The pros: Trader Joe's Wild Salmon in Yogurt and Mint Sauce is easy to prepare.
The cons: Not great overall. You are better off doing a bit of meal prep yourself. Also, I'm not sure what purpose the tomato serves. It was just there for color and did not add much here.
The verdict: Maybe it was a bad thing that I started off reviewing the frozen Indian meals. I mean they are all just done so well. I then started reviewing the single serve pasta meals and was shocked as to how average (at best they are).
I figured there might be some hope as this is not $1.99. Nope, this will set you back $4.79. The picture on the cover is even more compelling. It looks like a restaurant meal. Perhaps the premium would be worth it.
I mean, I did recently try the Wild salmon in the refrigerator case and I did prepare this in the oven. How bad could it possibly be?
Not good.
The salmon was a decent enough size for the price of this package, but even out of the oven it was quite an unattractive color. The salmon looked more like road kill rather than the bright hue that you might get out of the refrigerated case. I tried the Wild Salmon in the refrigerated case. It cooked to an orange-red hue. This did not.
Bummer. The salmon wasn't even seasoned. The simple act of adding just salt and pepper would have made a difference. Even a squirt of lemon would have gone a long way here. But nope. None of that were present.
Perhaps the mint yogurt sauce would rescue this. Nope. It was a cream sauce. There was mint. I'm just not sure this was the right pairing with the flavors here. There are a number of things that would pair well with salmon. This just wasn't it.
And the orzo? Overcooked. It teetered on being mushy. It's a shame too. I remember when Trader Joe's sold the Salmon Mojito in the freezer case.
It was two portions. It was outstanding. This was edible. Not good. Not great. Just edible. It's a marginal lunch or dinner. It's a reasonable size. But there are so many failings here.
Overall, I can say I tried it. But I did not enjoy eating it. I really gave this the best possible chance. I even waited the 40+ minutes for this to come out of the oven. This is a whole lot of nope from me in terms of repurchasing.
If you really love salmon, then don't hesitate to go to refrigerated section instead. Both the farmed salmon and wild salmon are excellent choices. With some minor meal prep time at home, you can make several meals that will take just as long as this did. But they will taste so much better.
Here is the visual run down of what you get if you buy this product:
The box of Trader Joe's Wild Salmon in Yogurt and Mint Sauce:
The nutritional information, the ingredients, and how to prepare:
After being cooked you get:
Would I buy this again? No, I would not buy Trader Joe's Wild Salmon in Yogurt and Mint Sauce again.
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!
mcdonna says
Agree completely. I tried it once and it was uninspiring. Gave it another try several months later and I tossed most of the salmon. The texture and flavor were both off, and it made me feel a bit nauseous. Now I stick to the cod. Thanks for the tip on the other salmon products!
Donna
becomebetty says
Hey Donna! Thanks so much for stopping by! I'm glad my tips on the salmon are helpful. I love their fresh salmon in the refrigerated case quite a bit. Thanks again for taking the time out of your day to share your thoughts!
Alexandra says
So funny I decided to research this product as I am eating it! I actually enjoyed it, but my piece of salmon was a lot more appealing than the one in your picture so i guess it depends on which one you choose. I was bummed it came with no salt and pepper but at least that is easy to add on to give it flavor. I thought the salmon actually tasted really good, being that it is a frozen meal. the orzo certainly isnt the best but i guess thats the price you pay for not making it fresh. For me, i like that Trader Joes has these frozen meal options because they are easy for me to bring to work and heat up... and since they are so cheap it saves me a bit of money. I wouldnt say ill get this all the time (the indian food they have i bring for lunch once a week) but ill likely purchase again since it is healthy and easy to prepare.
becomebetty says
Hey Alexandra! I share my pictures to see if there are product inconsistencies. My particular package was kinda gross looking, but that's where the review aspect comes in. I couldn't agree more about bringing Indian to work at least once a week. Anyways, thanks again for sharing your thoughts!
Bee Jordan says
We tried the salmon today and to say the least, we were very disappointed in the taste, texture and overall presentation! And what was that excuse of a tomato. Needless to say, that won’t be on the list again.
becomebetty says
Hey Bee! I couldn't agree more. It did not match the pretty picture on the box. Thanks so much for taking the time to stop by and share your thoughts on it!
Bill says
"The simple act of adding just salt and pepper would have made a difference." I realize most people don't pay attention to sodium, but for those of us who do it's a challenge to find a pre-prepared meal whose salt content doesn't range from 700-1500mg. Perhaps this isn't for everyone, but it makes a great change for many of us whose diets are rather bland.
donna d. says
I tried it tonight. VERY disappointed. It had no flavor. The orzo was mushy & the yogurt was warm. Just all around disappointment.
becomebetty says
Hey Donna! Bummer. I felt the same when I tried it. Thanks for taking the time out of your day to stop by and share your thoughts.
Beth Clements says
I tried it and I love it! In fact it’s out of stock right now. Plan to buy more when it’s finally back in stock!
becomebetty says
Hey Beth! Glad to hear you loved it. You should totally try the wild salmon in the refrigerated case. It really is excellent in terms of taste and price. Thanks for stopping by!