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    Home » Healthy Salad Recipes & Dressings » Protein Salad In a Jar

    Protein Salad In a Jar

    Published: Jul 3, 2018 · Modified: Jan 10, 2023 by Tammy Overhoff

    Jump to Recipe Jump to Video Print Recipe

    Protein Salad in Jar layered with quinoa, chickpeas, and eggs! This recipe is delicious and will keep you satisfied all afternoon!

    Mason jar salad recipe. Protein-packed ingredients chickpeas, quinoa, and eggs.

    Do you know what my favorite kind of recipe is? One that I throw together using up ingredients I already have on hand. Yep! I love fishing through my pantry and fridge to see what I can create without having to go to the grocery store and spend more money. However, most of the time these recipes are created out of necessity not because I feel like playing a game of Chopped.

    That’s how this new mason jar salad recipe was born.

    I had every intention of making my smoked turkey, chickpea, sun-dried tomato, and crumbled blue cheese mason jar salad. Buuuut I forgot the sun-dried tomatoes and blue cheese. Annnnd I got the wrong turkey so instead of going to the store I decided to work with what I had. Yes, it wasn’t my best meal prep moment.

    Anyway, I wanted my salad to be filling so I searched for high-protein ingredients. In my pantry, I had a big bag of quinoa, in the fridge I had eggs, and I already had cans of chickpeas. And I always have feta in the fridge. Perfect!

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    So I put together this salad and fell in love with first bite. It’s semi-vegetarian since it includes eggs but you could leave the eggs out and add more beans if you’d like.

    I love that there’s no meat. I’m not a vegetarian but I do feel better when I eat more plants and beans so I was happy to create a salad that didn’t include meat.

    How to Make Protein Salad in a Jar

    For the dressing I used Newman’s Own Olive Oil and Vinegar. I’ve used balsamic vinegar dressing and also made my own. In my opinion, this salad taste best with an oil-based dressing. To keep the calories and fat low I only used 1 tablespoon of dressing. This might not seem like a lot but it was just enough to coat the ingredients. If you need more then up the dressing to 2 tablespoons per jar. But make a couple with just 1 and see if that works for you.

    You can also lower the calories by reducing the feta to 1 tablespoon. But I love feta so I’d rather reduce calories in other ways.

    Like all of my mason jar salad recipes I used grape tomatoes, cucumbers, and red onion. Typically, I use baby cucumbers but for this recipe I chopped 2 regular cucumbers and divided it between the salads.

    Out of all my mason jar salad recipes this is one of my favorites – if not my favorite. I’ve made it for about 2 months straight now. Not only because it’s delicious but it uses simple easy ingredients.

    Just in case you’re wondering, I got my mason jars and lids from Amazon. You can find mason jars at any grocery store, Target, and I’ve even seen them at drugstores. If you don’t feel like driving all over town then purchase a pack from Amazon. Also, I highly reccomend getting the plastic mason jar lids. The metal ones that come with the jars will eventually rust. I wish I got the plastic lids sooner. Again, you can get both right from Amazon. 

    Meal Prep and weekly weigh in

    Check out my mason jar salad tutorial to learn how to make your own salad in a jar recipes.

    Protein Salad in a Jar

    Protein Salad in Jar layered with quinoa, chickpeas, and eggs! This recipe is delicious and will keep you satisfied all afternoon!
    4.88 from 8 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Salad
    Cuisine: lunch
    Keyword: high protein salad, protein salad
    Prep Time: 20 minutes
    Total Time: 20 minutes
    Servings: 5 people
    Calories: 347kcal
    Author: Tammy Overhoff

    Equipment

    • 5 32-ounce mason jars

    Ingredients

    • 1/3 cup dry white quinoa
    • 2/3 cup water or vegetable broth
    • 10 tablespoons homemade Italian vinaigrette or store-bought
    • 1 pint cherry tomatoes cut in half
    • 5-6 mini cucumbers cut into slices
    • 1 15-ounce chickpeas drain and rinsed
    • 10 tablespoons crumbled feta cheese
    • 5 hard-boiled eggs chopped
    • 5 cups baby spinach

