Salads in a jar have been a Weeknight Bite staple since the very beginning, and they’ve only gotten better with time. They’re one of the easiest ways to prep ahead, eat healthier, and have lunch ready when life gets busy. Plus, shaking everything up in the jar makes the salad perfectly tossed in dressing and so good, I’d make it this way even if I wasn’t in a rush.
These days, I have a new favorite way to prep them that completely eliminates any soggy ingredients. But if you don’t have the jar I’m using, the classic layering method still works beautifully too. I’ll walk you through both.
Check out how I included one of my favorite salad jar combos in round 3 of Prep, Set, Go!
My Current Favorite Way to Prep Salad Jars (No Soggy Lettuce, Ever)
This is the jar I’ve been using lately and I’m obsessed:
My favorite salad jar with stainless steel dressing cup
It has a small stainless steel cup inside that holds your dressing separately from the salad. That means — no soggy lettuce and your salad stays fresh and crisp for days! I fill the glass jar with all my salad ingredients, add the dressing to the little cup, seal it up, and when it’s time to eat I just pour the dressing over, shake, shake, shake, and pour it out into a big bowl. It’s honestly perfect every time.
Don’t Have This Jar? Use the Classic Layering Method
You can still make amazing salad jars without a special container. The key is layering smart so nothing gets soggy.
From bottom to top:
- Dressing
- Hearty veggies that can handle moisture (cucumbers, carrots, celery, chickpeas, beans)
- Protein (chicken, salmon, ground beef, hard-boiled eggs)
- Crunch (nuts, seeds, croutons)
- Cheese (feta, parmesan, goat cheese)
- Greens last (romaine, little gems, spinach, arugula)
Keeping the greens at the very top, away from the dressing, is what makes all the difference. When you’re ready to eat, just shake it up in the jar and pour it into a bowl. Lunch is ready!
Two Salad Combos I’m Loving Right Now
1. The Everyday Salad (with protein added)
This is one of my go-to bases and it’s perfect in a jar. You can find the full recipe here.
I love adding grilled or rotisserie chicken to make it a full, protein-packed meal. It’s simple, fresh, and works with almost any dressing.
2. My Current Salad Jar Combo
This one has been on repeat lately: celery, cucumbers, shredded carrots, garbanzo beans, chicken (from a store-bought rotisserie chicken to save extra time!), feta, baby gem lettuce, and caesar dressing (I use the Primal Kitchen one). Lots of crunch and texture and extra filling from the chicken and garbanzo beans! Perfect for lunch or a light dinner when you don’t want to think too hard.
Excited for your to hop on the salad jar train! They really do make healthy eating feel simple and I love that they’re portable and mess-free so you can take them on the go. If you try it out, make sure to tag me at @lindsaysurowitz – I always love to see it!
