July 8, 2023

Trader Joe’s Salad Recipes & Ideas (plant-based)

Attention salad-loving, Trader Joe’s-obsessed foodies (like me)…this one’s for you! Just because you’re short on time and energy doesn’t mean you have to miss out on flavorful meals and healthy options. These vegan Trader Joe’s salad recipes & ideas could be your answer for quick and nourishing meals you crave.

Collage of the best Trader Joe's salad ideas.

All the ingredients for these delicious plant-based meals can be found at Trader Joe’s. These salads are SO DELICIOUS and easy that you may just never buy a bagged salad kit again!

Vegan Mexican Cobb Salad

Mexican Cobb Salad in white bowl.
Cobb salad ingredients in shopping cart.

THIS Trader Joe’s vegan salad creation is the salad I crave more than any other: creamy, spicy, light. My vegan Mexican Cobb Salad is essentially taco salad ingredients with a ranch-like dressing. And Trader Joe’s makes it EASY with the best salad dressing of all time, Creamy Dill.

Base ingredients:

  • romaine or greens of choice
  • black beans
  • corn
  • fresh tomatoes
  • avocado
  • Crispy Jalapeno Pieces (or tortilla chips if you prefer)
  • Vegan Creamy Dill dressing (tastes like ranch!)

Optional added ingredients:

  • radishes
  • bell peppers
  • Impossible Chicken Nuggets (baked and chopped into bite size pieces), sriracha tofu, or sautéed Soy Chorizo
  • hemp seeds/hearts

Falafel Salad with Tzatziki

Falafel salad with cucumbers, tomatoes, and tzatziki in white bowl on picnic table.
Ingredients for falafel salad in shopping cart.

Trader Joe’s offers plenty of falafel options. The dry mix is totally worth the time and energy for falafel lovers. If you don’t have the time or patience, the frozen falafels work great too!

Base ingredients:

  • falafel (quickest choice is frozen falafel or frozen mini dill pickle falafel, or else use dry mix, follow packaging instructions to prepare)
  • greens of choice
  • tomatoes
  • cucumbers
  • olives
  • vegan tzatziki sauce

Optional added ingredients (chopped or shredded):

  • bell peppers
  • vegan feta
  • prepared tahini sauce (in fridge section)
  • hummus of choice
  • pita bread or pita chips (on side)

Greek Salad with Tabbouli

Greek inspired salad with tabbouli in white bowl with black polkadots.
Ingredients for Greek salad in shopping cart.

Trader Joe’s tabbouli is delicious on its own, but dress it up with a complementary salad to make it a satisfying meal.

Base ingredients:

  • tabbouli salad
  • greens of choice
  • hummus and/or chickpeas
  • tomatoes
  • cucumbers
  • olives
  • dressing options (consider a combo): lemon juice w/ olive oil, prepared chimichurri sauce, TJ’s prepared tahini sauce, or homemade tahini dressing using TJ’s ingredients

Optional added ingredients (chopped or shredded):

  • bell peppers
  • radishes
  • vegan feta
  • tzatziki sauce
  • quinoa or other grain of choice (if I have some in the fridge, I like to mix it in)
  • pita bread or pita chips on side

Spicy Rice Salad

Spicy rice salad in black and white patterned bowl, one of the Trader Joe's salad recipes & ideas.
Ingredients for spicy rice salad in shopping cart.

This Asian-inspired Spicy Rice Salad is oh so addicting, with the perfect balance of textures and heat.

Base ingredients:

  • salad greens of choice
  • brown rice (quick-cooking frozen works great)
  • cucumbers
  • Sriracha Baked Tofu
  • Crispy Jalapeño Pieces
  • Maple Vinaigrette

Optional added ingredients (chopped or shredded):

  • cabbage
  • carrots
  • raw beets

Vegan Trader Joe’s Taco Salad

Vegan taco salad bowls with smaller dressing bowl in the middle.
Taco salad ingredients in shopping cart.

Few dishes are more satisfying than a taco salad: fresh, crunchy, sweet, spicy, creamy. Whether you bowl looks neat or messy, it invariably hits the spot.

For a simple and irresistible taco salad dressing, try this 2-ingredient recipe: mix your favorite salsa & plain yogurt together (like Pepita Salsa and plain cashew yogurt). Depending on the salsa varietal and your spice tolerance, it is usually about 1:1 proportions.

Base ingredients:

  • romaine or greens of choice
  • black beans
  • corn (frozen or canned)
  • fresh tomatoes
  • avocado
  • tortilla chips, crushed
  • dressing: salsa of choice (like pepita) + plain cashew mixed together (see above)

Optional ingredients:

  • radishes
  • bell peppers
  • fresh cilantro
  • meat substitute, like Trader Joe’s Beef-less Ground Beef or Impossible meat, sautéed and seasoned with taco seasoning

Vegan Kale Caesar Salad

Trader Joe's salad recipes: kale caesar with Impossible nuggets on top, in pretty brown salad bowl.
Ingredients for Kale Caesar Salad in shopping cart.

One of Trader Joe’s BEST vegan items is the Vegan Caesar dressing. Omnivores love it too! Simply mix with greens for a side dish, or else add optional ingredients to make it a meal!

Base ingredients:

Optional ingredients:

Trader Joe’s Salad Recipes: Pasta Salad

Pasta Salad with artichoke hearts, tomatoes, white beans, green beans, kale, and colorful pasta.
pasta salad with veggies and beans
Shopping cart full of pasta salad ingredients.

I used to think of pasta salads as a side dish…until I lived through my first summer as a vegan. And then I learned that pasta salad is one of the most versatile salad meal ideas for adults and kids alike!

Base ingredients:

  • pasta (I look for the most colorful one on the shelf)
  • fresh veggies like tomatoes, green beans, carrots, celery, kale, arugula, radish, or peppers
  • beans like red beans, white beans, or chickpeas
  • dressing options: Vegan Caesar dressing, TJ’s Goddess Dressing, TJ’s Balsamic Vinaigrette, or a homemade option like this Tangy Herb Sauce

Optional ingredients:

RAINBOW-INSPIRED SALADS: Trader Joe’s Salad Recipes

Rainbow salad with all ingredients neatly placed in salad bowl in clockwise placement:radishes, beets, tofu, tomatoes, farro, peppers, tomatoes, celery, and kale in the middle. No dressing shown.
Rainbow Salad with kale, farro, veggies, & sriracha tofu
Rainbow salad with tahini dressing.
Rainbow Salad includes sweet potatoes, chickpeas, & avocado with tahini dressing
Ingredients for rainbow salad in shopping cart.

Sometimes, I use color as inspiration to create hearty vegan salads. First, I aim for about 5 veggies. Then, 1-2 proteins and 1-2 healthy carbs.

Ingredient Ideas:

  • kale or greens of choice
  • veggies like crispy roasted beets or shaved raw beets, radishes, cabbage, bell peppers, and tomatoes
  • proteins like Sriracha Tofu, chickpeas, or red beans
  • healthy carbs like sweet potatoes, barley, farro, or quinoa
  • dressing options: Vegan Caesar dressing, TJ’s Goddess Dressing, TJ’s Balsamic Vinaigrette, prepared tahini sauce (thin with water) or homemade tahini dressing using TJ’s ingredients

I hope this list gives you some new ideas for quick and easy vegan Trader Joe’s salad recipes! If you try any of them, let me know what you think! Or share yours in comments below!

For more quick Trader Joe’s recipe ideas, check out:

Or scan all of my Trader Joe’s vegan posts!

For more salad inspiration, check out 10+ Hearty Vegan Salad Ideas.

Cheers!

–Jenn

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