Some dressings in the refrigerated aisle are outstanding. Others might be to be repurposed as something other than a salad dressing. This might fall into the latter category.
Taste and review
I like fruit flavors. Even in a salad. I'm pretty sure that when I had the Melting Pot's Strawberry Salad it was a bit of a revelation to me.
Fruit and salad work.
But in terms of salad, this dressing did not work for me. And it's not a bad product.
If the name were more accurate it would read Sweet Mango and Cilantro Vinaigrette. Because the two dominant flavors were mango and cilantro.
This dressing just never departed from being sweet. Beyond mango being the second ingredient, sugar was the fourth. I was hoping for some type of kick that just did not come through here.
Now, there is another odd detail here. It lists suggested uses, but salad is actually the last suggestion. Suggestions for using this include noodle salad, dipping sauce for pork or chicken, or lastly salad (with chicken).
Overall
So it would appear that this is a better compliment for a protein than lettuce.
After a few bites of the salad I had, I'm very inclined to agree. It seems to be less vinaigrette and more marinade or dipping sauce.
So if you have a great use for this, I'd love to hear about it in the comments section. It was too cloyingly sweet as a dressing. The cilantro and acidity levels were nice.
For $3.49 whether or not you like this will depend on how you use it. I'd recommend pairing this with a protein to cut through the sweetness. I wasn't wild enough about to try it on anything else.
Product photos
The bottle of Trader Joe's Sweet and Spicy Mango Vinaigrette:
The nutritional information:
The ingredients:
Usage suggestions:
Mixed into a salad and I had this:
Would I buy this again? No, I would not buy Trader Joe's Sweet and Spicy Mango Vinaigrette again, unless there are some inspiring recipe suggestions in the comments section.
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The Bottom Line
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Trader Joe's Sweet and Spicy Mango Vinaigrette
Product Name: Trader Joe's Sweet and Spicy Mango Vinaigrette
Price: $3.49
Summary
Trader Joe's Sweet and Spicy Mango Vinaigrette is a refrigerated seasonal dressing.
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Taste
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Value
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Worthy of Repurchasing
Pros
- Trader Joe's Sweet and Spicy Mango Vinaigrette is seasonal
- It would appear that this item has been discontinued as I haven't seen it on store shelves in a while.
Cons
- If the name were honest, it would be sweet and cilantro-y.
- It would make for a better marinade than actual dressing.
I could see this as a spread for sandwiches. Just lightly spread on it. Sushi maybe?
Not being the hugest lover of things being mango-flavored I wish they would come up with some different type non-mango products
Hey Dag! I think they've cut back on a lot of them. There are only a few and I think I've now tried them all so far. By the end next month, the pumpkin stuff might be rolling in as scary as that is to say.
Totally weird there’s sugar and mango, definitely why it tastes so sweet. Sounds like a pass for me, I’m not a fan of sweet stuff or fruit in savory dishes. Maybe it works as a marinade for pork? Seems pork is most popular to serve with something fruity
Hey Ttrockwood! I'm a fan of sweet stuff, but this gets a pass from me too. Pork plays really well with sweetness better than a lot of other proteins. Thanks so much for stopping by and sharing!
I used this product as a marinade for chicken….I also used small amounts in my summer salads where I add fruit like nectarines or watermelon. I recently went to go buy more & found out it was seasonal…
Hey Lisa! I was wondering how it would pair with a protein. I really felt it was more of a marinade than dressing. Thanks for the heads up on the fruit salad pairing. I guess I'll have to give it another go, but that will have to wait until next year. Thanks so much for stopping by!