We Tried and Ranked Each Single Dealer Joes Salad

Disclaimer: salads aren’t my most important focus at Dealer Joe’s. I’m often after recent flowers, budget-friendly bananas, and seasonal treats. Nonetheless, if I’m in a pinch for lunch and am on the lookout for one thing 1) veggie-packed 2) satisfying and three) even higher than the traditional combo of components, solely the perfect Dealer Joe’s salad will do.

I’m a creature of behavior with my meals. Whereas I get pleasure from meals traits and artistic recipes, my weekday routine stays constant: a smoothie for breakfast, a salad for lunch, and a seasonal bowl for dinner. (Although just lately, I switched issues up with Camille’s gorgeous roast chicken—extremely suggest!). Because of this, I made a decision to place these 9 salads to the check to see simply what Dealer Joe’s salad takes the cake.

Featured picture by Michelle Nash.

Our Favourite Dealer Joe’s Salads, Ranked

Clearly, my routines might use some shaking up, and what higher time than whereas touring? As a self-proclaimed (however reluctant-to-admit) digital nomad, I took a current two-week journey to D.C. as the right excuse to place Dealer Joe’s salads to the check and see in the event that they reside as much as the millennial hype.

To remain constant and absolutely embrace the recent greens, I grabbed a special salad for lunch virtually on daily basis over the 2 weeks. I anticipated boredom and sugar cravings, however spoiler: I acquired hooked. Whereas I received’t be a pre-made salad devotee endlessly, these picks have impressed me to recreate my favorites at residence. Now, let’s dive into the rankings—beginning with my least favourite and ending with the one which utterly modified my view on consuming vegan (for the higher!). And if there’s a retailer or product you’d like us to overview subsequent, tell us within the feedback!

#8: Caesar Salad

Caesar salads are all the time hit and miss. I’ve but to search out one which toes the road between stellar and unhappy desk lunch-worthy. Sadly, Dealer Joe’s providing fell into the latter class. However it’s doable that I had some preconceptions as a result of I didn’t go into this one with excessive hopes. Whereas many packaged salads can shock me with their sudden goodness, Caesar salad is never one.

I want a freshly made, heavy-on-the-anchovies dressing that completely coats the crunchy bits of romaine. The croutons have to provide an audible crunch, and if there isn’t a heavy-handed serving of shaved parmesan, then I’m fast to ditch it. Whereas all of the parts had been there, this was extra of a good-in-theory choice. You may have my permission to skip.

#7: Mexicali Salad

After I learn by way of this salad’s components, my eyes had been alight with pleasure. There was clearly a wide range of texture and taste at play, with crunchy cabbage, nutty pumpkin seeds, and the viral summer season favourite—corn!—contrasting the creamy, jalapeño-spiked dressing. However whereas the hype was there, this one sadly fell flat on the supply.

The rooster merely tasted like rooster, and I couldn’t detect any of the promised spicy, chili chew. And whereas the components’ different colours provided a visible delight, I can’t say that the flavour matched it. If you happen to seasoned your personal protein and used the caesar dressing as inspiration on your personal creation, the opposite parts might need been good blended in. However then once more, when you went that route, this wouldn’t actually matter as a pre-made salad, would it not?

#6: Traditional Greek Salad

With a robust Greek contingent in my household supplying a lot of our reunions with unbelievable, salty, and recent dishes, it’s rapidly turn into one among my favourite cuisines. And positive, I do know that not all Greek salads are made alike, but it surely’s the composition of the salad that has my coronary heart. This Dealer Joe’s take was so shut to doing it completely. I cherished the olives’ briny chew (kalamatas are a should), the cucumbers had been snappy and crisp, and the crimson onion introduced simply the correct amount of warmth.

So what might I probably need to complain about? You may write me off for being too explicit, however in terms of Greek salads, I choose my feta in massive blocks versus crumbled. After they tackle the latter type, they’re extra evenly distributed all through the salad. However there’s nothing like diving right into a forkful of feta set in opposition to a juicy tomato. Cubes of feta make it a extra important a part of the salad, and when you’re a fan like me, that’s essential.