    Instructions

    • Start by cooking the quinoa. First place the dry quinoa into a bowl and fill it with water. Stir with a spoon until the water becomes cloudy. Drain and rinse the quinoa using a mesh strainer.
    • Place the quinoa into a small pot with 2/3 cups of water or broth. Cover and bring to a bowl, then reduce to a low simmer and cook for 10 minutes until water is absorbed.
    • Set the quinoa aside for ten more minutes, and then fluff it with a fork. Cook the quinoa before using it in the salad. It's helpful to make the quinoa ahead of time.
    • Put the salad together: Divide the ingredients among the five mason jars. Start with the dressing, continue with tomatoes, cucumbers, chickpeas, quinoa, feta, eggs, and finish with the baby spinach.
    • Tightly place the lid on and store them in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
    • When you're ready to eat, shake the jar and pour the salad onto a plate.

    Video

    Notes

    Make-ahead tips
    mason jar salads can be made up to 5 days ahead of time. Store in the refrigerator.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1g | Calories: 347kcal | Carbohydrates: 29g | Protein: 17g | Fat: 20g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 0.02g | Cholesterol: 217mg | Sodium: 894mg | Potassium: 987mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 11g | Vitamin A: 4073IU | Vitamin C: 39mg | Calcium: 290mg | Iron: 4mg

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    Healthy Salad Recipes & Dressings, Mason Jar Salads, Recipes

    About Tammy Overhoff

    Hi, I’m Tammy Overhoff, a busy mom, wife, and entrepreneur. I am the owner, author, and recipe developer here at Organize Yourself Skinny. Since 2011 Organize Yourself Skinny has become a trusted resource for clean eating recipes to meal prep, reviews, and lifestyle hacks to help you fit healthy habits and routines into your busy schedule. Check out my online shop Reset & Flourish for all of my eBooks, Guides, and Bundles!

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Shera says

      February 08, 2023 at 12:11 pm

      5 stars
      This is my favorite of your main jar salads! I haven’t made it for a little over a year so I went back to the recipe to refresh my memory. I noticed there are no onions (which I love) now but I added them. I’m going to check the other salads now and see what else has changed. Keep up the good work!

      Reply
    2. Ginger Kearney says

      January 23, 2023 at 12:10 pm

      I made this particular one this past week and Am in love with the simplicity of the mason jar salads. Love how fresh it stays and very convenient for my lunches for work too !

      Reply
      • Tammy Overhoff says

        January 23, 2023 at 1:18 pm

        Yay! I love that you love these salads! Makes eating a bunch of greens so easy.

        Reply
        • Julie Gerard says

          January 24, 2023 at 9:09 am

          5 stars
          I’ve made this mason jar salad many times now. It’s so tasty, filling, and I appreciate how easily I can adjust the vegetable choices to my taste. I’ve also found that if I put some iceberg lettuce below the spinach layer, the iceberg stays crunchy and fresh. The prep time is well worth the ultimate ease of grabbing a jar in the morning and bringing it to work with me. Thank you for the recipes!

    3. Juliet llano says

      September 07, 2022 at 9:41 am

      5 stars
      How many days does it stay fresh for?

      Reply
      • Tammy Overhoff says

        September 07, 2022 at 3:27 pm

        This mason jar salad stays fresh for 5 days.

        Reply
    4. Amanda says

      September 02, 2022 at 8:56 am

      What would you recommend to substitute for chick peas? I am not a fan but everything thing else in this salad sounds delicious.

      Thank you

      Reply
      • Tammy Overhoff says

        September 26, 2022 at 7:04 am

        Any bean will work or you can leave them out.

        Reply
    5. Jo Harper says

      March 12, 2022 at 8:55 am

      5 stars
      Can I use chopped roma tomatoes instead? Not a tomato fan, but trying to eat more and Roma’s are tolerable. Thanks!

