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    Home » Mason Jar Salads » California Salad in a Jar

    California Salad in a Jar

    Published: Jun 18, 2021 · Modified: Jun 5, 2022 by Tammy Overhoff

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    This delicious California Salad in Jar starts with a homemade balsamic dressing and then layered with crisp vegetables, chickpeas, sundried tomatoes, goat cheese, and arugula. You can make this flavorful, healthy salad on Sunday to enjoy for lunch all week. 

    California Salad in a Jar

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    I was inspired to make this layered salad after having a California salad at a local Greek restaurant. It was filled with grilled chicken, sun-dried tomatoes, chickpeas, onions, cucumber, tomatoes, blue cheese crumbles, and dressed with balsamic vinaigrette. It was bursting with flavor!

    Mason jar salads are my specialty, so I decided to make a version of this Californa Salad that I can make ahead of time for lunch all week.

    Reasons you’ll love this recipe

    • It’s a delicious healthy lunch recipe – Trust me, you’ll be looking forward to this salad all morning!
    • It’s filling – You don’t need to worry about being hungry an hour after eating this high-protein salad!
    • Easy to assemble – In less than 20 minutes, you’ll have a healthy lunch ready for the week. Oh, and there’s no cooking required.
    • Make-ahead – These salads stay fresh and tasty for five days!

    Ingredients

    ingredients to make a California salad in a jar recipe
    • Homemade balsamic vinaigrette – You can use store-bought balsamic dressing, but making it homemade guarantees that it will be healthier because you’re using clean ingredients. 
    • Cherry tomatoes and baby cucumbers – Both of these hearty vegetables are delicious after marinating in the balsamic dressing.
    • Chickpeas – these add great texture, fiber, and protein. 
    • Goat cheese crumbles – this creamy cheese adds fantastic flavor to this salad. You can also use feta cheese or blue cheese crumbles. I recommend using a soft, tangy cheese.
    • Sun-dried tomatoes – I use the sun-dried tomatoes in a bag. They provide fantastic flavor and texture. You could use sun-dried tomatoes in oil, but you’ll need to account for the extra calories.
    • Sliced smoked deli turkey – To keep this salad simple, I went to the deli counter and purchased organic deli smoked turkey breast. My favorite is either Plainville Organic Smoked Turkey or Wegmans Organic Smoked Turkey. I recommend having the turkey sliced so you can cut it into pieces.
    • Arugula (not pictured) – The peppery flavor of arugula sends this salad over the top. 

    Supplies

    • 32-ounce wide mouth mason jars
    • Plastic mason jar lids
    • Large salad bowl

    How to Make a California Salad in a Jar

    step by step collage for making a mason jar California salad.
    • Start by putting together the homemade balsamic dressing ingredients together. I like to use a 16-ounce mason jar or a small bowl for this.
    • Divide the salad dressing between the five mason jars. This will equal about 2-3 tablespoons of dressing between each salad. If you want to use less dressing then store the leftover dressing in an airtight jar in the refrigerator. 
    • Next, layer in the rest of the salad ingredients. Start with the tomatoes and continue with the cucumbers, chickpeas, sun-dried tomatoes, sliced turkey, cheese, and end with the arugula.
    • Place the lid on tightly and put the jars into the refrigerator.
    • When you’re ready to eat the California Salad, give the jar a good shake and then dump it into a large salad bowl. 

    Need more information on mason jar salads? Check out the How to Make Mason Jar Salads tutorial I put together, answering all of your salad in a jar questions.

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    layered california salad in a jar

    Storage Tips

    • These California Mason Jar Salads will stay fresh in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
    • You cannot freeze these salads.

    Cooking Tips

    You can layer in any of your favorite hearty vegetables – Red onions or bell peppers would both be delicious in this salad. Add these vegetables after the dressing layer.

    You can add avocado – Many authentic California salads include avocado but adding this fruit to a mason jar salad can be tricky because, as we know, avocado can brown quickly.

