Let’s talk about salad for a minute, shall we? I’m not talking about I’m-on-a-“diet”-so-I-only-eat-lettuce salad. But I’m also not talking about the kind of salad that has SO much “good” stuff in it that it actually has more calories than a triple cheeseburger and fries. Somewhere in the middle exists salad perfection. Salad that tastes amazing and you actually look forward to eating it, but one that’s actually packed with so much good stuff that it’s healthy and keeps you full long after eating it. I’ve been prepping these salads lately and they have been absolute lifesavers. Having them all prepped and ready to go in my fridge has me eating one every single afternoon for lunch, and sometimes for dinner, too. I’m getting in all of my veggies, tons of protein and fiber, and loving the time it’s saving me by making a bunch on the weekends. I’ve kept these in my fridge for a full week, and the salad on day 7 was just as good as the salad on day 1.
Now, salad-in-a-jar isn’t new. We have some salad jar recipes on our site already (like this one with one of my favorite dressings: Smoked Paprika Vinaigrette), but I have 3 or 4 that I’ve been making regularly and I figured you guys might like the bulk recipe (sized for 5 jars) and the nutritional info per jar. So here we go.
I like to roast a couple pounds of chicken at the beginning of each week because it’s handy to have around. You can use any one of the methods in this post, or you could also pick up a couple of rotisserie chickens if that’s easier for you. I place each jar on my kitchen scale and just add chicken until it registers 4 ounces (that’s about 1 cup diced chicken)
Next I add in a handful of shelled edamame. You can find bags of these in the freezer section of the grocery store. Make sure you’re buying ones that have already been removed from the pods unless you find it theraputic to spend half an afternoon picking them out with your fingers. Soybeans have an awesome nutty flavor and add a great crunchy texture as well. They’re also a nutritional powerhouse; high in protein, calcium, and iron.
Another thing I buy regularly are bags of these little sweet peppers. I love them roasted, or simply for snacking. They’re super easy to slice up on a salad as well.
So just layer in all of that goodness.
I try to layer in as many things with flavor, because then you require a lot less to dress the salad. My go-to’s for just about any salad profile are green onions and cilantro.
I chop them both roughly so they’re in large pieces and blend in with the greens. (Okay not so much in this photo, but normally!)
When it comes to picking greens, I like to pick sturdy ones. I avoid soft lettuce, like butter lettuce, red and green leaf, and even iceberg. Sturdier leaves will hold up for a much longer period of time and still be fresh and crunchy even a week later. For this salad I’m using part cabbage. I buy the bags of ready-made coleslaw mix. It’s perfect because it’s already shredded and usually has some carrots and sometimes purple cabbage as well.
I’m also using kale, which is a nice study leaf as well. To be honest, I don’t love kale on its own, but in a salad like this it’s fantastic, and it’s a nutritional powerhouse when it comes to salad greens, so this is the perfect use for it. You want your greens to be similar in size, so the salad is easy to eat and pick up on a fork, so I roll up the bunches of kale and slice it thin.
It’s really important that your greens are DRY. If you wash them right before stuffing them into the jar and they’re still wet, the moisture trapped in the jars can make things get soggy. So just make sure to blot them on paper towels to make sure they’re nice and dry and then stuff ’em on in. Close your jars with the lids and then keep these stocked up in your fridge for easy access.
When it comes time to dress the salad, one thing that we American’s aren’t in the habit of, and most other countries are, is seasoning our salads with salt and pepper. I’m sure it’s because we tend to love heavily seasoned, thick salad dressings, while most of the world uses oil and vinegar. We’re going to use a really light dressing, so don’t forget the salt and pepper; it does wonders to pull out all of the natural flavors in the salad.
99% of the time I make a salad, I use Extra Virgin Olive Oil and vinegar. I promise I’m not just trying to pitch our product here, but this is one of the reasons we started our Olive Oil Company– flavored oils are absolute perfection here! When you’re using so few ingredients in something like dressing, having a quality oil that packs in some flavor does amazing things. Besides it tasting fantastic, the health benefits of Extra Virgin Olive Oil are unrivaled. It’s the absolute best thing you can put on your salad. I’m using our Lime Olive Oil (100% olives and fresh limes).