      Reply
      • Tammy Overhoff says

        March 13, 2022 at 1:12 pm

        Yes you can switch up the tomatoes. Chopped Roma will work.

        Reply
    6. Dawn says

      November 05, 2019 at 11:47 pm

      This has become one of my go-to salads, it’s so easy to make. I used kidney beans this week instead of garbanzos and that was a hit as well. I have made one of your salad recipes every week since July. This salad and the Doritos Salad have gotten the most repeats!

      Reply
    7. Jordan says

      February 15, 2019 at 6:48 pm

      I’m going to start doing mason jar salads, but I was wondering, what could I substitute for feta cheese? I notice you use a lot of feta and blue cheese and those are the only ones I don’t like. I don’t want to omit cheese at all, I would love a recommendation!!

      Reply
      • Tammy Kresge says

        February 20, 2019 at 9:30 am

        I feel any cheese you like will work just fine.

        Reply
    8. KathyD says

      February 11, 2019 at 5:35 pm

      5 stars
      I thought I would like this salad, but I LOVED it! There is something about the combination that hits all the right notes. I’m so happy I have this for my lunch for the rest of the week. Thank you!

      Reply
      • Tammy Kresge says

        February 13, 2019 at 10:46 am

        This is my all time fav! I think I’ve made it for almost a year straight now!

        Reply
        • Mary says

          August 07, 2022 at 10:48 am

          Is the nutritional information for this recipe per jar? Or the total for all five? Due to health reasons, I was put on a carb restriction of 15-30 total carbs per meal/snack. The total for this receipe is 39g carbs

        • Tammy Overhoff says

          August 14, 2022 at 8:12 pm

          It’s per jar.

    9. Julia says

      December 19, 2018 at 3:22 pm

      Thanks so much Tammy! I’ve long admired your blog but haven’t made a recipe in a long time. Loving this one for lunch today (and the rest of the week!!)

      Reply
    10. Mary Mulcahy says

      August 15, 2018 at 6:40 pm

      4 stars
      So it’s 1/4 cup of cooked quinoa per salad?

      Reply
      • Tammy Kresge says

        August 16, 2018 at 10:12 am

        yes that’s correct

        Reply
    11. Andrea says

      July 30, 2018 at 12:39 pm

      This looks yummy and easy! How many ounces are your jars? The link is not working for me.

      Reply
      • Tammy Kresge says

        July 30, 2018 at 1:56 pm

        they are 32 ounces

        Reply
    12. Shelli says

      July 17, 2018 at 5:23 pm

      5 stars
      This is a definite winner! I didn’t have any oil & vinegar dressing, so instead I used a tablespoon of fig balsamic vinegar and it’s great! I’m so glad you’re good at experimenting because I’m good at following other people’s recipes! 😉

      Reply
      • Tammy Kresge says

        July 19, 2018 at 4:03 pm

        Yum that dressing sounds amazing! SO glad you liked this recipe.

        Reply
      • Tammy Kresge says

        November 08, 2018 at 8:53 am

        Yes I made this with balsamic dressing too and loved it.

        Reply
    13. Kelly Mahan says

      July 13, 2018 at 1:19 pm

      5 stars
      I really like these mason jar salads, they’re practical and so easy to prepare ahead!

      Reply
      • Tammy Kresge says

        July 19, 2018 at 4:17 pm

        This one is my favorite!

        Reply
    14. Sharonda says

      July 03, 2018 at 6:32 am

      I will be trying this recipe. Quick and easy. Thanks for sharing.

      Reply
      • Tammy Kresge says

        November 08, 2018 at 8:53 am

        You got it!

        Reply

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    Hi, I’m Tammy Overhoff, a busy mom, wife, and entrepreneur. I am the owner, author, and recipe developer here at Organize Yourself Skinny. Since 2011 Organize Yourself Skinny has become a trusted resource for clean eating meal prep recipes, reviews, and lifestyle hacks to help you fit healthy habits and routines into your busy schedule. Check out my online shop Reset & Flourish for all of my eBooks, Guides, and Bundles!

    More about me →

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