.99 price of Tesssemaes.

How to #CookItHealthier:

Honestly, the flavor of this was a little too much for me on a salad every day. I am comparing it to Tessemae’s Green Goddess dressing though, and I can literally drink that stuff straight it’s so good.

I think this will make a really great marinade on some chicken or even on some turkey burgers. I also would like to try adding it to some plain greek yogurt and mixing it up to make a little creamier style dip or topping for some pasta.

Have you tried this dressing or another Green Goddess dressing you love? Please let me know what you’ve had that is your favorite!

xoxo-Ashley