So I know mason jar salads were super trendy awhile back but I was a little late to the game. In California, mason jars aren’t as prevalent as they are in other parts of the country but man oh man am I a believer now!
These things are so darn handy- I swear my Tupperware is all dusty in the back of the cabinet now as I make room for more jars :).
Anyway- if you haven’t tried a salad in a jar it is actually really handy. You can make them in advance and pop them in the fridge- they take up much less space then a standard tupperware and seal tightly so you don’t have to worry about leaks.
Toss this in your bag for a grab n go healthy lunch.
I was looking for a quick dinner idea the other day and it was so pretty outside, I wanted to have a picnic with the kids.
I had all sorts of random things in the fridge and decided to just mix up this really simple salad. I actually put everything in bowls and the kids got to make their own layers in their jars. (These are the jars that I actually like for salads because they are a bit wider then a normal pint size jar.) These have a fat bottom so it is easier to get a good forkful of all the yummy ingredients in your salad at once.
I used a large mason jar for the photos only just so you can see the pretty layers and how easy this is to make. You’d want to use a standard pint size jar or the wide mouth jars as mentioned above.
We had cheese as well for our salads (not pictured) but I make the kids earn the cheese by adding vegetables to their jars ;).
You can mix up anything you like to make this simple salad and then just layer it in your jar and take it to go. You can put the dressing at the bottom of the jar or I actually prefer to bring it on the side in a small Tupperware. These little jars are absolutely perfect for eating outdoors and my kids got a real quick out of something a little different.
- 1 C. Romaine
- ¼ C. black beans
- ¼ C. corn (fresh, frozen or canned)
- 1 small tomato, diced
- ¼ cooked chicken, diced (or ground beef)
- 2 green onions chopped
- ⅛ C. shredded cheese (optional)
- ½ small avocado chopped (optional)
- Black Olives (optional)
- 1 large mason jar w/ lid
- Dressing:
- ¼ C. ranch dressing or sour cream or greek yogurt
- ⅛ C. Salsa
- taco seasoning to taste (about 1 tbs.)
- Pour the Southwest Ranch Dressing into the bottom of your mason jar and begin layering your ingredients -
- • romaine
- • diced chicken
- • black beans
- • corn
- • tomato
- • romaine
- • diced green onion
- • shredded cheese on top (optional)
- Serve immediately or store in the fridge 2-3 days.
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So this is a great alternative to taco night and hopefully an easy recipe for busy nights. If you have children in sports- these salads are actually faster to whip up then going through a drive through and much healthier.
And if you want more yummy salad inspiration- check out my favorite Spinach Power Salad. I put this one in a jar too (except I usually have the dressing on the side to add right before eating.)
Or try this Mocha Energy Smoothie– I love these things and make them all the time.
If you are a new Mason jar convert and have a FoodSaver, the jar sealer attachment will make you swoon. It vacuums the air out of wide mouth Mason jars. It is great for buying that giant bag of organic quinoa at Costco and dividing it up between 4 vacuum-sealed jars. I vacuum jars of nuts or yeast before I freeze them. Hubby only makes one cup of coffee a day, so takes a long time to go through a bag of beans. Divvy up a beans between a few jars and vacuum them. Viola! Fresher coffee beans.
Awesome thanks Dee!
This salad looks delicious. I really need to start making salads in a jar for a quick lunch that’s packed with vegetables.
How long will these last in the refrigerator?
Leah- a max of 4 days most likely. The tomatoes might be an issue so you can always add those on the day you plan to eat the salad.
I LOVE mason jar salads! Fiance thinks I’m crazy, and bought me some kind of tupperware that’s got little compartments on top and a spot for greens on the bottom, but the mason jars are better! Most important thing I learned was to use the wide-mouth jars. The regular ones make shaking the salad out a pain in the tush.
I’m a little confused. Why are you putting the lettuce on the bottom?
I thought the hearty vegetables always go at the bottom, the protein in the middle (Chicken, Cheese, and Beans), and the lettuce on the top.
(Organize yourself skinny). That way my salads stay preserved for 5-7 days.
Carolyn, if you enjoy the lettuce at the top that sounds great to me! I personally find it easier to mix the salad up on my fork the way it is layered here. If the lettuce is at the top, I get lots of bites of lettuce and nothing else.
Carolyn has a point. If you make up your salads days in advance, especially if you vacuum seal them, by putting the more delicate veggies at the top they’ll last longer, at least a week. Thanks for the salad idea! I hadn’t done these in quite awhile. Love your site!