Salad in a Jar

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Do you ever run across a recipe or idea that you can’t get out of your head until you make it?  Well, that’s this one here.  Pure genius, plain and simple.  Did I mention I love pinterest?  Any-who, this idea comes from Fat girl trapped in a skinny  body and it just stuck in my mind.  I couldn’t get it out.

We all want to eat healthier and I happen to love a really good salad.  These are easy to make on a Sunday night and eat throughout the week for a quick lunch or dinner.  What I really love is that I use leftovers from the fridge to create unique and different salads for each jar.  Leftover chicken, rice, cornbread, celery, carrots, broccoli, any combination that you enjoy, the sky’s the limit.  They last for at least 4 days in the fridge, just shake and serve, or eat straight from the jar.

This vinaigrette really makes this salad, I want to pour it over my cereal in the morning.  Ok, so maybe I am exaggerating a bit, but trust me, make the vinaigrette!

Balsamic Vinaigrette:  3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar, 1-2 tablespoons water (more or less depending on the consistency you want), 2 tablespoons honey (can be replaced with agave or brown sugar), 1/4 teaspoon sea salt, 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, 32 Oz Jar

In a small jar or blender, mix all the ingredients.  This recipe makes enough for two salads, but it can easily be doubled or tripled.

Olive oil, balsamic vinaigrette

water, I used 1 tablespoon

honey,

salt and pepper.

Put the lid on and shake.

Really well, for a few minutes, or blend for about 30 seconds.

Next up prep all your salad ingredients: for this I used, 1/4 cup onion, 1/4 cup bell pepper, 1/2 cup mushrooms, 1 cup tomatoes,1 cup chopped chicken, and 2 big handfuls of mixed green salad.

Simply layer in 2 tablespoons of the dressing then onion, bell pepper, mushrooms, tomatoes, chicken and salad greens.  It is important the salad greens and dressing don’t mix.  Also, it’s good for the onion and pepper to be in the dressing to help them marinate.

To serve simply shake until mixed well and eat straight from the jar or pour onto a plate.

So what will you put in your salad in a jar?

Salad in a Jar

Adapted by Fat Girl Trapped in a Skinny Body

Salad:
Makes 2 salads in 32 oz jars

1 cup cubed chicken
2 big handfuls mixed greens
1 cup chopped mushrooms
1 cup cherry tomatoes
1/4 red onion, diced
1/4 cup chopped bell pepper
4 tbsp balsamic vinaigrette

Balsamic Vinaigrette
Recipe from Creative Kitchen Adventures

3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1-2 tbsp water (more or less depending on the consistency you want)
2 tbsp honey (can be replaced with agave or brown sugar)
1/4 tsp sea salt
1/4 tsp black pepper

Place all ingredients into a small lidded jar.  Or blend all ingredients in a blender for 30 seconds.  Anything with a lid works well. Shake to mix thoroughly. Stores in fridge for 1-2 weeks.

Layer the ingredients in the jar as follows:
Balsamic Vinaigrette
onion
peppers
mushrooms
tomatoes
chicken
salad greens

The most important part of the layering is making sure the dressing and the salad greens(don’t touch. As long as they stay separate, these salads can be made up to 4 days in advance and will stay fresh in the fridge with a lid on. Easy to double this recipe and make lunch for all week.

This recipe is posted at Life As Mom