    If you want to add it in with the other salad ingredients then soak the chopped avocado in lemon juice prior to adding to the layers. This helps keep the avocado fresh all week. No guarantees but it will help. Put the avocado after the hearty vegetables in the jar.

    Also, it helps to use red onion when using avocado. I don’t know the science behind it but something with the onions will help keep the avocado fresh.

    Or you can slice the avocado fresh when you’re ready to eat the salad. The last option would be to freeze avocado slices and then take the amount out of the freezer a few minutes before you plan to eat it.

    You can swap in chicken – I like keeping this salad recipe easy with deli turkey but if you prefer chicken then you can use any cooked chicken breast, shredded chicken, or even rotisserie chicken. This Italian Grilled Chicken is good in this salad too.

    You can use other vinaigrettes – Balsamic dressing is my favorite with California Salad, but a lemon vinaigrette, Italian dressing, or green goddess dressing is good too.

    Use your favorite greens – Spring mix, baby spinach, or even baby kale are great choices if you don’t want to use arugula.

    You can include nuts – For more protein and some crunch, add some sliced almonds, walnuts, pecans, or your favorite nut. I recommend adding nuts on top of the greens in the mason jar salad or sprinkle on when you’re ready to eat.

    FAQs

    What is a California Salad?

    The authentic version celebrates the popular foods of California – avocado, greens, apricots, goat cheese, and almonds. However, there are many versions of California salad – it’s mostly about bold flavors and fresh ingredients.

    This version swaps out some of the original ingredients while still bursting with flavor.

    How to keep a Mason Jar Salad fresh?

    This is the most common question when it comes to making a mason jar salad. It’s all in the layering. Start with the dressing and end with the greens. Place heartier vegetables in with the salad dressing to act as a barrier, then layer in the rest of the ingredients. Tightly place the lid on the mason jar and refrigerate for up to 5 days.

    5 california salads in mason jars

    More Healthy Mason Jar Salad Recipes

    • Greek Salad in a Jar
    • Detox Mason Jar Salad
    • Thai Peanut Salad in a Jar
    • Vegan Taco Salad in a Jar
    • Steak Salad in a Jar
    • Spinach Pasta Salad in a Jar
    • Tortellini Pasta Salad in a Jar
    California Salad in a Jar

    California Salad in a Jar

    This delicious California Salad in Jar starts with a homemade balsamic dressing and then layered with crisp vegetables, chickpeas, sundried tomatoes, goat cheese, and arugula. You can make this flavorful, healthy salad on Sunday to enjoy for lunch all week. 
    5 from 4 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Lunch, lunch recipe
    Cuisine: American
    Keyword: califorina salad, california mason jar salad, california salad in a jar
    Prep Time: 20 minutes
    Total Time: 20 minutes
    Servings: 5 people
    Calories: 454kcal
    Author: Organize Yourself Skinny

    Equipment

    • 5 (32-ounce) Wide-Mouth Mason Jars with lids
    • Large Salad Bowl

    Ingredients

    Homemade Balsamic Salad Dressing

    • 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
    • 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
    • 1 small garlic clove grated or finely minced
    • 1 teaspoon Italian Seasoning
    • 4 teaspoons melted honey

    For the salad

    • 1 pint cherry or grape tomatoes sliced in half
    • 5 small cucumbers sliced
    • 1 15-ounce can of chickpeas
    • 3 ounce package of sun-dried tomatoes
    • 10 tablespoons goat cheese crumbles
    • 1/2 lb medium-sliced organic smoked deli turkey breast
    • 5 ounce package of arugula

    Instructions

    • Start by putting together the homemade balsamic dressing ingredients together. I like to use a 16-ounce mason jar or a small bowl for this.  
    • Divide the salad dressing between the five mason jars. This will equal about 2-3 tablespoons of dressing between each salad. If you want to use less dressing then store the leftover dressing in an airtight jar in the refrigerator.
    • Next, layer in the rest of the salad ingredients. Start with the tomatoes and continue with the cucumbers, chickpeas, sun-dried tomatoes, sliced turkey, cheese, and end with the arugula.
    • Place the lid on tightly and put the jars into the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
    • When you’re ready to eat the California Salad, give the jar a good shake and then dump it into a large salad bowl.

