Speckled with spicy pecans and coated in creamy peanut dressing, this Trader Joe's Spicy Peanut Cruciferous Salad is one of the best salads you'll ever eat!
Over the years, either through friends or family, I've been introduced to some amazing recipes made solely with Trader Joe's ingredients. I would go to a party and dip a cracker in some fancy looking dip. It would be one of the best things I'd ever eaten and when I asked the host how to make it, she would reply with, "Oh, you just mix these two Trader Joe's ingredients together!"
What?!
We really do live in the age of convenience. While I'd love to be in China where I'm forced to make a lot of my food from scratch, there is something so amazing about having access to delicious, healthy, pre-made ingredients that you can combine to make one fantastic dish or meal. That's why I want to take advantage of this bonus time in America to share with you all some simple Trader Joe's recipes that require just a handful of ingredients and minimal time to prepare.
I apologize for any of you who don't live near a Trader Joe's, as these posts won't be as relevant to you. I'm so excited that Trader Joe's are slowly spreading to more cities around America and maybe one day they'll end up overseas! If you don't leave near a Trader Joe's, I'm sure you can replicate these simple recipes using ingredients you have access to or with some extra time and creativity in the kitchen.
The first recipe I want to share in this mini series is this rich and spicy Trader Joe's Spicy Peanut Cruciferous Salad. I have to thank my mother-in-law for this amazing combination as she is one who introduced me to this recipe. My in-laws are amazing cooks. My father-in-law is a master on the grill and my mother-in-law always seems to have the most amazing appetizers and side dishes. The thing is, they don't spend hours in the kitchen. They have just found ways to combine simple ingredients to make amazing dishes.
I could eat this entire Trader Joe's Spicy Peanut Cruciferous Salad all to myself...it's that good. Cruciferous vegetables (think broccoli, cauliflower, brussels sprouts, cabbage, etc.) are SO good for you and this salad makes it fun to eat them. The spicy asian peanut vinaigrette and the sweet and spicy pecans definitely give this salad a lively punch, but the dried, sweet cranberries help balance that out. There are so many different textures present in this simple 4-ingredient salad and it's perfect for hosting as it comes together in minutes and can be easily doubled or tripled depending on how many people you're serving. I find it also makes for delicious leftovers as the greens become less tough the longer they soak in the dressing.
I hope those of you who live near a Trader Joe's give this simple, 4-ingredient Spicy Peanut Cruciferous Salad a try. Please let me know what you think if you do! I'd love to hear from you in the comments below or see a picture of your creation on Instagram. Just tag @theconscientiouseater so I can see your final product!
Trader Joe's Spicy Peanut Cruciferous Salad
Speckled with spicy pecans and coated in creamy peanut dressing, this Trader Joe's Spicy Peanut Cruciferous Salad is one of the best salads you'll ever eat!
Ingredients
- 1-2 bags Trader Joe's Cruciferous Crunch Collection
- 1 Jar Trader Joe's Asian Style Spicy Peanut Vinaigrette
- 1 bag Trader Joe's Sweet and Spicy Pecans
- 1 bag Trader Joe's Dried Cranberries
Instructions
- Pour the entire bag (or two) of cruciferous crunch collection into a large salad bowl. I bag will feed about 4 people, while 2 bags will feed about 8.
- Drizzle the asian style spicy peanut vinaigrette over the top of the salad mix and toss to coat everything well. You can even use clean hands to massage the dressing into the salad to help break down the toughness of the leaves and ensure all the greens are thoroughly coated withe dressing. If you are using 1 bag of mix, about ½ of the vinaigrette should be plenty. If using two bags, you may end up using the entire jar.
- After the salad is coated in the dressing, sprinkle on the spicy pecans and dried cranberries, adding as much or as little as you like.
- Serve immediately and enjoy!
Sandi says
Thanks for this. I plan to make this for a party on Sunday. Where are your other simple Trader Joe’s recipes? Thank you!!
Faith says
Hi Sandi! I hope you like this salad. We love it! I started this TJ series and then decided to move back to Asia so didn’t get very far unfortunately. I think I only posted this recipe, the lentil bruschetta dip and the Italian pasta salad!
Erin says
One of my favorite TJ's combos (recommended by my vegan boss): TJ's banana bread mix following the recipe as usual except replacing eggs with 1 cup of TJ's flaxseed meal (1 cup meal/2 eggs). The box mix is vegan, and the flaxseed meal gets rid of the need for eggs. Dump everything in a bowl, add your own mix-ins (mine is a smashed banana, maybe some choc chips), bake and enjoy. It's a treat. I think you can do this with TJ's cornbread mix too.
Faith says
Oh wow! That sounds amazing Erin! I'll have to keep an eye out for that mix next time. Thanks for sharing!
oscar says
Nope. No Trader Joe's in Europe although German roots. No spicy peanut sauce either. Aldi's is here, but it is a bit of a dive.
Faith says
Hopefully TJ's will return to it's roots and open up stores in Germany and the rest of Europe soon! They're products are awesome:) Sorry this recipe doesn't help you much Oscar!