Salad in a Jar
Delicious Southwest Salad in a Jar is quick and easy to make, and perfect for meal prep! Tender chicken is layered with crunchy cucumbers, fresh tomatoes, corn, black beans and crisp lettuce with creamy dressing in a jar. So, you don’t have to worry about your veggies getting soggy or bringing a separate container for dressing!
Have you tried making a salad in a jar? This Southwest Jar Salad is super tasty and my favorite way to meal prep salads for a quick lunch that’s ready-to-go. Storing all of the fresh ingredients in a glass jar, layered in a specific way will keep your salad fresher for longer! Having one container filled with the salad components and the dressing is convenient to grab as you head out the door and you can easily customize the ingredients with whatever you’re craving.
Loved the greek yogurt ranch dressing, and the whole salad in a jar idea! I make this one all of the time!
— Rachel
Why you’ll love jar salads
- Super tasty: This salad in a jar is made with Mexican-inspired ingredients like corn, black beans and tomatoes, then it’s finished off with a greek yogurt ranch, avocado and tortilla strips. Yum!
- Healthy meal option: Having a salad ready to go that’s filled with good-for-you ingredients is much better than grabbing takeout.
- So many options: Use the idea of a salad in a jar to come up with other delicious combinations. You’ll never get bored with all of the varieties of different proteins, veggies, lettuce and even dressings you can use!
- Budget-friendly: Bringing your own lunch to work is not only more nutritious but can save you money.
Ingredients needed
This salad in a jar recipe has all the good stuff – crisp vegetables, lean protein, fiber, healthy fats and a light and delicious ranch dressing. Here’s everything you’ll need:
- For the dressing: This greek yogurt ranch dressing is one of my favs! It’s made with just a handful of ingredients, yet it’s so creamy and flavorful.
- Veggies: A mix of cucumber, grape tomatoes and corn adds freshness, flavor, nutrients and crunch!
- Black beans: For texture and a boost of plant-based protein and plenty of fiber.
- Chicken: Use cooked, diced or shredded chicken breast. If you have leftover grilled chicken or rotisserie chicken on-hand that works great!
- Lettuce: I like crunchy romaine lettuce but feel free to use what you like best.
- Avocado: To prevent this from browning, add it to the salad immediately before eating.
- For serving: Just before serving, we love to add some extras like cotija cheese, feta cheese or shredded cheese and tortilla strips for extra crunch!
Recipe tip
Use the longer, more narrow English cucumber rather than a regular cucumber. English cucumbers are sweeter and contain very few seeds. They are much more likely to stay fresher longer and less likely to become soggy.
How to make this recipe
Making a salad jar is just as easy as any other salad recipe! Just be sure to layer the ingredients in a way that they don’t get soggy. The dressing goes in first, followed by sturdy, crunchy veggies and beans, then chicken, any soft veggies and greens. If you’re adding in any nuts or seeds, those go at the top. Here’s the simple process:
- Mix up the dressing: Make the ranch salad dressing by whisking together the greek yogurt, almond milk, apple cider vinegar, dill weed, garlic powder, sugar and salt. Set aside.
- Assemble the salad: Using 2 quart size (32-ounces), wide mouth mason jars, layer about 2-4 tbsp. of the salad dressing on the bottom, followed by the cucumber, cherry tomatoes, corn, black beans, chicken and romaine. Seal and refrigerate.
- Enjoy! When you’re ready to serve, shake the salad jar and pour into a bowl. Then, add the diced avocado, cotija cheese and tortilla strips.
Helpful tips
Here are some helpful tips, so your mason jar salads are fresh and delicious every time you make them!
- Use wide-mouth jars: It will be easier to get the ingredients in and out of jars with large openings. I like the wide-mouth 32-ounce jars for meal-sized salads, and the wide-mouth 16-ounce pint jars work for smaller side salads.
- Assembling: To prevent your salad from becoming soggy and wilted, it’s essential to layer the ingredients so that softer ingredients that are more likely to become mushy are not touching the dressing. For example, the cucumber is firm and crunchy, so it works well being in the dressing.
