The Trader Joe's Salad You Absolutely Need To Add To Your Shopping Cart

Trader Joe's, the California-based grocery store chain that has gained rapid popularity over the years, offers some of the best easy-to-prepare meals. If you're looking for an easy, crunchy, flavor-packed lunch (or dinner!), this one's for you. We ranked nine of the most popular salad kits, with BBQ & Black Pepper Toscano Chopped Salad Kit coming in first, and for good reason. 

There is plenty of delicious texture in this hearty salad. Crunchy bites of broccoli, kale, and shredded carrot complement the crispy cornbread croutons and the nutty Tuscano cheese. The dressing is in a southwest BBQ style — not coyingly sweet, with notes of molasses, garlic, onion, black pepper, chili pepper, and a slight tang from the white vinegar. We love that this salad feels bold and nutrient-dense on its own, especially as it's a chopped salad rather than a lettuce-based salad, but if you'd like to make it a bit more filling, toss in your favorite protein. 

If it's your first time visiting Trader Joe's, it's important to know its history. Known for its affordability, cheese offerings, and variety of fun snacks and flavor options, Trader Joe's was started by a real guy named Joe, Joe Coulombe, out of San Diego, when he acquired a line of convenience stores. Now, it has become a staple across the United States, boasting 608 stores as of June 2025, per Scrape Hero.

When ranking the salad kits, we found the best part of the BBQ & Black Pepper Toscano Chopped Salad Kit to be the Black Pepper Tuscano, which makes sense considering TJ's is known for its impeccable, high-quality cheese selection. The flavor of Black Pepper Tuscano was deeply earthy, thanks to the black pepper, with underlying notes of umami. 

TJ's also sells this cheese in wedges, where it's smooth, creamy, and rich, perfect smeared on a baguette. And it doesn't stop there. Its signature Unexpected Cheddar, which we consider the best store-bought cheddar, offers a slightly crumbly texture, medium pungency from aging, and a super creamy finish. Its brie lineup is also great, with selections such as a bloomy triple cream brie with wild mushrooms on our list of Trader Joe's cheeses you should add to your charcuterie board. You also can't miss the mini mozzarella pearls or everyone's favorite, a lightly aged, mild manchego. Regardless of your preference, Trader Joe's cheese collection has something for everyone, even our vegan friends.