How To Layer Your Mason Jar Salad The Right Way

We've been raving about the multipurpose uses of Mason jars for ages. We're also proponents of a fresh, delicious salad. We have tips on how to level up your salad game with one simple step and to-die-for recipes like this grilled romaine and corn salad with herby mustard dressing, which will turn even the staunchest of meat eaters into a salad lover in no time. But how about combining the two? Mason jar salads are all the rage lately, and it's an easy way to get more veggies and a balanced meal into your busy schedule. The only problem? If you don't layer it the right way, you could end up with a soggy mess. So let's dive into the do's and don'ts of Mason jar salad packing.

First, you always want to start off with your dressing. Pouring it on top is the quickest way to get a wilt-y mess, so layer it on the bottom. Next, add your heartier, crunchier veggies. This will be a barrier to protect your more delicate ingredients from the dressing. For this layer, think things like snap peas, carrots, broccoli, cabbage, and radishes. Next up is your cooked legumes or soft veggies, like mushrooms and corn. If you want, toss some grains in for the next layer. Your protein should go next, and at the very top is the salad leaves, lettuce, seeds, or nuts. Basically: separate based on how much you don't want the dressing touching certain ingredients.

Now that you have the cardinal rule in mind (putting the most delicate ingredients as far away from the dressing as possible), you can build your salad up to be anything you want. We've got some tips for the quickest salad prep ever if you're on a time crunch, one of which includes making your own salad dressing from scratch. You want to stick to three times as much oil as vinegar when making your own dressing and keep to shelf stable ingredients like honey, mustard, vinegar, and oil. You can add aromatics like herbs or garlic just before you use the dressing to keep it fresh and lengthen the base dressing's shelf life.

To make for extra fast prep, you want to get all of your veggies washed and chopped in advance, too. You want to cut your veggies down so they fit inside of the jar. Do the same with your protein, cooking it in advance and cutting it down to size. You can cook protein in batches and freeze it for later use; just be sure you thaw it out before adding it to the jar, or the extra moisture content could cause some serious leaf wilting. Then, all you have to do is layer up your salad into jars at the start of the week and be on your way with a quick and easy lunch or dinner every day.