Mason Jar Salads and More: 50 Layered Lunches to Grab & Go
Eva Baughman has worked as a mom, a pastry chef and a recipe tester. She enjoys travel and nature photography.
Author: Julia Mirabella | Publisher: Ulysses Press 2014 143 pages
This little book provides a nice way to get started with the newest use for Mason jars taking the Internet by storm. The idea is to prepare several healthy meals at once and store them in a recyclable and chemical-free (non-plastic) container. The flood of Internet recipes using the iconic container, usually associated with the art of canning or preserving, has been impressive – and in the case of this book, praise is warranted.
The author provides basic information about the process of packing salads and other meals in canning jars. While the weight and fragility of glass jars might be a concern, they are attractive and come in sizes and shapes that are convenient to fill, carry, and store. The attributes of a spill-proof seal and the ease of thorough cleaning make for two more reasons to buy a case of 12 jars – which were available at my local hardware store for around $10.00, a nice deal!
Mason Jar Salads and More has plenty of photos to inspire. The recipes are not at all fussy. They make use of a wide variety of fruits, vegetables, and grains, and there are numerous meatless options. The author clearly likes food and has a diverse diet, which is reflected in her array of flavorful recipes. Her recipes are also well-seasoned, something that is sometimes lacking in salads.
The author includes some good tips specific to Mason jar salads. Most of her salads place the dressing at the bottom under an ingredient that isn’t likely to wilt, but she suggests fashioning a shallow cup from parchment paper to suspend under the cap if an ingredient, like salad dressing, needs be segregated until serving time. For warm weather and picnics, packing hummus into a pint jar and standing carrot and celery sticks inside for transport is convenient and efficient.
I enjoyed par-boiling steel-cut oats in bulk, dividing the soupy mixture among five 1-pint jars, and setting them aside to plump up overnight. Over the next week I reheated the perfectly cooked oats in the jars and ate them with the suggested blueberries and almonds – delicious. It would be easy to grab one of the jars from the refrigerator on the way out the door to be heated later at the office, too.
The jar I made of curried butternut squash salad with lentils was delicious for my lunch and also served as a side dish for my husband and me with our dinner later in the week.
The Cobb Salad was the classic combination of ingredients, united with a simple French vinaigrette dressing. It was a completely satisfying meal, restaurant-quality without the expense.
There are salads, yes, but also soups, smoothies, sandwiches, and snacks to entice. You’ll eat well and could resist impulsive purchases of processed foods – a healthy and economic payoff. 
First published June 2015
Cobb Salad in a Mason Jar
The Cobb salad is said to be the creation of Robert Cobb, the owner of the Hollywood Brown Derby restaurant, back in the 1930s. The Cobb salad quickly became a signature dish at the restaurant, and it lives on at restaurants across the country — and in home kitchens, too!
Chopped salads are fantastic for lunch, because they are filling and filled with protein. All the different proteins make this Cobb salad especially pretty packed in a pint jar, but you can easily expand it into a quart jar by adding more romaine. You can grill a chicken breast to use in the salad or use leftover cooked chicken.
- Servings Makes 1 serving
Ingredients
For the Salad
- 1 egg
- 2 slices bacon
- ½ avocado
- 1½ tablespoons French Vinaigrette*
- ¼ cup diced tomatoes
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
- 1 tablespoon chopped chives
- ¼ cup chopped romaine, cut in 2-inch strips*
- ¼ cup cubed cooked chicken breast
- 1 ounce blue cheese
- 1 pint-size Mason jar*
French Vinaigrette
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- ½ tablespoon minced shallot
- ¼ teaspoon Dijon mustard
- pinch of salt
- freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
* To use a quart-size jar, increase the vinaigrette to 3 tablespoons and the romaine to 2 cups.
Preparation
For the Vinagrette:
Whisk together the lemon juice, shallot, mustard, salt, and pepper. Slowly add the olive oil, whisking, until the dressing thickens.
To assemble the salad:
Place the egg in a small saucepan and cover with water. Bring to a boil over high heat and then immediately turn off the burner. Cover the pan and let sit for 11 minutes, then remove the egg using a slotted spoon and cool briefly in a cold-water bath.
Peel and chop the egg; set aside.
In a small skillet over low to medium heat, cook the bacon until crispy. Drain the bacon grease, chop into small pieces, and set aside. Cube the avocado.
