I’m not sure who invented this idea, but they are a genius in my mind!. The idea has taken the internet by storm and I’m sure as heck not going to be left behind! It’s so popular because you can make your salads an entire week ahead of time (they last up to 10 days in the fridge!) and they are a great grab and go lunch!
You can also get as creative as you like and add whatever ingredients you desire. I will let you know what I added for my three featured shortly, but first, I want to let you in on a few ‘salad in a jar’ tips…
- Start with the dressing on the bottom (this will stop your salad from getting soggy). You can use vinaigrette, olive oil & lemon, balsamic vinegar, whatever your little heart desires. I use about 3 to 4 tablespoons of salad dressing per jar. Another tip is if you are using onions, put them in next – they will soak in the dressing and will help dilute the strong oniony taste – never a good look!
- Next add salad ingredients that won’t soak up the dressing, such as chickpeas, carrots, radishes, capsicum, or sugar snap peas.
- Continue to layer your salad with your chosen ingredients. Pack the layers as tightly as possible — the less air between layers, the longer your salad will stay fresh.
- Next it’s time to pack in your greens – I’m in LOVE with spinach so I squash as much in as I can (this normally takes up about 1/4 of the jar)
- Next it’s time for your protein – whether it be chicken, tuna, pumpkin, shredded cheese, quinoa, boiled eggs, protein is a must for the perfect salad in a jar. I often like to top it all off with some cashews or pine nuts for crunch too!
- When you’re ready to eat your jar of deliciousness, simply give your jar a good shake to mix the dressing through your salad! You can also pour your salad into a large bowl.
So for the three salads I have featured the ingredients (from bottom to top) that you will need are:
Salad One
- balsamic vinegar dressing
- orange capsicum
- black olives
- cherry tomatoes
- cucumber
- spinach
- danish fetta cheese
Salad two
- Mayonnaise
- red onion
- chickpeas
- cucumber
- roasted pumpkin
- spinach
- roasted pine nuts
Salad three
- beetroot dressing
- chickpeas
- grated carrot & cabbage
- mushrooms
- corn kernals
- spinach
- roasted chicken
As I said, you can make up an combination you like! Let us know what your favourite combination would be in the comments below!
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I love this idea I work a lot and I need a healthier way to eat my dinner:)