I first encountered mason jar salads while working as a food stylist for creative director Jordan Duvall of Ignite Your Soul Brand. Mason jar packaging is a clever and practical way to prep your meals while exercising portion control. It is really important to layer the ingredients in a very specific order for longevity. Starting with dressing at the bottom, grain after that, solid dry ingredients followed by wet ingredients, and finally greens on top. Mason jars come in different sizes. Depending on your portion needs, you can prep these up to 4 days in advance and bring them with you on the go. Below is my favorite mason jar salad recipe – smoky black rice with apples, cabbage, cranberries and pistachios with a light lemon buttermilk dressing.
Mason Jar Salad Recipe – serves 4
1 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 lemon, zested and juiced
Salt and ground black pepper, to taste
1 cup cooked black rice
½ red cabbage, shredded
1 apple, diced
1 cup pistachios
1 cup dried cranberries
1 cup microgreens
Cook the rice according to package instructions. Let cool completely. Whisk together buttermilk, mayonnaise, lemon zest, lemon juice, salt and pepper to make salad dressing. Divide and place the rest of the ingredients into four mason jars in the following order starting with dressing at the bottom, then rice, cabbage, apple, pistachios, cranberries and finally microgreens on top. Close the lids and store refrigerated for up to four days. Shake well and plate when ready to eat.