You’ll want to combine it with vinegar and my favorite in this combo is seasoned rice wine vinegar. It adds really great tang and also a little sweetness. The only other thing going into my dressing is a little tahini. You could sub peanut butter, PB2, or just leave that component out and use simply the oil and vinegar. Don’t forget the salt and pepper!
I eat these at home, so I just add my dressing when I eat it, but if you need it on the go, just grab some little disposable lidded containers stuff it right on top. Olive oil will coagulate a little bit in the fridge, but it’s not really noticeable once it’s all tossed together.
I promise you, you’ll be so happy if you take the time to prep a bunch of these so they’re all ready to go during the week. It’s so easy to just dump, toss, and eat. And because these aren’t just lettuce and dressing, but rather full of so much protein and vegetables, it will actually keep you full!
And I gotta be honest- I actually dump my salads into a huge mixing bowl so I can go crazy mixing it and getting everything well coated without losing half of my salad over the edge of the salad bowl. Once it’s tossed, I put it into the bowl I actually eat out of. Does anyone else do that? Some salad-jar recipes will tell you to mix or shake it all up in the jar. Just trust me and don’t do that.
If you like these and want to see my other versions, let me know and I’ll share more! I seriously LOVE the look of my fridge when I open up the doors and see these stock-piled.
Kale-Cabbage Salad Jars with Tahini Lime Dressing
Recipe by Our Best Bites
5 wide mouth quart mason jars
20 ounces cooked, diced or shredded chicken breast (about 5 cups)
1 1/4 cups shelled edamame
2 1/2 cups sliced sweet mini peppers or bell peppers
about 3/4 cup roughly sliced green onions
1 1/4 cups roughly chopped cilantro
5 cups shredded cabbage/coleslaw mix
5 cups shredded kale
Dressing for each individual salad
2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
1 1/2 teaspoons Lime Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 teaspoon tahini
kosher salt
black pepper
Instructions
Place 4 ounces chicken in each jar, layer each with 1/4 cup edamame, 1/2 cup sliced peppers, about 3 tablespoons green onions and 1/4 cup cilantro. Tap each jar on the counter to settle ingredients. Add coleslaw mix and kale, gently pressing down (depending on how your jars settle, you may be able to add more or less greens.) Place lids on jars and store in fridge for up to a week. When ready to serve, dump salad into a large bowl adn toss with dressing ingredients and season with salt and pepper.
Nutrition Info Per Jar: Cal: 336 Protein: 35 Carbs: 14 Fiber: 6 Sugar: 4 Fat: 15 (remember, those are heart-healthy grams!)
Questions & Reviews
Please share more single-serve salad ideas!! Exactly what I need.
I’m making these today – they look so good!
One quick question – if I’m substituting PB2, do I prepare it or just use it as a powder?
Thanks!
I’m excited to try these and would love to se more! Thank you for all the healthy tips
I just had my fourth baby and it’s time to exercise and eat healthy-your post on weight loss has been my inspiration! And then this-just what I need! Would love more like this! You rock Sara!!!
Please post more salad recipes soon! I love this recipe and have had it everyday for the past week. I want to keep the ball rolling and would love to have a rotation of jar salads so I don’t get sick of them. So please, I know you are super busy, but if you could please post more 🙂 thanks for doing all you do.
Okay … I know this is being picky, but I tried this dressing combination and (for me) the blood orange olive oil/vinaigrette with s&p is still my all-time-favorite. So as a suggestion, maybe a salad jar (which are awesome) combination with that dressing? I’m on my third bottle since Christmas and hoping to last until April so I can come see you when you bring your collection to Utah and stock up! The salad dressings are still my favorite way to use your line of olive oils … although we did do roasted asparagus with the garlic olive oil yesterday and it was fabulous!! Thanks SO Much for sharing your ideas and talents 🙂
Okay. Just had to come back and say I was wrong!! This lime olive oil combo is now my new favorite!! I love the way it sticks to every piece of lettuce when you shake it up. Super duper yummy!! Just assembled a new batch of salad jars to pull me through the weekend … So glad I restocked my lime today 🙂
I love jarred salads! Please give us some more recipes for them!
