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This mason jar salad recipe will make eating salads a lot easier. This fall-inspired version features an apple cider dressing, roasted sweet potatoes, crunchy cabbage, quinoa, and white beans, packed strategically so the leafy greens won’t get soggy or smushed.
It’s actually genius, if I do say so myself.
This recipe is vegan as written, but you can top it with crispy tofu, oven-baked chicken breasts, or perfectly baked salmon if you want it to be even more filling.
“This has fast become part of my meal prep for the week! So convenient to take to work! Love it! And the dressing taste great! So many times the healthy dressings taste so boring or the taste is not right for the salad recipe. This one is perfect! Great job. I use so many of your recipes because they actually have flavor. I will keep coming back for great recipes.”
Table of Contents
Why You’ll Love These Fall Mason Jar Salads
- They are strategically packed. The red onion marinates in the dressing at the bottom of the jar, becoming delightfully flavorful overnight, while roasted sweet potatoes and leafy greens stay on top and don’t get soggy or mushy.
- They make eating veggies easier. No one expects you to awkwardly stick a fork into a tall mason jar… just pour the contents into a large serving bowl, and the dressing will coat everything perfectly! It’s ready to eat right away.
- It’s perfectly portioned. You won’t have to guess how much dressing each jar needs, or how many beans or veggies to add. I’ll walk you through the exact measurements I use so you’ll get delicious results on your first try.
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Cabbage. I like to use red cabbage for color, but green will work, too. This adds an essential crunch! I use approximately 1 cup per jar, so you might have a little leftover to use in healthy spaghetti another night.
- White Beans. You can use any beans you love, but I’m partial to cannellini or Great Northern beans for this salad.
- Quinoa. This helps make the salad heartier, and you can prep it ahead of time! Be sure to use my quinoa cooking directions for the fluffiest results that don’t burn to your pan. I always cook extra so I can make quinoa fried rice another night.
- Leafy Greens. I think this is a great time to use arugula; it’s a little spicy and pairs well with the maple vinaigrette. But spring mix would also work here.
- Red Onion. This might be my favorite ingredient, mostly because it turns into “pickled” red onion overnight. It sits directly in the dressing and becomes so flavorful! You might wish you had used more once you taste this the next day. (Shallot would be similar.)
- Maple Cider Vinaigrette. You’ll make the dressing with a simple combo of apple cider vinegar, maple syrup, olive oil, Dijon mustard, salt, and pepper.
How to Make Mason Jar Salads (Step by Step)
- Preheat the oven to 425ºF and cut a large sweet potato into 1/2-inch pieces. Transfer the pieces to a rimmed baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil, then toss with 1/2 teaspoon each of paprika, garlic powder, and salt.
- Spread the sweet potato evenly on the baking sheet so the pieces don’t touch, then bake at 425ºF for 15 minutes. When the timer goes off, remove the pan, flip the pieces over, and bake for 15 more minutes.
- While you wait, start cooking the quinoa. You can follow my how to cook quinoa tutorial for step-by-step photos. I usually cook more quinoa than I need for this recipe, so I can use the leftovers for another meal. (My kids love plain quinoa.) If you don’t want leftovers, cook only 1/2 cup dry quinoa.
- Next, prepare the dressing. In a large measuring cup (ideally one with a pouring spout), add 1/3 cup olive oil, 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar, 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard, 2 tablespoons maple syrup, 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt, and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper. Whisk well to combine.
- Grab 3 quart-sized mason jars with a wide mouth. Add 1/4 cup of dressing to the bottom of each jar. If you have a little more dressing leftover, just divide it the best you can between the jars.
- Dice half of a red onion and divide it between the 3 jars. (You’ll get about 3 tablespoons of onion per jar.) The onion flavor will become better the longer it sits in the dressing!
- Add approximately 1 cup of shredded cabbage next. I usually get 3 cups total of shredded cabbage from 1/2 of a large head. Reserve the remaining cabbage for a batch of cabbage roll soup.
- When the quinoa is cool, add 1/2 cup of cooled quinoa to each jar, followed by 1/2 cup of drained and rinsed white beans. (This should use the whole can of beans.)
- Let the roasted sweet potatoes cool, then divide them between the jars. (You’ll get 3/4 cup per jar, approximately.) Finish the jars with a cup of leafy greens, gently packed on top. Secure the jar with a lid and store in the fridge until you’re ready to use them.
- To serve, remove a jar from the fridge, remove the lid, and pour the contents into a large serving bowl. The dressing will coat everything as it pours out! You’ll notice the greens feel perfectly fresh, and the red onion is nicely marinated, for the perfect flavor in each bite.
Serving Tips
As I mentioned earlier, mason jar salads aren’t meant to be eaten directly from the mason jar. I used to picture people awkwardly eating straight from the narrow jar, and that’s not ideal for getting the dressing evenly coated over everything!
Instead, the jar is simply for keeping things layered and fresh, while also being prepped and convenient to grab from the fridge. I also keep a batch of Instant Pot shredded chicken in my fridge to add on top.
