We are all about a customizable salad. Packing it in a reusable jar? Even better. It's like a hug for your belly and the earth all at once.
Salad in a jar is the perfect grab-and-go lunch. Assemble a few on Sunday, and you've got lunch ready to go, right from your fridge. These jars are the official end of sad desk lunches. Plus, they're travel ready. It's a when you're busy or need an easy lunch at work. Aside from the office, these salads hearty-healthy meal all dressed up and ready to go.
This infographic will get you well on your way to building salad masterpieces. Need more inspo? Check out our Salad in a Jar with Peach Basil Vinaigrette.
1. Start with a dressing.
Add dressing first so that it's on the bottom. You don't want soggy toppings! Though it doesn't have to be a vinaigrette, we love a quick customizable vinaigrette that you can whip together in a couple minutes. A basic Vinaigrette is a 3:1 ratio- Three parts oil to one part acid-the acid component is typically vinegar or citrus juice. If the acid is quite sharp-like lemon or lime-you'll need more oil and possibly some sweetness from sugar or honey.
Try these recipes:
Lemony Italian Vinaigrette
Blood Orange-Fig Vinaigrette
Champagne Pear Balsamic Vinaigrette
Raspberry Patch Vinaigrette
Peach-Basil Vinaigrette
2. Layer in your grains and beans and nuts.
Next up: stack your grains and beans! Rice, farro, quinoa, barley, black beans, kidney beans, and chickpeas to name a few. These layers can be seasoned and prepared with herbs for more flavor. After, add a layer of your favorite nuts. Almonds, pistachios, walnuts, cashews, flavored peanuts...
3. Hearty toppings
Cucumbers, bell peppers, asparagus, carrots, halved tomatoes, green beans, artichokes, edamame, broccoli, radishes, beets. If your salad has meat, this is a good place to add it- salami, pepperoni, chicken, beef, turkey, tuna.
4. Lighter toppings
Berries, fruit, seeds and lighter veggies. Oranges, blueberries, strawberries, diced tomatoes, corn, mushrooms, sprouts, microgreens, peas, red onion, olives, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, boiled egg, tofu, apple, avocado
5. Time for Greens
Arugula, spinach, romaine, iceberg, mixed greens, chard, butter lettuce
6. Top with cheese
Parmesan, sharp cheddar, blue cheese, mozzarella, goat, swiss. If you're skipping cheese, this is a good place to add nutritional yeast or other seasonings.