The pros: Trader Joe's Kung Pao Tempura Cauliflower is tasty and can be reheated so as long as you don't put the sauce on it.
The cons: There were 13 pieces of cauliflower in my bag which means a serving size is about 2 pieces. Those two pieces were 150 calories. Compare that to a bag of Trader Joe's Riced Cauliflower and this can be a diet buster.
The verdict:
If you are in the mood for something spicy and have 20-25 minutes to make something then Trader Joe's Kung Pao Tempura Cauliflower is a good choice to go for. The cauliflower tempura was nice and crisp and the breading wasn't overly greasy. The cauliflower was crisp on the outside but tender on the inside. The heat was medium, so if you are sensitive beware. If you are enjoying this over some rice, then the rice will absorb some of that heat.
I do have a few complaints about this product. I wish this were packaged differently. I would have preferred a resealable bag whether it was for the cauliflower and the sauce. While 150 calories per servings does not sound that bad, there were only 13 pieces of cauliflower and 6 servings in a bag. So for 2 pieces of cauliflower I thought the calorie count was very high especially compared to other products that contain cauliflower.
I'm very fortunate that near NYC we have some phenomenal Asian restaurants. However, this item is a bit usual. Usually tempura is served with sauce on the side. This wants you to put the sauce on it like Trader Joe's Kung Pao Chicken. Here is my advice: If you think you aren't going to eat it, then leave off the sauce (because the packaging isn't resealable). These can be reheated at 425F for 7 minutes without ruining them. For $4.99 this is reasonably priced for a pound and a half of cauliflower with sauce. I would consider buying this again.
Here is the visual rundown of what you can expect if you purchase this item:
The bag of Trader Joe's Kung Pao Tempura Cauliflower:
The nutritional information:
The ingredients:
How to prepare:
How Trader Joe's describes this product:
After being cooked you get:
Would I buy this again? As an occasional treat, I would buy this again, but due to the calorie count it won't make the weekly list. Not a bad choice to reach for if you like cauliflower.
Want to see more items I've reviewed from Trader Joe's? Click on Thoughts & Reviews of Trader Joe's for an alphabetized list.
annie says
Most of the calories come from the sauce on this item if you look at ingredients and priority. I found that if I was content dipping my cauliflower (which I was, and preferred), that I only needed about 1/3 of the bag of sauce at most. Considering a whole head of cauliflower with nothing else is only approx 200 calories, I suspect this cut back the calories significantly.
becomebetty says
Much agreed Annie. Thanks for sharing your thoughts on this!
sam i am says
We tried this last week as we're trying to eat more vegetable based meals and it was inedible. The cauliflower rather than firm or even fairly firm was mushy. It was like eating breaded mashed cauliflower. Everyone spit it out. Rather than 1 step forward it's about 5 steps back for the house carnivores. Luckily I had frozen leftover options so we ate. Not sure if it's a quality control issue or recipe change but if it's a recipe change then pass on it. FYI, we like the cauliflower pancakes and the gnocchi.
becomebetty says
Hey Sam I Am! Thanks for sharing. And I love the cauliflower pancakes and gnocchi too. You should let your local store know. They won't know if there is a quality problem unless people speak up. I hope that helps and thanks so much for stopping by!