You’ve probably seen jar salads shared on social media over the years and wondered “Does anyone actually make these?”
I have made several over the years and this one is a favorite. Even my husband who isn’t a fan of chicken likes this one and requests it for lunch. You don’t have to put it in a jar but the jars are easy to transport and store.
I started out making these in genuine Mason jars but last year I picked the storage jar that you see here as a WW prize. My WW jar is bigger than a Mason quart jar and also has a storage compartment in the lid where I put my “crunchies” or dressing. But more on the vessel later, let’s talk about the salad!
Southwest Salad in a Jar
You’ll need for each jar:
2-3 tablespoons of salsa
1/3 cup canned corn, well drained
1/3 cup black beans or chili beans, rinsed and drained
1/4 cup of shredded cheddar or Mexican blend cheese
1/2 cup of cubed or shredded cooked chicken
Lettuce of choice
Optional: Tortilla strips for topping
For jar salads, you want to start with your wettest ingredients and go drier as you build. Drop the ingredients in the order that I’ve listed into the jar with your lettuce being the last layer that you add thus the top layer of the jar. When you dump the jar out, your lettuce will be on the bottom. I like to turn my jar upside down for a few minutes before I’m going to eat it so that the salsa can fall down into my salad.
Tips/Tricks:
*I really like chili beans in this salad. I usually rinse and drain them in my colander first then scoot them over and pour the corn in the colander alongside the beans. I scoop out with a 1/3 measuring cup to fill my jars.
*I usually add a drizzle of Ranch to mine (as you can see in the pic above) but it’s really not necessary. The salsa makes a fine dressing.
*I grew up with a mom who canned vegetables so there was always Mason jars around. If you don’t have any, you can find plain old Mason jars on Amazon here. You can even buy an insert cup for them like my plastic jars have for your dressing or crunchies! (I have not tried this product but it looks cool.) I also found this glass salad jar with a steel insert cup and now I WANT ONE!
*For more jar salad ideas, check these bloggers: Wholefully and Organize Yourself Skinny