Along the U.S.-Canada border between Ontario and New York, some 1,800 islands dot the St. Lawrence River. Known as the Thousand Islands, this geographical wonder is less known outside of the region. However, one of its products is far better known: Thousand Island dressing, a mayonnaise-based dressing that emerged from the region sometime during the late 19th or early 20th century. While the exact origins of the dressing are a matter of debate, Thousand Island is a common sight in most grocery stores across the United States and is currently the fifth most popular dressing in the country. A variation of the dressing is also a central component of one of America’s most famed burgers, the McDonald’s Big Mac.
Aldi sells a few different bottled salad dressings, and this is one of them.
Tuscan Garden Thousand Island Dressing is an Aldi Regular Buy, meaning it’s always in stores. It currently runs 89 cents for a 16-ounce bottle, or about 5.6 cents an ounce.
Like most bottled salad dressings, it comes sealed, and while it’s sealed it can be stored at room temperature. To break the seal, you first have to break the paper wrap at the top of the dressing, unscrew the lid, remove the foil seal, and then replace the lid back on the bottle. Once you break the seal, you need to refrigerate the dressing. Also note the use-by date on the dressing, which is stamped along the neck. The bottle recommends shaking well before each use.
The dressing has a fair amount of fat and sodium, and since many people might use more than the 2-tablespoon serving size, this is a dressing to use in moderation. The ingredients include soybean oil and eggs, although it is gluten free and — like all private label Aldi food products — contains no artificial colors. I noticed that mayonnaise, a common ingredient in most Thousand Island recipes, is not common in bottled Thousand Island.
Nutrition and ingredients (click to enlarge).
I’m the only person in my family who is much of a fan of Thousand Island dressing (you either like it or you don’t), and I think this is a pretty good dressing. It is sweet and a little tangy, and it garnishes salad well. I also think you could make a decent Big Mac impersonation by adding this to a burger. I’m sure you could do better making this dressing yourself or buying it at a restaurant, but this is overall a solid version.
The Verdict:
If Thousand Island dressing is your choice, this is a great option. It’s cheap, easy, and tastes like I would expect Thousand Island to taste, comparing well to other store-bought bottled Thousand Island versions out there.
Does Aldi always carry California french salad dressing? Laporte store was out so just wondering if this is a staple or not? Thanks
It’s a staple at our local stores. https://www.aldireviewer.com/tuscan-garden-california-french-style-dressing/
The thousand island dressing is second to none but the most recent bottle (not the product) was an awful design. First the top was so tight I had to resort to adjustable pliers to remove the top then the inner seal was so tight I could not remove it with my fingers so had to resort to using my teeth but the worst design was the inner plug attached to the inside of the cap was smaller than the hole in the lower portion of the cap assembly so when I shook the bottle as the instructions say, the cap was full of dressing so when I opened it to pour some on my salad, surplus dressing drenched my hand and slopped all over the top of my stove. I wonder who the bright mechanical engineer is who designed this? To prevent future accidents, I removed the old cap from an empty bottle and replaced the new cap with the old one. Trouble is if the old cap gets away from me and a PROPER design is not applied to future bottles, I’m up poop creek without a paddle again and so are thousands of other customers. I’m supposing the traceable bottle number is L1872179239. Again the product is excellent but the packaging is very sub-par.
You’ll want to let Aldi know: https://www.aldireviewer.com/contact-aldi/