#5: Chopped Salad With Grilled White Rooster

Israeli couscous is palms down, one among my favourite grains. Don’t get it blended up with rice! Israeli couscous isn’t really couscous (complicated I do know). It’s really toasted pasta in tiny balls. The flavour is nutty and the feel is barely chewy. It’s the right hearty mix-in for any veggie-forward dish. And on this salad, it shines. Oftentimes, it’s used as an afterthought, solely meant to bulk up no matter it’s added to. However I felt that this salad was primarily based round its tender, scrumptious chew.

The one downside of this salad was the candy basil dressing. I hoped for one thing just a little extra basil-forward, with a peppery, anise-like taste coming by way of. Whereas I didn’t get that, this salad was nonetheless a stable lunch decide, and I acquired on with my afternoon duties feeling glad.

#4: Broccoli Slaw & Kale Salad With White Rooster Meat

This was by far the heartiest, most satisfying Dealer Joe’s salad of the bunch. And whereas that reality didn’t win it the primary spot, it went a good distance in getting it into the highest three. And with the feel trifecta of kale, sunflower seeds, and dried cranberries, I used to be simply bought.

Sadly, the rooster saved this salad from profitable finest total. Maybe it is a irritating consistency, however the truth that the rooster was unseasoned (and, admittedly, just a little dry), set this salad again. Even the candy and spicy dressing, which, regardless of the title, I didn’t count on to be so (fortunately) packed full of warmth, couldn’t give the rooster what it wanted. Alas, I’ll be taking this combo into my future cooking forays and including strips of my very own roasted rooster.

#3: Avocado Ranch Salad

Filled with numerous cabbages, inexperienced onion, and carrots, the combo gives a satisfying crunch with a bag that’s twice the scale of the remainder of the salads that made the reduce. The true spotlight, nonetheless, is the creamy avocado ranch dressing, which delivers a wealthy, tangy taste that may’t be crushed. The equipment additionally consists of crunchy corn chips for an added texture enhance, making every chew a scrumptious mixture of crispiness and creaminess.

Past its nice style, this salad equipment is a perfect choice for these looking for a fast, nutritious meal or a straightforward aspect dish whereas preserving issues meat-free. The mixture of recent greens and protein-packed cheese makes it each filling and flavorful with out being overly heavy. It’s additionally extremely versatile and will be tossed with grilled rooster, crispy chickpeas, or used as a slaw for tacos or burrito bowls.

#2: Southwest Salad

As a principal, I’m often suspect of something carrying the label “southwest.” No shade thrown to that a part of the nation! I’m all the time in awe at its open, saturated skies and Georgia O’Keeffe’s capturing of the common-or-garden brilliance of its panorama. However it’s usually used as an all-encompassing appellation that washes over the person flavors discovered inside. After attempting the to-go Southwest Salad final yr, I made a decision it was value giving the brand new chopped salad model a attempt. The flavour of the cojita cheese was much less masked by the daring chipotle ranch, seemingly resulting from a greater ratio of veggie-to-sauce.

I cherished the crunchy-creamy interaction of the black beans, crimson onions, and cabbage. And when it comes right down to it, the zesty flavors do make a wonderful match. On the finish of the day, this salad made me smile. (What number of salads are you able to say that about?) However the place I actually needed it to shine, it left me wanting extra.

#1: Vegan Tremendous Spinach Salad

And now onto what I take into account the perfect Dealer Joe’s salad. Whereas it may not appear to be probably the most fascinating and show-stopping salad, what this decide lacks in preliminary pizzazz, it undoubtedly makes up for by the primary chew. Quinoa, carrots, cranberries, chickpeas, edamame, pumpkin seeds (and naturally, spinach) make a stunning amalgam of wholesome, however completely crave-worthy components. I’m all the time a fan when nutrient-dense meals intersect with unbelievable flavors, and this salad did the pairing justice.

I’ll finish on this notice: the dressing. Carrot brings the colour, miso brings the salty, umami depth, and ginger provides a warming hit of spice that stands behind each chew. This salad has redefined spinach for me. Don’t go it by!

This submit was final up to date on March 25, 2025 to incorporate new insights.