How one can make a Mason Jar Salad

Sharing some recommendations on how you can make an ideal mason jar salad + a few of my favourite combos and mason jar salad recipes!

Hello hello, associates! How are you? I hope you’re having an exquisite morning to date! I’ve a lot occurring! I’ll report again with all the enjoyable I’ve been having on my journeys by sharing some tales on IG! I’ve simply been having one of the best time currently.

Anyway, for at the moment’s publish, I wished to share a meal prep staple that I completely love, particularly when you have a busy schedule and routine: the mason jar salad! Critically good!

These are a easy but handy approach to pack in a nutrient-dense and satisfying meal and so they’re nice for wholesome packed lunches. One among my favourite issues about them is you can put together them days upfront, so that they’re a tremendous meal prep possibility. I’m dedicating this publish to share sensible suggestions to assist ya put together mason jar salads which can be scrumptious (and never soggy!).

How To Make A Mason Jar Salad

Why Put Salad In A Mason Jar?

• It’s a single-serve lunch possibility
• You possibly can customise these salads to fit your preferences
• You can begin with the identical base after which add taste variations, so that you’re not consuming the very same factor all week
• It’s a handy approach to get in vitamins, veggies, protein, and wholesome fat
• You may make them a full-sized lunch or a aspect salad
• You possibly can have a ready-to-eat meal everytime you please

How To Layer A Mason Jar Salad

Step 1

The very first step is to organize all your components. I prefer to have a mixture of recent greens (rotate sorts to get totally different vitamins and advantages), roasted veggies, protein (hen, tuna, tempeh, lentils, leftover steak or salmon, hardboiled eggs, something you want), a wholesome starch (cooked rice, beans, quinoa, candy potato or any squash, and so on), wholesome fat (nuts/seeds work nicely in these) and any extras (like dried fruit, cheese, olives, pickles or pickled veggies, and so on.) Then you may add these components everytime you please since you merely have them readily available.

Step 2

Now you can begin to layer! The important thing to mason jar salads is to layer every ingredient, beginning with the best water content material and most dense choices and ending with the greens. I’d do beans first, pickled veggies, roasted veggies, protein, starches, and greens on prime. Something that provides further taste or crunch (like nuts/seeds, croutons), I’d carry on the aspect in slightly reusable bag or container so that they don’t get soggy within the combine.

Step 3

Hold your dressing on the aspect. You need to use a home made dressing or your favourite store-bought possibility. I like Primal Kitchen, which we order from Thrive Market. I’ve some suggestions under relating to salad dressings.

How To Eat Mason Jar Salad

If you happen to’re at house, I like so as to add my mason jar salad to a bowl, prime with dressing, after which use a pizza cutter to cut it up. From right here, I can add any further seasonings or herbs on prime and luxuriate in!

If you happen to’re consuming your salad on-to-go, simply be sure to have wide-mouth jars. Add your dressing and toppings to the jar, add the lid, shake it up, after which take away the lid and eat!

What Dimension Mason Jar For A Salad

I normally use jars which can be 32 oz and have a large mouth for a pleasant, hefty salad. I additionally love utilizing glass jars as an alternative of plastic for meal prep, so that you don’t have to fret about plastic chemical substances in touch together with your meals because it’s sitting. You additionally wish to keep away from having numerous further house within the jar, as a result of further oxygen may cause meals to spoil extra rapidly.

How Lengthy Does Salad Final In A Mason Jar?

Relying on the components you employ, salad in a mason jar can last as long as 5 fives. You may make certain the salad stays recent by making certain your salad greens are fully dry earlier than you add them to the jar.

Mason Jar Salad Concepts

I like that mason jar salads mean you can layer recent components, which helps hold every thing crisp and recent whenever you retailer within the fridge till you’re able to eat. Whether or not you’re getting ready a fast lunch, a hearty dinner, or a picnic dish, listed here are some mason jar salad concepts to encourage your subsequent creation! Hope you’re not hungry, as a result of these are certain to make your abdomen growl in starvation.

Mediterranean Salad in a Jar

Layer the next components: chickpeas, feta, hen, pepperoncini, feta, kalamata olives, sundried tomatoes, and chopped romaine. Prime with crimson wine vinegar, olive oil, salt, pepper, and oregano earlier than shaking and having fun with! Serve with pita bread on the aspect. That is my secret favourite salad-in-a-jar recipe.

Cobb Salad in a Jar

Layer the next components: cucumbers, tomatoes, black olives, chopped hard-boiled egg, feta, chopped turkey bacon, hen, and romaine. Add Ranch dressing earlier than serving.

Buffalo Rooster Salad

Right here is the recipe! Add the hen and feta first after which prime with salad greens and cilantro. Add your dressing earlier than shaking and serving.

Mexican Chopped Salad

Layer the next components: cooked black beans, cheese, salsa, rice, hen, bell pepper, cilantro, crimson onion, and greens. Earlier than serving, add cilantro-lime French dressing (store-bought or do this recipe) and chopped tortilla chips.

Tuna Salad

We love tuna and hen salad in our home. Right here’s my go-to tuna salad recipe! Add some to the underside of the jar, and prime with celery, olives, and salad greens. Add dressing and chopped avocado earlier than serving. I’d have this with a bit of recent sourdough.

Beet, Goat Cheese, and Basil Salad

Layer the next components: cooked beets, crumbled goat cheese, protein of alternative, recent basil, and salad greens. Prime together with your favourite balsamic French dressing earlier than having fun with.

Curry Chickpea Salad

That is my go-to recipe! I’d add this to the underside of a jar and salad greens on prime. I’d serve it with Primal Kitchen dressing and Easy Mills crackers.

Mason Jar Salad Dressing Suggestions

Ahh, no good salad is full with out the correct dressing. Mason jar salad dressings are a brilliant superior and sensible approach to put together recent, flavorful dressings upfront. The mason jar not solely serves as a approach to shake and blend your components, nevertheless it additionally makes storing and pouring straightforward with minimal mess. Plus, the compact measurement makes it very straightforward so that you can make small batches that can be utilized all through the week. Whether or not you’re making a traditional French dressing or a creamy dressing, the following tips will aid you profit from your mason jar dressings.

Layer components in the correct order.

When making your dressing in a mason jar, begin by including the thicker components, like mustard, honey, or garlic, on the backside. Then you may layer your oils, vinegars, and seasonings on prime. This may make it simpler to shake and mix the dressing collectively.

Shake, shake, shake!

After including all your components into the jar collectively, seal it tightly and provides it an excellent ol’ shake. Shaking ensures that the oil and vinegar (or some other liquids) emulsify and mix right into a clean, scrumptious dressing. For greatest outcomes, attempt to shake for not less than 20-30 seconds!

Let it sit earlier than utilizing it.

Letting the salad dressing sit for about 10-Quarter-hour earlier than you employ it helps the flavors to come back collectively and develop a extra balanced style. This resting time additionally helps any stable components like herbs or garlic to infuse the liquids.

Make some further and retailer for later.

So inform me, associates: how usually do you meal prep? Do you want mason jar salads? If you happen to’re a fan, please share your favourite combo! I’m all the time on the lookout for scrumptious new salads and dressings so as to add to my armory of recipes!

xo

Gina