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Hello! I’m Anjali. I’m a board certified health coach, author, wife, mom and food lover from the SF Bay area (now living in Seattle, WA!); with a passion for delicious food and a desire to make healthy eating easy, tasty and fun! Learn more about me here and stay for a while!

Anjali Shah

Salad in a Jar Recipes

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Delicious and healthy salad in a jar recipes filled with vibrant veggies, filling protein and tasty dressings. Creative and convenient ways to enjoy fresh salads on the go!

These mason jar salads are the perfect way to eat healthy when you are busy. Delicious, easy and great for warm weather!

Three types of mason jar salads on a blue kitchen towel

I love getting in veggies throughout the day but it can be hard with work, kids, and all the things happening in life especially during the summer. This is the perfect solution!

It’s no secret that I am a jar addict. I love them! And really use them for just about anything. It was only a matter of time before I started using them to make a variety of mason jar salad recipes!

Ingredients

The ingredients for this salad in a jar are literally endless. You can make just about anything work! Any veggie, grain, protein with any sauce. You can even do sweet versions with fruit.

Use these salad jar ideas to customize your own creation! Pick at least 1 from each category, but don’t be afraid to add extras:

Sauces/dressing:

Protein:

  • Chickpeas
  • Lentils
  • Black beans
  • Pinto beans
  • White beans
  • Tempeh
  • Vegan sausage
  • Nuts
  • Seeds
  • Dairy free cheeses

Veggies:

  • Onion
  • Cucumber
  • Tomato
  • Corn
  • Avocado
  • Carrots
  • Edamame
  • Peppers
  • Broccoli
  • Cauliflower
  • Zucchini
  • Squash
  • Radishes
  • Mushrooms
  • Asparagus
  • Peas
  • Brussels sprouts
  • Potatoes
  • Green beans
  • Celery

Grains:

  • Rice
  • Pasta
  • Quinoa (a great protein too)
  • Crushed chips
  • Farro
  • Barley

Greens:

  • Lettuce
  • Spinach
  • Cabbage
  • Arugula
  • Microgreens

Fruit:

  • Bananas
  • Strawberry
  • Blueberries
  • Raspberries
  • Blackberries
  • Apple
  • Pear
  • Mango
  • Pineapple
  • Orange
  • Grapes
  • Kiwi
  • Cherries
  • Watermelon
Colorful bowls with salad ingredients on a wooden surface

How to Make Salad in a Jar

These healthy mason jar salads are really easy to make. Knowing how to layer salad in a jar is key, but most of the work comes in the prep. But as I said above, the ingredients can be used for loads of other recipes so my advice would be to base your salad creation on what other meals you want to make that week.

  1. Prep ingredients.
  2. Start by adding the dressing at the bottom of the jar.
  3. Next add the beans, grains, and veggies.
  4. Last add the greens on top.
  5. Store in the fridge until you’re ready to eat.
  6. Shake it up and dig in!

Flavor combinations

While you can combine all of those ingredients in infinite ways, here are some of our favorite salad jar recipes that we came up with:

  1. Greek: Olive oil/vinegar/basil/salt dressing, chickpeas, pasta, red onion, cucumbers, tomatoes, vegan feta and spinach
  2. BBQ Ranch: Ranch dressing with BBQ sauce, black beans, corn, cucumber, tomatoes, avocado, crushed tortilla chips and lettuce
  3. Asian: Teriyaki sauce, tofu, edamame, carrots, quinoa and cabbage
  4. Taco style: Salsa mixed with black beans, pinto beans, peppers, avocado, rice, lettuce and cabbage

See the recipe card below for more details on these options!

How to Meal Prep and Store Jar Salads

The best thing about making salads in a jar is that you can prep everything at once. The ingredients can be used in so many other recipes too so it’s a win win.

Here are the ways I prep it to make it super easy:

  • Chop and wash the and veggies.
  • Pre-cook any grains and proteins.
  • Make the dressings.

Then work on assembling the salads.

  • Set up all the ingredients in a line.
  • Build the salads going down the counter top salad bar style.
  • Store the leftover ingredients in containers so you can use them for another meal.

The prepared salad jars will be best within 2-3 days, but they can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

Common Questions

How do you eat salad in a Mason jar?

While it seems like it would be challenging to eat from a jar, it’s actually quite easy. Jars are portable, easier to eat at your desk, and I love that they are a grab and go option…as in grab it from my fridge and go to my table, lol. Other than that, you just eat it with a fork!

You can also use the mason jar for easy storage, then empty it into a bowl on onto a plate to enjoy.

How long does a salad in a jar last?

If you follow the tips and put the dressing at the bottom and the greens at the top, these mason jar salads should still taste great after 2-3 days and can still be decent up to 5 days. After that, the ingredients start to wilt and loose texture and flavor.

Why use Mason jars for salads?

Mason jars are great because they seal well and are a good size for holding a salad. The height and shape of them allows for the ingredients to be properly stacked so they don’t get soggy.

How do you keep salad from getting soggy?

My biggest gaggy (is that a word?) thing ever is mushy stuff and limp greens. I cannot stomach it. So when creating these salads in a jar, the first thing I did was test ways to keep them from getting soggy.
Because I wanted this a full grab and go option, I had to find a way to include the dressing in the jar and keep the soggy factor low. And here is what every trial told me: put the dressing at the bottom and the greens at the top.
It’s really that simple. Things like beans and veggies won’t absorb the dressing like greens will. Surprisingly, the cooked rice and pasta did well towards the bottom as well.

Can you prep salad for a week?

You can! Make these salads in a jar, or prep all of the ingredients for the week and build your salad the night before.

Print Recipe
5 from 1 vote

Salad in a Jar Recipes

Delicious and healthy salad in a jar recipes filled with vibrant veggies, filling protein and tasty dressings. Creative and convenient ways to enjoy fresh salads on the go!
Prep Time30 minutes
Total Time30 minutes
Course: 30 Minutes or Less, Main Course, Salad
Cuisine: American, Asian, Greek, Mexican
Diet: Gluten Free, Vegan, Vegetarian
Servings: 4
Calories: 330kcal
Author: Anjali Shah

Ingredients

Greek style:

BBQ Ranch:

Asian:

Taco style:

Equipment

  • mason jars

Instructions

  • Build the salads in 4 different jars, one flavor in each, by putting the dressing/sauce at the bottom of each jar, then the beans/tofu, then the veggies and grains and finally the greens.
  • Store in the fridge until ready to use.
  • When ready, shake the jar with the lid closed until the dressing is covering the contents.
  • Open the lid and eat!

Notes

  • This recipe makes 4 jars, 1 jar per serving.
  • The nutrition facts are all of the ingredients for all flavors added together and divided by 4 to average out for total info.

Nutrition

Calories: 330kcal | Carbohydrates: 47g | Protein: 13g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 579mg | Potassium: 611mg | Fiber: 8g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 2358IU | Vitamin C: 22mg | Calcium: 79mg | Iron: 3mg
5 from 1 vote (1 rating without comment)

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