Trader Joe's Organic Balsamic & Fig Dressing

They say if you really want to change yourself, it's better to make a series of small adjustments over time than to do things dramatically in one fell swoop. I am not a New Years resolution-er. But I like change, like transformation change, not earth-shattering, flipping these tables upside down kind of change. I like just enough change so that things are interesting but not so much that it messes with the certainty of the future (harharhar. Who has that anyway..). I am such a suburbanite. And you know what excites suburbanites? New salad dressing. Except this isn't exactly new. But it's new to my life, so new year, new salad dressing. 

When this series of beautifully packaged salad dressings first came out last year, I only tried the toasted sesame version (great, would recommend). And then I picked up a few of the cheaper ones, dabbled with some other supermarket varieties, and even tried to make my own salad dressing for a while. Which worked fine until life caught up with me and packing my own salad dressing to bring to work became a mess hazard, ie. a spill waiting to happen. I have since reverted back to store-bought dressings because lately I've been short on time and want something reliable that will always be ready for me at a moment's notice. 

Fig paste is not something I would think to put in a dressing, but it's not a bad idea. When I do make my own dressing, I usually add something sweet (honey, maple syrup, or straight up sugar) to balance out the acidity and fat content. Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat y'all. Mind you, if you're trying to not eat processed foods, technically this dressing is still processed. But it ain't that bad. 

1) I've said this before but two tablespoons of dressing is a lot less than what you think it is. I measured out exactly two tablespoons as pictured above, and it definitely only lightly dressed this salad. After this photo was taken, I tossed the salad again in a bowl for more even distribution because that's how I eat in real life. :P

2) This dressing is quite delicious. It's like when you finally officially become friends with an acquaintance you've known for a while, and then you really hit it off and wonder what you've been doing living life without them for all this time. It's not another Joe Schmo balsamic dressing - it's balsamic and fig.

3) I don't eat figs a lot, so I probably wouldn't be able to tell in a taste test that this dressing contains fig. But I think the fig along with the quality of the other ingredients is key. Flavor aside, this tastes better than most store-bought dressings that I've had. Most store-bought balsamic dressings have this artificial goopyness or syrup-y thickness and a sweetness that you can't quite achieve at home (cuz it ain't real!). They've used organic Italian balsamic vinegar along with an organic extra virgin olive oil (hopefully something good), so it certainly tastes like something you might order from a fancy bistro.

4) If most store-bought balsamic dressings are a bit too artificially sweet, then the other kind is incredibly sour. But here, the fig paste balances out the acidity and provides a nice savory tang but without being too overpowering. I can still enjoy the freshness of the produce in my salad, just magnified by the salt, fat, and acid of this dressing. The flavor is so good that you don't need too much of it to make your salad a bit more interesting. In fact, I have to restrain myself from drowning my salad in this because I like it so much.

5) This might be my favorite Trader Joe's salad dressing to date. Even so, I can't give it a perfect score...but it's darn near perfect.

6) $3.49 per 12 oz. bottle. Worth it.

TL;DR: Trader Joe's Organic Balsamic & Fig Dressing. Yes, I will pay full price for this better-than-most balsamic dressing. 9 out of 10. Mantou Joe repurchase? New. Fridge. Staple.