Eating healthy is an awesome New Year's Resolution... it's just much easier said than done! Mason Jar Salads make eating healthy easy, affordable and most importantly delicious! They are perfectly portable and use clever layering tricks so your leafy greens never get soggy! If you can chop and assemble... you've got this in the bag!
Here are a few keys for success:
- Prepare everything on Sunday so it's ready to go all week long
- Always start with your salad dressing on the bottom so when you dump it upside down into a bowl, the dressing comes out on top (literally)
- Next, put in hearty veggies that won't soak up the liquid (corn, carrots, beans, etc.)
- Finally, add your delicate ingredients (tomatoes, grains, leafy greens, etc.) and fill it on up... the more the better!!
Creamy Avocado Dressing: 2 ounce goat cheese (crumbled)
1/4 cup fresh cilantro
1/2 lemon (juiced)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 avocado
1/4 cup water
Directions
- To make dressing: Combine goat cheese, cilantro, lemon juice, salt, avocado, and water in a food processor. Puree until mixture is smooth. Set aside.
- Assemble each 1 quart mason jar in the following order:
- First (bottom) layer: 1/4 cup avocado dressing
- Second layer: 1/4 cup corn
- Third layer: 1/4 cup black beans
- Fourth layer: 1/4 cup diced tomatoes
- Fifth layer: 1/4 cup brown rice
- Sixth (top) layer: 1/4 cup romaine lettuce
1 cup cooked couscous (prepared according to box's directions)
2 cup garbanzo beans (canned - drained and rinsed)
1 cup black beans (canned - drained and rinsed)
1 cup feta cheese (crumbled)
1 cup cucumber (diced)
1 cup tomato (diced) Garlic-Lemon Dressing: 1/2 whole lemon (juiced and zested) 2 tablespoon shallots (finely chopped) 1 whole garlic clove (minced) 2 tablespoon olive oil salt and pepper (to taste)
Directions
- To make dressing: In a small bowl, combine lemon juice, shallots, garlic, olive oil, salt and pepper. Whisk until well-combined. Set aside.
- Assemble each mason jar in the following order:
- First (bottom) layer: 2-3 tablespoon lemon-garlic dressing
- Second layer: 1/4 cup cucumber
- Third layer: 1/2 cup garbanzo beans
- Fourth layer: 1/4 cup diced tomatoes
- Sixth layer: 1/4 cup black beans
- Seventh layer: 1/4 cup couscous
- Eighth layer: 1/4 cup feta cheese
- Ninth (top) layer: 1/2 cup spinach
Balsamic Dressing:
1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoon olive oil
salt and pepper (to taste)
- To make dressing: In a small bowl, combine balsamic vinegar, olive oil, salt and pepper. Whisk until well-combined. Set aside.
- Assemble each mason jar in the following order:
- First (bottom) layer: 2 or 3 tablespoons balsamic dressing
- Second layer: 1/2 cup green peppers
- Third layer: 1/4 cup sweet onions
- Fourth layer: 1/2 cup orzo
- Sixth (top) layer: 1/4 cup spinach
