The pros: Trader Joe's Cilantro Salad Dressing is a lower in calories than many salad dressings without the label of being "diet." Nice fresh cilantro taste with a good balance of flavor and a subtle heat.
The cons: Cilantro is a polarizing item. Either you love it or you hate it, some people will say it tastes like soap.
The verdict: For $3.49 you get a nice sized bottle that needs to be kept in the refrigerator. It's not as calorie rich as some dressings that are more oil based. Even though the first ingredient is mayonnaise, the calories are kept in check by the vinegar which isn't overpowering. This is a good balance between fresh cilantro taste, a bit of cheesiness, and some subtle heat. The dressing is a nice consistency where it will coat lettuce nicely. It adds a nice freshness to a salad but because of the color it's easy to over pour this as it blends right into the lettuce. It's tasty and worth a try if you are looking to mix up your salad routine.
The bottle located in the refrigerated section near the salads:
The nutritional information:
The ingredients:
Out of the bottle and on a salad:
Would I buy this again? Yes. Trader Joe's Cilantro Salad Dressing was a nice break from the usual routine of oil & vinegar, ranch, and Italian dressings.
Want to see more items I've reviewed from Trader Joe's? Click on Thoughts & Reviews of Trader Joe’s for a searchable list.
Timothy Cain says
I tried this cilantro dressing this weekend, on pasta salad, and I really enjoyed it. I didn't notice any heat, but I am a cilantro lover, so I plan to rotate it with Italian and blue cheese dressings, for more variety.
becomebetty says
Yay! Glad you enjoyed it. That was a polarizing item in my household, but I thought it was really fresh. I'm glad to hear you thought it was good enough to enter regular rotation. Thanks for stopping by!
Lee Simpson says
Thank you for the suggestion – I;ll try the Trader Joe’s cilantro salad dressing next time I go shopping.
Mary says
how does this compare to the Green Goddess Dressing (in the refrigerated section)?
becomebetty says
Hi Mary! They are pretty close. The green goddess is more herby. This is way more cilantro. I know some people taste soap when they have cilantro so depending on what people like this could be a hit or miss but they are close
Paul J. Webster says
I love cilantro, but hated this dressing. I didn't like the cheese fragments in it, didn't like the texture or mouthfeel, I didn't even get much fresh cilantro flavor from it. I keep a list of grocery items I hated to remind myself never to buy again, and this immediately went on it. A cilantro dressing I did really like is Bolthouse Farms Cilantro Avocado which I found at Giant Food.
becomebetty says
Hey Paul! Thanks for sharing your thoughts on this.