If you are like most of us, we want to make life a little simpler during the summer. School has wrapped up, and day-to-day busyness tends to take a back seat. Summer is a time to reset your mind and body. Let us help make summer mealtime easy with five of our favorite mason jar salads.
Benefits of Mason Jar Salads
Mason jar salads are the perfect grab-n-go meal. They are great for meal prep throughout the week because they are super simple to make and toss in your bag. Some benefits of mason jar salads:
Convenience: Mason jar salads are quick and easy. They are simple to make and only require a few ingredients.
Save Money: Taking your lunch or grabbing a salad jar from home saves money by not eating out.
Healthy and Filling: Using mason jars to prep your salads can help with portion control, ensuring that you eat healthy ingredients.
Sustainable: Mason jars are reusable, making them environmentally friendly. Wash, rinse, and reuse.
Customizable: No need to worry if your take-out order will be correct. With mason jar salads, you choose your ingredients to create various salads. Your options are endless. You can also make multiple jars at once, each with different ingredients.
If sealed and stored in the refrigerator, Mason jar salads can stay fresh for four to five days. You can use a standard-size mason jar for your salads (16 ounces) or a larger mason jar (32 ounces)f you want a larger salad.
To keep your salads from becoming soggy, layer your ingredients in your mason jar so the wet ingredients are on the bottom and the dry ingredients are on top.
Now for the best part. Let's dig into our five favorite mason jar salads.
Turkey Ranch Club Mason Jar Salad
Prep time: 30 minutes
Ingredients
5 wide mouth 32 oz. mason jars
10 tablespoons ranch yogurt dressing
1-quart cherry tomatoes sliced in half
½ lb. smoked sliced turkey chopped
1 ¼ cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
5 slices of bacon cooked crisp and crumbled
5 cups romaine
Instructions:
- Divide all the ingredients among the 5 mason jars.
- Start with the dressing, layer the tomatoes, turkey, shredded cheddar, and bacon, and finish with romaine.
- Store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
When ready to eat, shake the jar, dump it into a bowl or plate, or eat directly from it.
Chef Salad in a Jar
Prep time: 25 minutes
Ingredients
4 Pint-sized (16 oz) wide-mouth mason jars
1 cup (1 whole) diced Roma tomato
1 cup (1/4 whole) sliced English cucumber
1 cup (1 oz.) cooked lean ham, sliced into strips
1 cup (1 oz.) cooked lean turkey, sliced into strips
2 hard-boiled eggs, peeled and cut into wedges
2 oz. cheddar cheese, cut into thin strips
2 oz. Swiss cheese, cut into thin strips
4 cups chopped Romaine lettuce, bite-sized pieces
4 tablespoons Parmesan Vinaigrette (recipe below)
For the Dressing
Dressing bottle with a lid or another pint-sized jar with a lid
¼ cup (2 small) freshly squeezed lemon juice
3 tablespoons finely grated parmesan cheese
1 ½ teaspoons coarse-grain mustard
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 clove garlic, peeled and minced
6 tablespoons light olive or canola oil
Instructions
- Prepare the parmesan vinaigrette by placing the dressing ingredients into a dressing bottle or pint jar. Tighten the lid and shake vigorously until emulsified. Set aside.
- Pour 1 tablespoon of the dressing into the bottom of each jar. Divide the salad components into four equal parts.
- Layer the ingredients into each jar in the following order: tomatoes, cucumber, ham, turkey, hard-boiled eggs, cheddar cheese, Swiss cheese, and finally, lettuce. Apply lids and refrigerate until ready to eat.
- To serve, invert the jar and let the salad stand for a few minutes giving the dressing time to trickle through the ingredients. Flip the jar over and enjoy.
Asian Noodle Salad Jar
Prep Time: 20 minutes Cook Time: 5 minutes
Ingredients
1 package (14.2 oz.) soba stir-fry noodles
1 cup frozen shelled edamame
¼ cup peanut butter
2 tablespoons sambal oelek or sriracha
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
½ cup extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons black sesame seeds
4 green onions, sliced
1 red bell pepper thinly sliced
1 cup shredded carrots
½ cup crunchy rice noodles
Instructions
- Prepare noodles and edamame according to package instructions. Rinse under cold water and drain well.
- Whisk together peanut butter, sambal oelek (or sriracha), soy sauce, and rice vinegar in a large bowl. While whisking, slowly drizzle in olive oil until all oil is incorporated. Stir in sesame seeds.
- Divide dressing among 4 pint-size mason jars: layer noodles, red bell peppers, edamame, shredded carrots, and green onions. Refrigerate for up to 5 days.
- When ready to serve, shake to mix the dressing and ingredients. Top with crunchy rice noodles, and enjoy.
**You can add your favorite protein to this salad as well. Chicken, shrimp, etc., layer between dressing and noodles.
Big Mac Salad Jars (Low carb)
Ingredients & Substitutions
Extra-lean ground beef- you can use ground turkey or chicken to make these jars healthier.
Yellow onion- any type will work
Dill pickles – any pickle will work, but dills give you the signature burger flavor.
Plum tomatoes – Big Macs technically don't have tomatoes, so that you can leave these out. However, they add a little more color and nutrition.
Cheddar cheese – any cheese will work
Romaine lettuce – iceberg lettuce is more authentic to a Big Mac but doesn't have the nutrition that romaine has. So instead, you can use spinach, arugula, kale, or any other green you prefer.
Big Mac Sauce
Light mayo – feel free to use regular, fat-free, or vegan mayo
Ketchup – there's no great substitute!
Relish – you can chop 1 tablespoon of pickles instead
Instructions
- Brown your ground beef.
- Make the big mac sauce (whisk together mayo, ketchup, and relish)
- Grab your wide-mouth mason jars and assemble them. Divide your Big Mac sauce between your jars. Next, layer your ground beef, onions, pickles, tomatoes, and cheese, and top with lettuce. Refrigerate for up to 5 days.
- To serve, shake the jar to mix and enjoy!
Balsamic Chicken Berry Salad
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Ingredients
2 tablespoons raspberry vinaigrette
¼ cup quartered strawberries
½ cup cooked quinoa
¼ cup blueberries
1 cup diced or shredded grilled or baked chicken breast
¼ cup goat cheese crumbles
½ avocado, diced
2 tablespoons toasted almonds
1-2 cups arugula
Instructions
In two 16 oz. wide mouth mason jars, divide your ingredients in the following order: dressing, strawberries, cooked quinoa, blueberries, chicken, goat cheese, avocado, arugula, and almonds. Store in the refrigerator for 2-3 days.
To serve, shake your jars and enjoy or pour into a bowl or plate.
Take the guesswork out of your summer meals with these easy, fun mason jar salads. There is no limit to what you can create. Prep a few before your work week or your trips to the beach or pool. Eating healthy doesn't have to take a backseat to convenience. So grab your jars, and let's prep!