Mason Jar Salads
Our first recipe post of 2022! How exciting!
I’ve been sharing recipes and cooking videos with the Stride team here on the In the Kitchen Blog for over 3 years! We started early 2019, and here we are, still bringing delicious eats to the Stride table.
I don’t know about you, but for me, the new year brings a sense of excitement when it comes to eating fresh, wholesome foods and meal prepping. And with that, I bring you my mason jar salads. They’re easy to whip up, totally customizable and make for an amazing desk lunch.
Here’s how to make mason jar salads:
- Grab 6 quart-size jars and remove the lids.
- Layer 1: Make your favorite dressing that pairs well with the salad ingredients you are choosing. In this case, I’m making an orange vinaigrette with white wine vinegar, fresh orange zest and juice, honey and olive oil. You can use any combination of citrus juice, vinegars, sweetener (or go without) and olive oil. You can also add fresh or dried herbs and spices, if you’d like.
- Layer 2: Dump in your first layer, which should be dried fruit and/or nuts. I’m using unsweetened dried cranberries and almonds. You can use any unsweetened dried fruit, such as cherries, blueberries, raisins, apricots, mango or any other dried fruit you love. For the nuts, go for walnuts, pecans, pepitas, cashews, sunflower seeds or any other nut you enjoy.
- Layer 3: Next, layer with some fresh fruit and vegetables. In this case I am using fresh orange segments, but you can also use literally ANY fruit or veggie you love, like berries, mango, pineapple, carrots, mushrooms, onion, bell pepper and the like.
- Layer 4: Now, pour in some cooked grains, like quinoa. You can also use any other cooked grain, like farro, brown rice, wheatberries or kamut, or you can use cooked lentils or beans, like chickpeas or black beans. These add protein and fiber to your salad, which will give you some staying power!
- Layer 5: And last, but not least, you’ll add the salad greens. This can be baby spinach, kale, spring mix, mixed greens, romaine, butter lettuce or any other leafy green you like to put in your salad.
- Addition ideas: Add some cooked protein, like chicken breast, tuna or tofu (plus the beans, lentils or grains add some protein). You can also add some cheese, like feta, blue, goat or shredded cheese. These should go before the quinoa layer, if you add them.
Keep in mind we put them in this order for a reason. We don’t want the dressing to get your delicate ingredients (like the greens) all mushy and icky, so be sure to follow the suggested layers.
Mason jar salads will last up to 3 days, in most cases. I recommend whipping up a batch at the beginning of the week to share with family members, then whip up another batch mid-week so they stay fresh and delicious. Enjoy!
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Mason Jar Salads
- Prep Time: 10-15 mins
- Cook Time: 0 mins
- Total Time: 10-15 mins
- Yield: Makes 6 jar salads 1x
- Category: Salad
- Method: No-Cook
- Cuisine: American
Description
Easy layered mason jar salads that are customizable, nutritious and quick to make!
Ingredients
Dressing:
- Zest and juice of 2 medium oranges (about ⅓ cup)*
- ¼ cup white wine vinegar
- 2 tablespoons honey
- ⅓ cup olive oil
- ¼ teaspoon kosher or sea salt
Salads:
- ½ cup unsweetened dried cranberries
- ½ cup chopped almonds
- 2 medium oranges, segmented*
- 1 ½ cups cooked quinoa
- 8 cups greens (kale, spinach, mixed greens, spring mix, butter lettuce, romaine)
Instructions
- In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the dressing ingredients until incorporated. Equally distribute the dressing into 6 large quart-size mason jars.
- Evenly distribute and layer the dried cranberries, almonds, orange segments, quinoa and greens (in that order) into the jars (on top of the dressing). Secure the lids on top and refrigerate up to 3 days.
- When ready to eat, pour the jar into a large bowl and enjoy immediately.
Notes
*Orange Tip: Use the whole orange! Zest it, then peel it with a paring knife, segment it, then juice it. Use the zest and juice for the dressing and the segments for the salad.
Substitution Tip: See the blog post above to read all of my suggestions for substitutions and alterations!
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 jar salad
- Calories: 356
- Sugar: 12g
- Sodium: 112mg
- Fat: 19g
- Saturated Fat: 2g
- Unsaturated Fat: 17g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 39g
- Fiber: 6g
- Protein: 9g
- Cholesterol: 0mg
Keywords: mason jar, salad, salads, new year