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Jar salad recipes for on-the-go lunches
The juicer, the spiralizer, the coffee pod machine and the smoothie maker – we’ve had them all. Now, the latest gizmo to shake up the food world is refreshingly low-tech: the jar. Or, specifically, a jar full of salad.
Finished rolling your eyes yet? I know, it sounded like a triumph of styling over substance to me too, yet more faux-retro folderols. The internet is awash with blogs and Instagram pictures of artfully arranged jars with rainbow stripes of veg, gingham napkins akimbo.
But having done a little experimenting, I’m a convert. Layering dressing, then individual ingredients, in a jar is a brilliant way of making up packed lunches – either for the office or for picnics, or even pre-preparing for a lunch party.
What is surprisingly impressive is how well salads keep in the jars, provided you choose the ingredients with care. I wouldn’t go as far as some of those bloggers, who are advocating making a whole week’s worth in advance – doubtful nutritionally as the veg loses goodness as soon as it is cut. But it’s still likely to be better for you, and better tasting, than those mayonnaise-loaded salads in the work canteen.
And yes, those pretty stripes of colourful veg do make healthy food as appetising as an ice-cream sundae. Big business has known this for years, and effectively what you are making is a home-made version of those extortionately priced cups of fruit salad available at Starbucks and the like. But the stripes aren’t just eye candy. With a home-made savoury salad jar, you can see at a glance what proportion of carbs, veg and protein you have by looking at the width of the stripes – it’s a food pyramid in a jar.
So why a jar, and not the time-honoured Tupperware box? It’s partly aesthetics, mostly practicality. The container needs to be tall, to layer up the ingredients, as keeping the constituents reasonably separate is what helps them stay fresh-tasting, and wide-mouthed jars are perfect. Old Bonne Maman jam jars, the ones with the check lids, are good for picnics where there is other food on offer. But for working lunches they are on the small side: aficionados favour a huge one-litre size, which really is a whole meal in a jar, and means the salad leaves that top the confection don’t get squashed.
Best are the preserving types, either screw cap or clip top, which give a really tight seal. Either way, while you could eat it out of the jar, and that makes good sense on picnics, for the office I prefer to take a big bowl in to tip the concoction into and mix all the flavours into a glorious melee. Gingham napkin strictly optional.
Watch the Telegraph's Jar Salads video series
Step-by-step salad in a jar formula
- Packing a salad jar is a combination of chemistry and engineering. Here’s my six-step guide to salad jar construction.
- Start with the dressing in the bottom, making sure it is punchy enough to season and flavour the whole jarful.
- Next add hard, robust vegetables such as root veg, fennel or cabbage. This should be stuff that will benefit from marinating in the dressing, cut thinly enough to soften nicely. It will also lift the rest of the ingredients out of the liquid, preventing slimy salad-dressing-saturated disasters.
- Third in line is the fairly firm veg that won’t mind the weight of a few more ingredients on top. Green beans and peas are perfect.
- Now it’s the turn of rice, noodles, pulses or couscous, or whatever starch you want to add. Low carb-ers can leave this out. Another layer of vegetables can go on top, more delicate things such as roasted aubergines.
- A layer of protein such as cheese, chicken or fish – jars are great for leftovers. Season it lightly and add a shake of seeds as well (sesame and nigella are both good go-tos) to boost flavours.
- Finally, fill the top of the jar loosely with fragile salad leaves and herbs, where they won’t get squashed. They will also, like those little squiggles of polystyrene packaging, stop the contents of the jar rattling around.
Julia Mirabella, author of the book Mason Jar Salads and More, explains how to store your dressing if you are not using any firm ingredients.
- Layer your salad in the jar as usual but leave out the dressing
- Instead of filling the jar all the way up, leave some space for dressing at the top.
- Cut out a square of parchment paper that’s about a couple of inches wider than the jar top on all sides (an 8 x 8-inch square is more than enough)
- Place it over the jar and push down to form a little cup.
- The edges of the parchment paper should extend beyond the edge of the jar; bend them down toward the outside of the jar
- Pour your salad dressing into the parchment paper cup and twist on the lid. The jar will stay sealed, even over the parchment paper. Just make sure the lid is on tight, and nothing should leak
Xanthe's jar salad essentials
Epicurean jar
Glass is nicest to eat out of but plastic is more robust and lighter weight. These jars fit the bill and look good too (£9.99, ocado.com).
Chop2Pot chopping board
The Chop2Pot chopping board folds cleverly so you can shoot your chopped veg straight into the jar (from £8.50, johnlewis.com).
Zyliss Smart Touch salad spinner
This Zyliss salad spinner has a flat top, making it easier to stack in cupboards or the fridge (from £24.67, amazon.co.uk ).
Gourmet Mandoline Slicer
Mandolines are brilliant for slicing very thinly, as long as you don’t press down too hard. This speeds through the veg (£29.99, lakeland.co.uk).
Mason Jar Salads and More by Julie Mirabella is available to buy from the Telegraph Bookshop
Salad in a jar recipes
