The pros: Trader Joe's Green Goddess Salad Dressing is one of three new refrigerated dressings. This is very low in calories compared to many bottled dressings. Each serving is 20 calories.
The cons: If you are used to a dressing with a mayonnaise base, then this might not cut it for you.
The verdict: Most dressings I've tried are usually in the 100 calories per serving range. I enjoy a good salad now and again. But I've also become a bit disenchanted with them too. I remember going out with my Dad to Applebee's when I was younger. His favorite thing to order was the Oriental Chicken Salad. But that was only until they started listing calorie counts in the menu.
You see, when you have a salad you would hope you are making a healthier choice. However, once he realized that one salad was over 1,000 calories, suddenly a cheese burger seemed like a sensible option.
Once in a while I will have a salad. I even make my own dressing from time to time. Beyond the oil and vinegar combinations, others dressings I've made have had a mayo base. That means most dressings are closer to 100 calories per serving. And trust me, I don't know too many people who keep it to just a single serving.
One dressing I've made is green goddess. I get the mix from Penzey's Spices. But that mix is really herby. It's so herbaceous that is turns the mayo into a green hue, thus giving the dressing the first part of its name. Trader Joe's Green Goddess Salad Dressing is quite different.
There is no mayo. It uses nature's mayo. Good old avocado. Now, the biggest problem with avocado is its tendency to turn a shade of brown. That is prevented with addition of lemon juice and cider vinegar. There is also the taste of green onions, chives, and parsley. The one I'm used to making has basil and dill.
This is a world apart from most mass market dressings and other Green Goddess dressings. At 20 calories it's a sensible option if you are watching what you are eating. If all you are used to eating is the palate coating mayo, then this might fall short. Most of what I was tasting was the combination of avocado, lemon, green onions, and chives.
So for me, it missed the mark of herbaceousness. I would have liked more herbs mixed into this to compensate for the more grassy flavors here. So as a dressing, I was more disappointed in this, but not terribly disappointed based on the calorie count. I found this to just taste like a low calorie dressing where it is something to put on top, but not something that is thoroughly enjoyed. For $3.69 it wasn't cheap either.
Here is the visual run down of what you get if you buy this product:
The package of Trader Joe's Green Goddess Salad Dressing:
The nutritional information and the ingredients:
How Trader Joe's describes this product:
After being being mixed with a salad you get:
Would I buy this again? Trader Joe's Green Goddess Salad Dressing was not my favorite and I kept avoiding it. So for me, this is a no. I'll stick with my Penzey's as I can make that on demand and there are lower calorie options on the website, just perhaps not as low as this one.
Want to see more items I've reviewed from Trader Joe's? Click on Thoughts & Reviews of Trader Joe's for a searchable list.
Did you try it? Let me know what you think in the comments section!
Beth says
I couldn’t eat any of the dressings I’m this line. I’ll stick with their peanut vinaigrette but will also check out Penzey’s I didn’t know Penzey’s had dressings!
becomebetty says
Hey Beth! It's doubtful I'll try the other two also. I haven't tried the peanut vinaigrette yet. Yes, Penzeys sells very good dressing mixes. All you have to do is add the wet ingredients and you're good to go. We love the buttermilk ranch and the Italian dressing the most. The green goddess they sell is solid too.
Auntie Doni says
Hmmm, I saw this the other day at TJ's; almost got it, but thought otherwise... glad I didn't. But then they do have an excellent 'return' policy.
I'm with you though Brenda, I'll stick to making my own 😉
becomebetty says
Hey Auntie Doni! If you have a good recipe for green goddess I will say stick with that. And yes, thank goodness for their return policy.
Dagmar says
It is so funny you reviewed this now. when I was at Trader Joe's last week & the lady in front of me was buying a bottle of it and saying how good it was to the cashier. When it was my turn to check out the cashier who I'm familiar with told me it was one of their worst dressings and she didn't like it.
becomebetty says
I've seen the love/hate relationship with this dressing. It seems to almost always be in limited supply by me so I guess someone must like it. To be fair, it is diet friendly and low calorie so it might have its audience there. Thanks as always Dag for stopping by!
Amy says
The other two are SO much better. We've gone through 5 bottles of the almond butter tumeric 🙂
becomebetty says
Hey Amy! That's good to know. Maybe I'll give them a try. Although I've noticed my local stores don't have them in stock very often. Thanks for stopping by!
Barbara F. says
Funny, but this dressing is my favorite dressing. I am a sparse dressing on salad person so this fits the bill. I use it also on top of Turkey burgers to add flavor. So, TJ’s Green Goddess dressing is a winner in our house.
becomebetty says
Hey Barbara! Thanks for sharing your thoughts on this!