Would love more salad – jar recipes. This has been very helpful. Mine lasted 7 days with no moisture problems. Looking at the ingredients, I did not think I could eat it:0 but it was delicious.
I just made these for the rest of the week and ate one for lunch. Delicious! Please post more!
Love this! My husband is in tri training mode right now and at work he often doesn’t get a break to leave and get food do these are perfect for both me at home and to send with him!
I made a big batch of this salad for dinner tonight and stock piled three more servings in my fridge. Loved it! My husband really liked it too. I bought my first jar of tahini and I loved the unique flavor it gave the salad.
I would love more salad ideas!
I love jarred salads and make them quite a bit. As college student on a budget, this fits the bill as fast, affordable, and very easy! I love this one because it is different. Please share more!!!:)
Boy, you must like doing dishes! I just use a medium sized bowl to mix and eat out of, why make more of a mess??
Balsamic, olive oil and salt and pepper are a family favorite. Especially when you add in dried cranberries soaked in orange juice and toasted pecans with field greens!
By the way, all you kale haters; another good way to use kale is to chop it small and put into your regular favorite soups!
This looks AWESOME! Please share more salad-in-a-jar recipes!!
Love this idea. Please share more of the salad in a jar recipes! 🙂
Yes please! More recipes like this!
I am going to try this one, and would like to see more. Doing Weight Watchers, and quite a few of the ‘jarred salads’ are way too many points to consider.
I echo Jennifer’s comment (#15). If I don’t have lime flavored olive oil, how much lime juice and olive oil would I substitute? Thanks!
I just used 1-1/2 teaspoons of regular olive oil and added some zest from a lime in – it was really good!!
I subbed out a bit of the vinegar for lime juice (1/2 tbsp) and just used 1.5 tsp of regular oil. Tasted delicious!
Yes! Please share more, I’ve been wanting to do this but I also need variety.
I definitely think prepping and planning is the key to good food choices. Keep these fantastic recipes coming! And thank you thank you for all your motivation! I just hit 15 lbs lost since the beginning of the year!
Yes!! Please share, looks awesome!
Yea for this suggestion!! I need to try the kale. I love to make salad in a jar with your Greek Couscous salad from your first cookbook in the bottom of the jar, and romaine lettuce on top. I usually make the salad with quinoa instead of couscous so I get protein too. I can’t wait for your new cookbook!
I always want to use a big mixing bowl for my salad, but that just makes more dishes, maybe I should just start eating it out of the mixing bowl. I have been wanting to make salad jars but wasn’t sure how long they would be good for. Please share more I am not a very creative cook so I love OBB’s help. I pre-ordered your new cook book, I can’t wait to use it.
This is a great idea, thank you! And please share more of your salad-in-a-jar ideas. 🙂
I am very excited to try these next week! They use all of the ingredients that I eat regularly, so that is a plus. I also always mix my salads in a large bowl, then dump into my serving bowl to eat. One thing I do when I eat a lot of kale, to make it more palatable, is “massage” it will olive oil – rub it in for a few seconds. It helps soften it up and makes it more palatable. Also, I saw some good looking Napa cabbage in my store last week, and I’ve been using that in lieu of regular green or red cabbage. It has a more delicate taste, and more interesting texture.
I was just introduced to this blog a few months ago and I am loving the recipes and fitness club. I am reading your posts in conjunction with a “Meltdown Challenge” and feeling great! I love all the tips and suggestions. You also turned me on the Ghiradelli sea salt soiree chocolates – wow – what a difference it makes to enjoy just a little chocolate daily!! Thank you thank you!
I’m not a fan of kale what other else would you recommend. I can put kale in my smoothies but I cook it first, then its not so bitter.
Thanks so much for sharing these! A big solver to my lunch time problems~~ I would LOVE LOVE LOVE to see your other salad jars!!
This is genius!!! Yes, more recipes like this please!!! These are awesome, so some variety would be great. Thank you!!