This Underrated Trader Joe's Section Is A Goldmine For Salad Toppings

From pantry staples to high-quality frozen meals, Trader Joe's has an incredible selection across the board. With the chain rotating its stock so frequently, it's easy to get caught up with seasonal snacks and meals, looking over the other goods the store has to offer. However, Trader Joe's nuts and dried fruit aisle is a treasure trove of unique salad toppings.

That's the place to head for inspiration if you're tired of dull salads that lack a good combination of textures. Known for unique flavors and products, Trader Joe's has plenty of potential salad toppings that aren't as common in other grocery stores. Trader Joe's nuts are particularly delicious, with flavors like salt and rosemary or olive and herbs, which would add crunch and flavor to your next salad. The savory, herbaceous picks work well to add interest to an everyday salad or with a green goddess salad (you can make the dressing using this recipe).

To punch up the dish, though, try Trader Joe's Thai lime and chili cashews. Made with tom yum seasoning, the zesty cashews add a tropical flair to any run-of-the-mill salad. Dried fruits, like chopped-up pieces of TJ's freeze dried fig slices or dried and pitted deglet noor dates can add a similar vibe to your salads. While those add a good dose of sweetness to greens, picks like the grocery store's sweetened green mangoes and passion fruit rounds will provide salads with a tart finish. Or if you want to spice things up, go for the store's chile-seasoned dried mango.

With such a wide range of flavors, there's a Trader Joe's bag of nuts or dried fruits that complements practically any type of salad. If you're already working with a fruit-forward dish, like this strawberry arugula salad, go with some of the savory nuts the grocery store offers. Its roasted and salted rosemary marcona almonds are buttery, with a delicate sweetness to them. The rosemary and salt balance this out, ensuring that the almond and strawberry combination isn't too saccharine.

Trader Joe's garlic and black pepper almonds also taste great with the salad, especially the peppery arugula leaves that make it up. Additionally, the almonds are just the thing to amp up goi ga (aka Vietnamese chicken salad). Made with fish sauce and chile-marinated chicken, mint, cilantro, and limes, the zesty, savory salad only needs a subtle boost from earthy garlic and black pepper almonds. You can chop them up and toss with the salad as a finishing touch, or crush them up with the roasted peanuts the salad already includes.

For sweeter Trader Joe's offerings like freeze dried fig slices or soft dried apricots, use them in lieu of peaches in this summery fried goat cheese salad. The floral, jammy fruits fit right into the theme of the recipe, brightening up the grassy basil and salad leaves. Both fruits complement the tomatoes, while bringing a dose of sweetness to the creamy goat cheese.