- Layering ingredients: It’s a good idea to pack everything tightly without leaving much air in the jar. This minimizes the potential for oxidation and helps maintain freshness.
- Store upright in the fridge: If these are stored on their side or tipped over, the dressing will mix with ingredients at the top and may cause your greens to wilt.
- Dressing: We like to make salad dressing from scratch because it is usually healthier and more flavorful, but feel free to use any store-bought dressing that you like.
Frequently asked questions
If layered properly, salads in a jar will stay fresh for up to 4-5 days. Just keep in mind that different ingredients will stay fresh for different periods of time. Be sure that the lid is tightly sealed before storing the jar salads in the fridge.
Salad jars are great because all of the ingredients are packed together, yet layered so they stay fresh and mostly dressing-free until you pour the salad out and into a bowl. They keep well for days, so you can have a healthy, portable meal prepped and ready-to-go.
It’s not easy to eat salad out of a jar, so we recommend shaking it up to distribute the dressing and then tossing it from the jar to a bowl or plate, so you can mix everything up and then enjoy it easily.
Variations
There are endless options for customizing this salad jar! Here are some easy options to mix things up:
- Vegan salad: To make this vegan, simply use any favorite vegan dressing, omit the cheese and use more veggies, tofu or cooked quinoa to replace the chicken.
- Protein and fiber: Here are some of our favs for bulking up your salad – hard-boiled eggs, chickpeas, nuts, seeds, beans, quinoa, rice or other grains and/or pasta.
- Veggies: Some other greens that would work are baby spinach, arugula and spring mix lettuce. You can also add more or different vegetables like broccoli, peas, asparagus, bell pepper, carrots and red onion.
- Fruit: Try adding some fruits near the top of your jar. We like berries, peaches, pear, mango or pineapple.
Storing and serving recommendations
Store the salad in two 32-ounce wide-mouth jars or meal prep containers for up to 5 days. If using a container other than a jar to store the salad, we recommend storing the dressing separately and adding it right before serving. To serve, pour the salad out from the jar and into a bowl to enjoy, or stir it together in your meal prep container.
If you try this, let me know! Leave a comment and if your family loves it as much as mine does, be sure to give it a five star ⭐️ rating! Also, tag @kimscravings on Instagram with a picture of your creation. Be sure to subscribe to our mailing list to receive more healthy delicious recipes straight to your inbox.
Salad in a Jar
Ingredients
For the greek yogurt ranch dressing
- ½ cup plain full fat greek yogurt
- ¼ cup unsweetened almond milk, or other preferred milk
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- ¼ teaspoon dried dill weed
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon sugar
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
For the southwest salad
- 1/2 cup diced cucumber
- 1 cup grape tomatoes, whole or sliced in half
- 1/2 cup corn kernels
- 1 cup black beans
- 1 1/2 to 2 cups diced or shredded grilled, baked or rotisserie chicken
- 3-4 cups chopped romaine lettuce
- 1/2 avocado, diced (prepare day of)
- Optional for serving: cotija cheese or feta cheese and tortilla strips
Equipment
- 2 32-ounce wide-mouth jar
Instructions
- Make the ranch salad dressing by whisking together the greek yogurt, almond milk, apple cider vinegar, dill weed, garlic powder, sugar and salt. Set aside.
- Using 2 quart size, wide mouth mason jars, layer about 2-4 tbsp. of the salad dressing on the bottom, followed by the cucumber, grape tomatoes, corn, black beans, chicken and romaine.
- When you’re ready to serve, shake the salad jar and pour into a bowl. Then, add the diced avocado, cotija cheese and tortilla strips.
Notes
Note: Add ingredients to the jar in the order instructed for freshest results. Also, it’s best to leave extra room at the top, so you can shake all of the ingredients together. Although, you can enjoy the salad straight out of the jar, it’s best when poured into a bowl.
Did you make this recipe?
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Loved the greek yogurt ranch dressing, and the whole salad in a jar idea! I make this one all of the time!