If you’ve been here for a while, you know I love a dinner I can throw together on the fly — but lunches? Those require a little strategy. When I don’t prep ahead, I either skip lunch, grab something random, or end up snacking all afternoon. And none of those leave me feeling my best. Enter: salads in a jar. I have a whole blog post dedicated to this lunch strategy, and my latest favorite is this Chinese Chicken Salad. It’s crunchy, colorful, packed with protein, and holds up well in the fridge for days. Plus, there’s something about having a row of mason jars lined up in the fridge that just makes the week feel easier. And because my jars have a built-in dressing cup at the top, nothing gets soggy. Game changer!
To be totally honest, I didn’t actually measure when I made my salads. I just grabbed handfuls of each ingredient and threw them in, but if you like to be more precise, approximate measurements are below. And to see the step-by-step assembly, check out this reel!
Ingredients
makes 4 salad jars
4 cups chopped romaine
2 cups shredded coleslaw mix (green + purple cabbage)
1 cup shredded carrots
2 Persian cucumbers, chopped
2 mandarin oranges, peeled and segmented
3–4 cups shredded rotisserie chicken (about ¾–1 cup per salad)
¼ cup sliced green onions
½ cup chopped almonds (about 2 tablespoons per salad)
1 cup shelled edamame (optional, but I like recommend for extra protein and fiber)
Dressing: go with a homemade peanut or sesame dressing, or take a shortcut like I did and use Side Dish Creamy Sesame dressing (about 2 tbsp per salad)
Print RecipeInstructions
- In your salad jars, add about a cup of romaine in each, followed by a handful (or about 1/2 cup) coleslaw mix in each.
- Then layer the carrots, cucumbers, 1/2 mandarin in each jar, shredded chicken, edamame, green onions, and almonds.
- Pour 2 tbsp dressing into each dressing cup and place it in the jars. Then seal the lid on top.
- Store in the fridge until you’re ready to eat, up to 4 days.
- When it’s time to eat, pour the dressing into the salad, seal the lid back on, and give it a good shake.
- Pour into a bowl. Season with salt and pepper and dig in.
Note: if you’re using regular mason jars that don’t have the built in dressing cup, simply add the dressing directly to the bottom of the jar first, then layer in the sturdier ingredients like chicken, cucumbers, and carrots, followed by the coleslaw mix and mandarin oranges. Finish with the romaine, green onions, and almonds on top. The key is keeping the lettuce as far from the dressing as possible so it stays crisp.
You can easily customize this salad to make it your own. Swap almonds for cashews, add in some crunchy wontons, add more color with some bell pepper – you really can’t mess it up!
If you make these, tag me @lindsaysurowitz so I can see your gorgeous jars lined up in the fridge!
