Trader Joe’s New Kale Gnocchi Is Even Better Than Their Cauliflower Gnocchi
We weren’t kidding when we predicted that 2020 was going to be the year of “next-level gnocchi.” We’re a little more than one week into the decade and, would you look at that, Trader Joe’s just released their latest gnocchi innovation into the wild: Kale Gnocchi.
We first learned of the breaking news from our go-to source for all things TJ’s, @TraderJoesList, who jokingly forecasted that these little green blobs were going to break the internet… and we agree! In less than 24 hours, we shockingly got our hands on a bag, gave them a try, and got this post up.
If we’re being 100 percent honest, we had pretty low expectations for this new veggie variety. (The cauliflower gnocchi didn’t knock our socks off, despite its cult-favorite status, and isn’t kale so yesterday?) Despite our qualms, we followed the instructions on the back of the bag (updated from the original Cauliflower Gnocchi which recommended steaming them), plugged our noses, and got ready to cook them. Unlike cauliflower gnocchi, we were surprised to find that the kale gnocchi does not assault your nasal passages upon first whiff. Here’s what these things look like straight out of the freezer.
From there, we plopped them into a nonstick sauté pan to get hot and crispy (with the help of a few tablespoons of olive oil). Seven to 10 minutes later they looked like this. (We added the cheese, obviously.)
But how do they taste? Trader Joe’s Kale Gnocchi is an unequivocal home run. If you pan-sear them according to package instructions (again, just in a little olive oil or butter or ghee for seven to 10 minutes), they get perfectly crispy on the outside and pillowy on the inside. The kale flavor is not overwhelming (although they do start to taste more kale-y as they cool). It’s like a veggie tot married a potato gnocchi — which makes perfect sense because these are made with a mix of kale, potato starch, chickpea flour, extra virgin olive oil, and sea salt. (Yup, that’s it!) A bag costs $2.69 and contains 2.5 servings (at 190 calories each).
If you want to feel less virtuous while eating these, though, we highly recommend dousing them in Rao’s Alfredo sauce.
Have you tried Trader Joe’s Kale Gnocchi yet?