Place the vinaigrette in the Mason jar, then layer in the tomatoes, parsley and chives, chopped egg, romaine, avocado, and chicken. Crumble the blue cheese into the jar and add the bacon on top. Seal and refrigerate until ready to use.
Southwestern Salad
Colorful with lots of protein and antioxidants, this hearty salad will keep you satisfied until dinnertime. You can step it up a notch with a little hot sauce in your salad dressing if you want to make things interesting.
- Servings Makes 1 serving
Ingredients
For the Salad
- 3 tablespoons Lime Vinaigrette
- ½ cup black beans, rinsed and drained
- ½ red vine-ripened tomato, diced
- ¼ red bell pepper, diced
- ¼ yellow bell pepper, diced
- ½ cup diced avocado (optional)
- ½ cup corn kernels, fresh or frozen
- 2 cups mixed salad greens
- 1 ounce Cheddar cheese, grated
- 1 quart-size Mason jar
For the Lime Vinaigrette
- 2 tablespoons lime juice
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro
- pinch of salt
- freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- dash of hot sauce (optional)
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
Lime Vinaigrette:
Whisk together the lime juice, cilantro, salt, pepper, and hot sauce (if using). Slowly add the olive oil, whisking, until the dressing thickens.
To assemble the salad:
Start by pouring the vinaigrette dressing into the Mason jar. Then layer in the black beans, tomato, bell peppers, avocado, and corn. Finish with the salad greens and, finally, the Cheddar cheese. Seal and refrigerate until ready to use.
Tortellini with Basil Pesto, Cherry Tomatoes, and Mozzarella
Every summer I grow basil plants and harvest them to make big batches of pesto. If you don’t have the space to grow your own plants, keep an eye out at farmers’ markets or local stores during the summer, when basil prices are low. This caprese-style salad takes very little time to make and keeps well in the refrigerator, either in layers or mixed together, so you can feel free to make it days in advance. This recipe is perfect for large gatherings; cut the recipe in half for a single serving to bring to the office. This recipe can be eaten warm or cold.
- Servings Makes 2 servings
Ingredients
For the Salad
- 2 cups uncooked fresh cheese tortellini
- 1 tablespoon olive oil (if using a Mason jar)
- 2 tablespoons Basil Pesto
- 1 tablespoon thinly sliced red onion
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
- ¼ cup halved mozzarella balls
- 1 quart-size Mason jar (optional)
Basil Pesto (4 servings)
- ¼ cup plus 1 tablespoon olive oil, divided
- ¼ cup pine nuts
- 4 cups tightly packed basil leaves
- ½ cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
TIP: If you have a lot of basil on your hands, you can make a big batch of pesto and freeze it to use later. Just pour the pesto into an ice cube tray and freeze. Once the pesto is frozen, you can remove it from the ice cube tray and store it in a zip-top plastic bag in the freezer. When you want pesto for your salad, drop frozen pesto into the pasta pot after you’ve drained it and it will quickly defrost.
Preparation
For the Basil Pesto:
In a small skillet, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium heat. Add the pine nuts and toast, stirring frequently, until golden brown, about 3 minutes.
In a blender or food processor, combine the basil, ¼ cup olive oil, cheese, toasted pine nuts, salt, and pepper. Blend until the ingredients come together smoothly.
To create the salad:
Cook the tortellini according to the package directions; drain and transfer to a bowl. If you’re planning to layer your salad in a jar, mix in the olive oil to keep the tortellini from sticking together.
To layer the salad, start with the pesto and then add the onion, tomatoes, mozzarella, and tortellini. Or, simply mix the remaining ingredients with the tortellini in the bowl. Seal the jar or cover the bowl; refrigerate until ready to use.
Eva Baughman
Eva Baughman has loved studying and practicing photography since buying a second hand Nikkormat SLR when she was first out of college. Photography took a secondary role while she raised a family and worked as a pastry chef and as a recipe tester. When her nest emptied, her passion to create images was reignited. Now it’s with a Pentax DSLR, a Fujifilm X-T1 and in the digital darkroom. She especially enjoys travel and nature photography, has exhibited in New Hampshire, and has had her photos published by the New York Times for food-related stories. She is a member of the New England Chapter of Les Dames d’Escoffier.
Courtesy photo
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