make a Mason Jar Salad

Sharing some tips about how one can make an ideal mason jar salad + a few of my favourite combos and mason jar salad recipes!

Hello hello, mates! How are you? I hope you’re having an exquisite morning thus far! I’ve a lot happening! 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 the perfect time recently.

Anyway, for immediately’s submit, I needed to share a meal prep staple that I completely love, particularly if in case you have a busy schedule and routine: the mason jar salad! Critically good!

These are a easy but handy technique to pack in a nutrient-dense and satisfying meal and so they’re nice for wholesome packed lunches. One in every of my favourite issues about them is that you may put together them days upfront, in order that they’re an incredible meal prep choice. I’m dedicating this submit to share sensible ideas to assist ya put together mason jar salads which might 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 choice
• You’ll be able to 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 technique to get in vitamins, veggies, protein, and wholesome fat
• You can also make them a full-sized lunch or a aspect salad
• You’ll be able to have a ready-to-eat meal everytime you please

How To Layer A Mason Jar Salad

Step 1

The very first step is to arrange your whole elements. I prefer to have a mixture of recent greens (rotate sorts to get completely different vitamins and advantages), roasted veggies, protein (rooster, 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 properly in these) and any extras (like dried fruit, cheese, olives, pickles or pickled veggies, and so on.) Then you possibly can add these elements everytime you please since you merely have them available.

Step 2

Now you can begin to layer! The important thing to mason jar salads is to layer every ingredient, beginning with the very 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 high. Something that provides further taste or crunch (like nuts/seeds, croutons), I’d carry on the aspect in a bit reusable bag or container in order that they don’t get soggy within the combine.

Step 3

Preserve your dressing on the aspect. You should use a selfmade dressing or your favourite store-bought choice. I like Primal Kitchen, which we order from Thrive Market. I’ve some ideas beneath concerning salad dressings.

How To Eat Mason Jar Salad

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

Should you’re consuming your salad on-to-go, simply be sure you 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 might be 32 oz and have a large mouth for a pleasant, hefty salad. I additionally love utilizing glass jars as a substitute of plastic for meal prep, so that you don’t have to fret about plastic chemical substances involved along 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 could cause meals to spoil extra rapidly.

How Lengthy Does Salad Final In A Mason Jar?

Relying on the elements you employ, salad in a mason jar can last as long as 5 fives. You can also make positive 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 assist you to layer recent elements, which helps hold every part crisp and recent once 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 below are some mason jar salad concepts to encourage your subsequent creation! Hope you’re not hungry, as a result of these are positive to make your abdomen growl in starvation.

Mediterranean Salad in a Jar

Layer the next elements: chickpeas, feta, rooster, pepperoncini, feta, kalamata olives, sundried tomatoes, and chopped romaine. Prime with pink 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 elements: cucumbers, tomatoes, black olives, chopped hard-boiled egg, feta, chopped turkey bacon, rooster, and romaine. Add Ranch dressing earlier than serving.

Buffalo Rooster Salad

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

Mexican Chopped Salad

Layer the next elements: cooked black beans, cheese, salsa, rice, rooster, bell pepper, cilantro, pink 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 rooster salad in our home. Right here’s my go-to tuna salad recipe! Add some to the underside of the jar, and high 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 elements: cooked beets, crumbled goat cheese, protein of selection, recent basil, and salad greens. Prime along 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 high. 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 precise dressing. Mason jar salad dressings are a brilliant superior and sensible technique to put together recent, flavorful dressings upfront. The mason jar not solely serves as a technique to shake and blend your elements, but it surely additionally makes storing and pouring simple with minimal mess. Plus, the compact dimension makes it very simple 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 pointers will enable you to benefit from your mason jar dressings.

Layer elements in the precise order.

When making your dressing in a mason jar, begin by including the thicker elements, like mustard, honey, or garlic, on the backside. Then you possibly can layer your oils, vinegars, and seasonings on high. It will make it simpler to shake and mix the dressing collectively.

Shake, shake, shake!

After including your whole elements into the jar collectively, seal it tightly and provides it ol’ shake. Shaking ensures that the oil and vinegar (or every other liquids) emulsify and mix right into a easy, scrumptious dressing. For greatest outcomes, attempt to shake for at the least 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 strong elements like herbs or garlic to infuse the liquids.

Make some further and retailer for later.

One of many nice advantages of utilizing a mason jar is the power to retailer your dressing few days within the fridge! Merely pour any leftover dressing again into the jar, seal it, and be at liberty to retailer it for later. Shake once more earlier than every use to make sure every part stays combined and recent. Whenever you’re operating out of time to eat good meals, prepping them forward of time can severely make your life simpler.

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

xo

Gina