Mason Jar Salad Recipe FAQs
You can store salad in a mason jar for up to 4 days. So, you can make as many servings as you’ll eat in that time frame. I personally don’t want to eat the same thing for more than 3 days straight, so that’s why I landed on this portion size.
If you cook 1 cup of dry quinoa, you should end up with 3 cups cooked. This is more than you’ll need for these salad jars, but I love being efficient with my time, so I cook extra and use it as a swap for rice when serving ground beef and broccoli or kung pao tofu.
Yes, definitely. I think these ingredients would pair well with poppy seed dressing, honey balsamic dressing, or peanut salad dressing. Just make sure you use approximately 1/4 cup of dressing per jar for maximum flavor.
More Salads You’ll Crave
If you try this mason jar salad recipe, please leave a comment and ⭐ star rating below to let me know what you think. Thanks for visiting!
Mason Jar Salads with Maple Cider Vinaigrette
Ingredients
- 1 large sweet potato , cut into 1/2-inch cubes
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- 1 cup dry quinoa (see notes; you'll have leftovers)
- 1 pound cabbage (or 3 cups shredded)
- ½ red onion , diced
- 1 (15 oz.) can white beans , rinsed and drained
- 3 cups arugula or spring mix
Maple Cider Vinaigrette
- ¼ cup apple cider vinegar
- ⅓ cup olive oil
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
Instructions
- To roast the sweet potato, preheat the oven to 425ºF and toss the cubes with olive oil, garlic powder, paprika, and ½ teaspoon salt. Arrange the sweet potato in a single layer on a large baking sheet and roast for 30 minutes, flipping halfway through. Let them cool when the timer goes off.
- While the sweet potato roasts, rinse the dry quinoa in a fine-mesh strainer until you no longer see any foam or bubbles on top. Transfer the quinoa to a small saucepan and cover with 2 cups of fresh water. Bring this to a boil over high heat, then cover the pan and lower the heat. Cook covered for 10 minutes, then remove the pan from the heat and keep the lid on for 5 more minutes. Fluff with a fork and let it cool before adding to the salad jars.
- While everything is cooking, finely shred the cabbage and dice the red onion, and then combine all of the dressing ingredients in a measuring cup with a spout, for easy pouring.
- To assemble the salads, you'll need 3 quart-sized mason jars. Add ¼ cup of the dressing to the bottom, followed ~3 tablespoons of chopped red onion, 1 cup of shredded cabbage, ½ cup cooked quinoa, ½ cup of white beans, and then divide the cooled sweet potatoes between each jar. Fill the rest of the jar with arugula mixed greens. (It's okay to tightly pack the mixed greens at the top.)
- Repeat the layers for each jar, and reserve any extra salad toppings in airtight containers in your fridge. (I usually have leftover cabbage and quinoa.) Seal the jars with a lid and store them in the fridge for up to 4 days.
- To serve, remove the lid and pour the jar's contents into a large bowl. Stir well to make sure all of the vegetables are dressed, and enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
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I love this salad! As a busy person, it is really helpful to make ahead and have available in the fridge when I am ready to eat lunch. It tastes absolutely delicious! I am definitely looking for more mason jar salads now.
Delicious and very filling!
Any suggestions for veg to use in the place of cabbage? Do you think cucumber would store well for a couple of days? Open to suggestions – thanks!
You could do extra shredded carrots or raw beets? Cucumber might store well, I just haven’t tried it.
Absolutely Delicious
Made as one big salad, making it again right now.
Everyone who tried it, LOVED IT!
Another great recipe
Love both your cookbooks
I made this as a side for dinner one night. No mason jar – just all in a bowl. Absolutely delicious and filling! A real keeper. Even my husband, who normally would not eat beans or butternut squash, loved it! I’ll make this salad and dressing again, but it also gave me some ideas about being more adventurous with side salads this fall.
Hi there – this looks amazing!! Is the calorie estimation for 3 servings or 4?
Thank you!
Sarah
It’s for 3 servings! (Including the leftover dressing, quinoa, and other toppings– so there aren’t actually that many calories in each jar.)
These salads look like absolute perfection! So many fall flavors, so much vibrance, and so nutritious! Loving how simple and convenient these jars are!
I’m glad you explained that you are meant to dump the contents into a bowl to eat it. I kept seeing these mason jar salad recipes and thinking it would be a real challenge to eat them packed tight out of the jar! Duh! This looks delicious. I will be making it next week for lunches.
I was so confused by that at first, too! 🙂
Hey Megan,
I also love Mason Jar Salads – they are perfect to take to work! In summer I prepared a mixed salad with lots of greens, tuna and some roasted seeds: http://www.schuesselglueck.de/salat-im-glas-baukasten/ I love your autumn twist on the salad 🙂
Greeting from Southern Germany, Corinna
Has anyone tried this with lentils instead?
Not yet, but I imagine that would be good, too!