This Trader Joe’s Harvest Salad is a vibrant and crunchy recipe, which is a perfect homemade copycat of the popular store-bought salad. It’s packed with spring greens, cooked quinoa, sweet apples, crunchy candied pecans, tart cranberries, and creamy goat cheese, all tossed in a simple maple-balsamic vinaigrette. It’s a healthy, satisfying, and easy-to-assemble meal, ready in about 15 minutes.
Jump to RecipeTrader Joe’s Harvest Salad Ingredients
For the Maple Balsamic Vinaigrette:
- ⅓ cup Trader Joe’s California Estate Olive Oil
- 3 tablespoons Trader Joe’s Balsamic Vinegar
- 1 tablespoon Trader Joe’s Dijon Mustard
- 1 tablespoon Trader Joe’s 100% Pure Maple Syrup
- Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
For the Salad:
- 5 ounces Trader Joe’s Organic Spring Mix
- 1 cup cooked and cooled Trader Joe’s Tri-Color Quinoa
- 1 sweet-tart apple (like a Honeycrisp or Fuji), thinly sliced
- ½ cup Trader Joe’s Candied Pecans, roughly chopped
- ½ cup Trader Joe’s Dried Cranberries
- 4 ounces Trader Joe’s Crumbled Goat Cheese
How To Make Trader Joe’s Harvest Salad
- Make the Dressing: In a small bowl or a jar with a tight-fitting lid, combine the olive oil, balsamic vinegar, Dijon mustard, and maple syrup. Whisk or shake vigorously until the dressing is well combined and emulsified. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Assemble the Salad: In a large salad bowl, combine the spring mix, cooked and cooled quinoa, sliced apple, candied pecans, and dried cranberries.
- Dress and Serve: Just before serving, pour about half of the dressing over the salad and toss to coat. Add more dressing as needed. Top with the crumbled goat cheese and serve immediately.
Recipe Tips
- How to get the perfect salad texture? The secret is the combination of textures: the soft greens, the chewy quinoa, the crisp apple, the crunchy nuts, the chewy cranberries, and the creamy goat cheese. Don’t skip any!
- How to prevent a soggy salad? Do not add the dressing until the moment you are ready to serve it. Tossing it in advance will cause the delicate spring greens to wilt.
- Can I make this ahead of time? Absolutely! This salad is perfect for meal prep. For the best result, prepare all the components—the dressing, the cooked quinoa, and all the chopped toppings—and store them in separate airtight containers in the refrigerator. Combine and toss everything together just before eating.
- The Ultimate Trader Joe’s Shortcut: This recipe is a perfect “Trader Joe’s meal.” Grab a bag of their pre-washed spring mix and a package of their pre-cooked quinoa to make the assembly of this salad take less than 5 minutes!
What To Serve With This Salad
This is a wonderfully versatile salad that is hearty enough for a main course. It also pairs perfectly with:
- Grilled chicken or salmon
- A bowl of a creamy soup, like Trader Joe’s Tomato Feta Soup.
- A slice of crusty bread.
How To Store This Salad
- Best Eaten Fresh: A dressed salad is at its best when served immediately.
- Store Components Separately: The best way to store leftovers is to keep the dressing and the salad components in separate airtight containers in the refrigerator. They will stay fresh for up to 3-4 days this way.
Harvest Salad Nutrition Facts
- Serving: 1/4 of recipe
- Calories: 480 kcal
- Carbohydrates: 45g
- Protein: 10g
- Fat: 32g
- Saturated Fat: 8g
- Sodium: 650mg
Nutrition information is estimated and may vary based on ingredients and cooking methods used.
FAQs
Yes. If you’re not a fan of goat cheese, this salad is equally delicious with crumbled feta or Trader Joe’s Shaved Parmesan, Romano & Asiago cheese blend.
Absolutely. If you don’t have candied pecans, Trader Joe’s Marcona Almonds with Rosemary or simple toasted walnuts would be excellent substitutes.
To make this recipe vegan, simply omit the goat cheese or substitute it with a plant-based alternative.
Try More Recipes:
- Trader Joe’s Sangria Recipe
- Trader Joe’s Cookie Butter Rice Krispie Treats Recipe
- Trader Joe’s Potsticker Soup Recipe
Trader Joe’s Harvest Salad Recipe
Course: SaladsCuisine: AmericanDifficulty: Easy4
servings15
minutes480
kcalA quick and easy copycat of a popular Trader Joe’s salad, featuring a mix of greens, quinoa, apples, candied pecans, cranberries, and goat cheese in a maple-balsamic vinaigrette.
Ingredients
Salad: 5 oz Spring Mix, 1 cup cooked quinoa, 1 sliced apple, ½ cup each of Candied Pecans & Dried Cranberries, 4 oz Crumbled Goat Cheese.
Dressing: ⅓ cup olive oil, 3 tbsp balsamic vinegar, 1 tbsp each of Dijon mustard & maple syrup, salt, pepper.
Directions
- Make the dressing by shaking all the vinaigrette ingredients together in a jar until well combined.
- In a large salad bowl, combine the spring mix, cooled quinoa, apple slices, candied pecans, and dried cranberries.
- Just before serving, drizzle with the dressing and toss to coat.
- Top with the crumbled goat cheese and serve immediately.
Notes
- The TJ’s Shortcut: The most important tip for an ultra-fast meal is to use a bag of Trader Joe’s pre-washed Spring Mix and a pouch of their pre-cooked quinoa.
- Don’t Dress Early: To keep your salad perfectly crisp and prevent the greens from wilting, only add the dressing right before you toss and serve.
- Cool the Quinoa: For the best texture, ensure your cooked quinoa has cooled completely to room temperature or has been chilled before you add it to the salad.
- Make it Ahead: This is a perfect salad for meal prep. Just keep all the components in separate containers and assemble them when you’re ready to eat for a fresh and crunchy lunch.