    Notes

    Ingredient note
    Sometimes the small cucumbers come in packages of 6 or 7. Just divide all of the cucumbers between the salad jars.
    Storage tips
    These California Mason Jar Salads will stay fresh in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
    You cannot freeze these salads.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1salad | Calories: 454kcal | Carbohydrates: 38g | Protein: 19g | Fat: 27g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Cholesterol: 42mg | Sodium: 636mg | Fiber: 8g | Sugar: 14g

    Have you tried this California Salad in a Jar recipe yet? If so, I’d love for you to rate this recipe and leave a comment below. We all learn from each other’s experiences. Also, it would be awesome if you could share a picture on Instagram and tag it #organizeyourselfskinny. I can’t wait to see it.

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    Healthy Gluten-free Recipes, Healthy Low Carb Recipes, Lunch Recipes, 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. Laurel says

      August 08, 2022 at 1:32 pm

      5 stars
      This is now one of my favorite mason jar salads! I made 4 jars for lunches this week as part of the the mason jar salad challenge. The homemade dressing was easy and delicious, the ingredients were perfect together. I’ll definitely be making this one again once school starts up again! Thanks for the great ideas and recipes!

      Reply
      • Tammy Overhoff says

        August 14, 2022 at 8:12 pm

        I’m so happy you love this salad. it’s one of my favorites too.

        Reply
    2. Stephanie says

      August 02, 2022 at 8:52 am

      Delicious!! Thank you

      Reply
      • Tammy Overhoff says

        August 04, 2022 at 6:22 am

        so happy you love this salad. It’s one of my favorites.

        Reply
    3. Darlene Stackable says

      August 02, 2022 at 8:44 am

      5 stars
      Made this salad for the Mason Jar Salad Challenge. Another good recipe!

      Reply
      • Tammy Overhoff says

        August 04, 2022 at 6:22 am

        yay! So happy you loved it. Thanks for leaving a review.

        Reply
    4. Ellen says

      April 11, 2021 at 1:54 pm

      5 stars
      This is the easiest, with good flavors – I make this one A LOT. I sub in goat cheese instead of blue cheese. The chickpeas and turkey make it really satisfying. I never mind eating it all week. Thanks, Tammy!

      Reply
      • Tammy Kresge says

        April 12, 2021 at 1:23 pm

        Hi Ellen! Thanks so much for your review. I had a variation of this salad today! I agree adding in the turkey and chickpeas definitely helps keep us full.

        Reply
    5. Nana Jo says

      July 15, 2017 at 3:08 pm

      32 WW points per jar??!! This needs to be recalculated!

      Reply
      • Tammy Kresge says

        July 22, 2017 at 10:39 am

        Those are the carbs 🙂

        Reply
    6. Sarah says

      January 24, 2017 at 9:21 pm

      What kind of balsamic dressing did you use? I imagine there may be some variation among brands that would affect the calorie count?

      Reply
      • Tammy Kresge says

        January 25, 2017 at 9:45 am

        Newmans Own is my favorite.

        Reply
    7. Cheri says

      May 10, 2016 at 8:44 pm

      5 stars
      Al of your Mason Jar salads look fabulous! I am going to give them all a whirl, starting with the black bean and corn – because I have all the ingredients I need! I love that these are grab and go!! Thank you so much for posting these! Love your blog! It’s bright and refreshing too!

      Reply
    8. Niki says

      November 07, 2014 at 12:33 pm

      I’ve never made a mason jar salad before. If I were adding in the red onion, at what layer would I want to put it?

      Reply
    9. Kathy Davis says

      November 07, 2014 at 11:04 am

      This looks amazing. I am going to make them so when I get home from my workout and errands I can just grab one of these and have a satisfying lunch.

      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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