Ultimate Summer Salad in a Jar

Salads in a jar are one of our favorite ways to pack a healthy meal on the go. We love them for so, so many reasons. Not only are they convenient and simple, but there’s so many ways to make them healthy and delicious. They’re a great tool to help you stick to your health goals, while balancing a hectic work life.

They’re also a great addition to your meal planning routine. If you read our Ultimate Meal Planning Guide, you know how much we love meal planning/prepping. Salads in a jar are literally one of the best examples of meal planning. Wash, prep, and assemble your salads for the week, pop the lid on, and save for grabbing quickly in the mornings.

The true key to mastering salads in a jar is proper layering. When layering, there is method to the madness. Start with your salad dressing. You’ll want this at the bottom of the jar or in a separate container, which is what we did. It’s all a matter of preference. If you have greens that wilt easily (think: baby spinach, lettuce), you want to keep those at the top, away from moist ingredients like dressings, tomatoes, and cooked grains. If you have hardier greens (ie kale, collards), we prefer having those closer to those wet ingredients, so they can soften up and become easier to chow down. Also aim for a balance of healthy carbs (quinoa), protein (chickpeas), vegetables (kale, tomatoes, onions, peppers) and fat (our tahini dressing).

I went to the farmers market last week, and picked up tons of colorful summer produce, which is what inspired this recipe. There’s so much variety in produce during summers in New York, so I took that as an opportunity to throw a bunch of beautiful colors into the jar. I prepared it the night before, and had a huge salad waiting for me in the morning.

Let’s get started on how you’ll be preparing this ultimate summer salad. In a bowl, combine the chickpeas with the turmeric and a pinch of salt. Set aside. Grab your jar, and let’s start layering. You can add your dressing to the bottom of the jar OR have it on the side, like we did (check out our Apple Cider Vinaigrette or our Simple Tahini Dressing) Start with 1/2 of the kale and add it to the bottom of your jar. Then add the seasoned chickpeas. Next add the tomatoes and onions. Then the cooked quinoa (you can salt this, to taste, as well). Top with the yellow bell peppers, and the remainder of the kale. That’s it!

Make sure to tightly seal it and enjoy for the week! What are your favorite salad in a jar renditions? Let us know in the comments below! xo

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