Having a hard time fitting in a healthy lunch these days? Mason jar salads are a fantastic meal prep staple to have on hand for the busy work week. These salads can be made ahead of time and last up to four days in the refrigerator! This recipe is a plant-based twist on a Mexican cobb salad with a delicious and creamy avocado dressing.
For entrée-sized mason jar salads, look for 32-ounce wide-mouth jars at the grocery or hardware store. The wide mouth makes it easy to fill and transfer to your plate.
The secret to a salad that will last up to four days in the refrigerator is all in the layers.
To build the perfect mason jar salad, you’ll want to layer your jar from bottom to top in the following order:
- Dressing/vinaigrette
- Hard vegetables and/or beans – this will be anything that won’t break down and get mushy by sitting in liquid for a few days
- Other vegetables/fruits
- Whole grains
- Nuts/seeds
- Herbs
- Leafy greens
What keeps this salad fresh is that the dressing never touches the leafy greens. When ready to eat, unscrew the lid and transfer to a plate OR fill your jar about three-fourths of the way full to give yourself room to shake on the go.
Mexican Cobb Mason Jar Salad
- Makes 4 jars
- 2 cups frozen corn
- 15-ounce can black beans, rinsed and drained
- 1 pint grape tomatoes, halved
- ¼ cup sunflower seeds
- ¼ cup cilantro, chopped
- 2 heads romaine lettuce, shredded
Creamy Avocado Dressing
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1/2 avocado, pitted and peeled
- 1 garlic clove
- 2 tablespoons raw, unfiltered apple cider vinegar
- 2 limes, juiced
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- water, as needed
Directions:
To roast the corn, preheat the oven to 400F. Place the corn on a parchment-lined baking sheet and sprinkle with salt. Roast for about 15 minutes, until corn is golden brown.
To make the dressing, add all of the ingredients to a blender and blend on high until smooth and creamy. Add water if the dressing is too thick. Keep in mind that the dressing will continue to thicken when chilled.
To assemble the mason jar salads, place ¼ cup dressing in the bottom of four wide-mouth 32-ounce mason jar. From bottom to top, evenly divide the beans, tomatoes, roasted corn, sunflower seeds, cilantro and romaine.
Store in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. When ready to eat, transfer onto a plate and enjoy.
Carly Paige, health coach and cooking instructor, believes that healthy doesn’t have to be hard. Her mission is to show you simple swaps in and out of the kitchen to elevate your everyday that will transform your health. Carly is the author of Simply Swapped Everyday, a healthy guide and cookbook with over 75 plant-powered recipes and founder of FitLiving Eats – a place where she shares nutritious recipes and how-to guides.
Find Your location and Schedule Your Tour Today!