I pack a lunch for work every day, which can be a struggle if I don’t plan ahead and prepare something the night before. But making salads in a jar has been a lifesaver! By strategically layering the ingredients in the jar, the salad doesn’t get soggy and stays fresh in the refrigerator a lot longer. The key is to start with your dressing and then work your way up from hearty vegetables like carrots, radishes, or onion to sliced pepper and greens like lettuce, spinach, or kale. By doing this, I can make three or four lunches in one night and store them in the refrigerator for the week. Then, when you dump out your salad into a bowl, you end up with your dressing on top. Genius! You can include any of your favorite salad ingredients, but mine typically include homemade balsamic dressing, carrots, radish, onion, cooked quinoa, peppers, and a mix of kale, lettuce, and spinach.
- 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 2 teaspoons dijon mustard
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 1/2 pint wide-mouth glass mason jar
- 2 tablespoons of balsamic dressing
- 1/4 cup grated or sliced carrots
- 2 tablespoons thinly sliced onion
- 2 radishes, thinly sliced
- 1/4 cup thinly sliced bell pepper
- 1/4 cup cooked quinoa
- 1 cup of greens (lettuce, kale, spinach, etc.)
- In a small bowl, whisk together all of the ingredients. (Yields about 1 cup, which is enough for 8 salads if you use 2 tablespoons per salad.)
- Store leftover dressing in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 10 days.
- Add 2 tablespoons (more or less depending on your taste) of dressing to the bottom of the jar. Layer ingredients, beginning with the carrots and ending with your greens.
- Store in refrigerator for up to 4 days (I usually only make 4 jars at a time.)
- I cook about 1/3 cup of dried quinoa according to the package directions, which yields about 1 cup — enough for 4 salads.
