Little Salad Bar Santa Fe Style Salad with Chicken
Aldi currently sells three single-serve salad bowls.
The first is a chef salad. You might call this the core salad. It’s as American as apple pie, with lots of meat, some cheese, and that most American of dressings, Ranch.
The second is a chicken Caesar salad. You might call this the alternative salad. It’s the one you get at the restaurant when you’re looking for a changeup from the traditional chef, house, or side salad.
The third? That’s a Santa Fe salad. You might call this … the wildcard. It’s more niche, something you won’t find at every restaurant. Instead, it’s an American salad with Tex-Mex vibes.
Depending on your tastes and your mood, you might be interested in such a wildcard. I decided to pick one up to see what was inside the plastic wrapper.
Little Salad Bar Santa Fe Style Salad with Chicken is a Regular Buy. You can find it in Aldi stores in the refrigerated section all the time. It comes in a 7.05-ounce bowl and, in 2024, costs $2.89, or 41 cents an ounce. It’s part of a mixed case that includes a Chef salad and a Caesar salad. We bought it with our own money to review.
It is perishable, so keep in mind the use-by date printed on the top and keep it refrigerated until you prepare it.
Each bowl contains 240 calories, 14 grams of fat (18% of the recommended daily value), 4 grams of saturated fat (20%), and 530 milligrams of sodium (23%). These numbers are all lower than the Chef and Caesar salads Aldi sells.
The bowls also have 18 grams of total carbs, 3 grams of fiber, and 1 gram of total sugar. The carbs-to-fiber ratio is 6:1, which is not as good as the other two salads but is still respectable. The salad has 17 grams of protein.
Primary ingredients are iceberg lettuce, salsa Ranch dressing, cooked Southwestern style chicken breast meat with rib meat (smoke flavor added), roasted corn, four cheese blend, red cabbage, and carrot.
Allergens include egg, milk, and soy.
The salad comes in a bowl covered by a protective film. Under the film is a tray with most of the ingredients. Under the tray is the bowl that contains the tortilla strips, the lettuce, and a fork.
Building the salad is as simple as mixing the ingredients. The fork is adequate to the task, although it takes a little time to scoop all the dressing out of the cup and mix everything together thoroughly.
It’s a good salad. The dressing has a Southwest flavor. Same for the chicken. The tortilla strips are likewise crunchy and accent the rest of the salad. The one disclaimer is that it’s a mild salad — if you’re looking for heat or kick, you’re not going to find it here. It’s a low-key salad.
The Verdict:
Aldi’s Santa Fe salad bowl is a respectable choice for quick-and-easy lunches. It’s got crunch, flavor, and a mild Southwestern accent. If you’re into this kind of salad, this is worth a look.
