Mason Jar Salad Recipes: How To Pack the Perfect Salad in a Jar

It took me quite a while to get into the whole Mason jar salad thing. But I’ve done it and must say I love it. No more soggy salads when on the road… and they look pretty cool too 😉 Hence this quite long post, but I’m sure you’ll enjoy reading it!

How To Pack the Perfect Salad in a Jar

#1 Types of containers

While the post is called Mason jar salad, any wide-mouth jar with a lid will do the trick. While glass jars are great to store salads or smoothies when eating them at home, BPA-free plastic jars are far more popular since they are very light and won’t break that easily.

For me, the latter is very important for lunches or breakfasts on the go. I’m not the most careful girl as it comes to putting my bag down. And a broken salad jar in your bag is not too much fun, trust me. Happened to me with a smoothie and it’s for a reason I went the plastic way again… BPA-free of course!

This (pic below) is what I’m using right now… super handy with a fork and small dressing container incorporated into the design… and it’s BPA-free too!

#2 The Art Of Layering

Since you are keeping these salads upright when transporting them, many people add the dressing in the bottom of the jar. It has the added benefit of marinating the first layer of robust veggies in the dressing.

I like to keep the dressing in a separate container, though. And I’ll tell you why. I like my veggies very crisp and in their pure form/taste. I don’t use a lot of dressing (often none) as I simply enjoy the taste of crispy raw veggies. If you are the same as me, keep dressing in a separate container. And layer slightly different.

I have been testing both methods… and my hubby prefers the marinade layering so try both and see which one works for you.

Layering with dressing:

1. Dressing: add 1 to 4 tablespoons of dressing, depending on salad size, to the bottom of the jar.
2. Robust veggies: veggies such as beets, carrots, bell peppers, whole cherry tomatoes, cucumber, cabbage, and fennel will benefit from marinating in the dressing.
3. Carbs:  then layer beans, grains, or pasta. We like quinoa, buckwheat, barley, brown rice, black beans, chickpeas, or whole wheat pasta.
4. Protein: we often skip this step because we mostly add quinoa, buckwheat, chickpeas or other beans. They contain a good amount of carbs for energy while providing tissue building and repairing proteins too. Other protein options are lean chicken, tuna, hard-boiled eggs, or crumbled cheese. (When storing longer than 24h, add morning before serving on top of the salad)
5. Softer veggies and fruits (optional): tomatoes, avocado, mango, strawberries, etc. (When storing longer than 24h, add morning before serving on top of the salad)
6. Salad greens: fill up the rest of the jar with packed greens of your choice. Examples: mixed salad, arugula, kale, spinach, watercress, romaine lettuce, etc.
7. Store: screw on the lid tightly and store up to 5 days.
8. Eating salad: Top with other superfoods such as goji berries, seeds, and nuts if you like. Shake/toss salad to combine. Eat straight out of the jar or drop into a salad bowl.

My Way of packing salads:

1. Carbs/proteins: quinoa, buckwheat, chickpeas, etc. if using brown rice or whole wheat pasta make sure to pack some protein too
2. Protein (optional): tuna, chicken, cheese, etc. (when storing longer than 24h, add morning before serving on top of the salad)
3. Harder, robust veggies: beets, carrots, cabbage, cherry tomatoes, cucumber, etc.
4. Softer veggies and fruits: avocados, mangoes, tomatoes, etc. (when storing longer than 24h, add morning before serving on top of the salad)
5. Salad greens: spinach, kale, arugula, watercress, romaine, iceberg lettuce, etc. or a mix.
6. Dressing: add to separate dip-size container.
7. Store: can be kept in the fridge for up to 5 days.
8. Eating salad: Top with other superfoods such as goji berries, seeds, and nuts if you like. Drizzle with dressing, shake/toss salad to combine. Eat straight out of the jar or drop into a salad bowl.

Find 2 yummy mason jar salad recipes below.