Last Updated on January 25, 2018
I enjoy a good salad for lunch or as a side for dinner, and I was intrigued when I saw Aldi selling Asian Chopped Salad Kits and Southwest Chopped Salad Kits. These kits come with everything you need to make a complete salad: washed and ready-to-eat lettuce, dressing, and toppings.
I sometimes buy similar salad kits in traditional grocery stores, but they can be a little expensive. The Aldi kits were $2.49 for a 12-ounce bag at my local store. The kits don’t make huge salads, but they are plenty for two or three people, depending on whether you want them to be main courses or sides. The bags state these serve 3.5 people, but those servings are small at 90 to 110 calories per serving.
There are no directions on either of these salad kit bags. It is assumed that you simply dump everything into a serving bowl, mix, and serve. Because these salads are mixed together right before serving, they may taste best when eaten right away. Leftovers won’t be quite the same quality.
Little Salad Bar Asian Chopped Salad Kit
This kit consists of a bag with green cabbage, romaine lettuce, red cabbage, carrots, and green onions. Tucked inside the main bag are separate small bags: one containing wonton strips, one with sliced almonds, and one with orange sesame dressing.
The dressing has a nice sweet flavor, and the bag indicates one serving of this salad comes with 7 grams of sugar. You also get 6 grams of fat and 340 mg of sodium. My husband and I liked this salad, while our kids liked the crispy wonton strips but thought the rest of the salad was just meh.
Little Salad Bar Southwest Chopped Salad Kit
This kit consists of a bag with green cabbage, romaine lettuce, red cabbage, carrots, and green onions. Tucked inside the main bag are separate small bags: one containing tortilla strips, one containing a 4-cheese Mexican blend, and one with Greek yogurt jalapeno dressing.
One serving contains 5 grams of fat, 260 mg of sodium, and 3 grams of sugar. The dressing has some spiciness, but it’s not overwhelming if you don’t like spicy foods. While this is a good salad, my husband and I prefer more of a southwest Ranch or spicy Ranch dressing rather than the Greek yogurt jalapeno dressing.
The Verdict:
Aldi’s chopped salad kits taste pretty good and are cheaper than similar kits sold at traditional grocery stores. Recommended.
there are actually directions on the bag–bottom left. and yes, it says pour into a large bowl, add dressing..etc. and enjoy!! lol
Absolutely love the Asian one!!! Perfect for at the office because everything is included. Sometimes mix with a little spinach and chicken breast–the combinations are endless!!
Perhaps they have changed the packaging and added directions since the time I reviewed these salads. Good to know. I’ll take a look at the salads again next time I’m at Aldi.
I like these Aldi salad kits for lunch at the office and add my own chopped chicken or tuna. It’s a big bowl of salad, but I can eat the whole thing and it keeps me satisfied until dinner, which helps my diet strategy. I believe these are slightly smaller bags than similar ones I’ve bought at Sam’s Club. The crunchy wonton/almond topping is flavorful and the dressing is a tasty sweet sesame-style. The salad itself is heavy on cabbage, so if you aren’t a fan of cabbage, this may not suit your taste. I also like the price, which is helping my budget because I was eating out too often working downtown. Stocking up on 10 day’s worth at a time is convenient and affordable. The kit is easy to dump into a bento box to take to work. I add the toppings and dressing at lunchtime, close the bento box to give it a quick shake, then enjoy. The Sweet Kale version is also good while being a mix that is more finely chopped with a higher percentage of dark greens.
Does anyone see how much the calories are in the dressing? There is no breakdown on the bags.
Hi, did you every figure this out? I am looking all over the internet for the answer.
I have also been searching to see if the salad kits include the dressing in calorie content.
The Southwest chopped salad kit is awesome. I would like to know if Aldi sells the Jalapeño Ranch dressing???? I need it by the bottle Please advise Nancy
I don’t think they sell the dressing separately. Aldi might occasionally sell a chipotle ranch or spicy ranch dressing, but it’s probably not the same as what’s in the chopped salad kit.
The Asian Chopped Salad Kit I have to say is my favorite as I Iove the flavor and texture, plus I use it in other ways. Some times I will add protean to the salad. Othertimes I will sautee with a pork chop, onion, and a cut up apple. Just delicious. Today, I used the last of the bag to make coleslaw and even through in what little leftover I had of the wonton strips and sliced almonds. Thank you .