Mason Jar Thai Chopped Salad

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It can be difficult to throw together a meal that is both healthy and convenient. But I’ve found that with a little prep work, you can have a quick and satisfying lunch that can be made ahead to enjoy with just a twist of a lid!

A beautifully layered Thai salad in a mason jar, with another mason jar salad in the background.

This mason jar Thai chopped salad has colorful and fresh ingredients, a flavorful dressing, and a convenient storage process that allows for quick and easy eating. There is no cooking required for this recipe and you can make a handful of these jars to eat all week.

Ingredients

Ingredients for Mason Jar Chopped Salad - see text for details

For the Salad

  • 7 cups baby kale, chopped
  • 2 red bell peppers, diced
  • 3 cups shredded carrot
  • 2 cups frozen edamame, thawed
  • 1 cup cilantro, chopped
  • Cashews, optional

For the Dressing

  • 2 garlic cloves
  • ⅓ cup olive or canola oil
  • 1 tablespoon sesame oil
  • 3 tablespoons soy sauce
  • 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
  • 2 tablespoons honey or maple syrup
  • 3 tablespoons lime juice
  • 3 tablespoons water
  • Pinch of red pepper flakes, optional

How To Keep Mason Jar Salad From Getting Soggy

To keep the greens and veggies from getting soggy in this make-ahead salad, it’s all about the layering technique. Always add the dressing to the bottom of the jar. This keeps it from soaking into softer vegetables and also coats the entire salad with dressing when you pour it out.

On top of the dressing, add heartier veggies that won’t soak up the dressing. In this case, the edamame and peppers. Next layer on the softer greens and veggies and top everything with the ingredients that would get sogging in dressings, like nuts or croutons. Smart layering of the ingredients keeps everything crisp and fresh. 

Instructions

Here is a step-by-step guide to creating this deliciously flavorful Thai chopped salad in a mason jar.

Step 1 – Wash and Chop the Veggies

Chopping Veggies for Mason Jar Salad

Wash and dry all of your veggies and greens thoroughly. I like to do this an hour or so ahead of time to ensure all of the ingredients are nice and dry. 

Roughly chop the baby kale, dice the peppers into ½-inch pieces, and finely chop the cilantro. It’s also a good idea to get your other ingredients into bowls to make the upcoming layering step even easier.

Step 2 – Prepare the Dressing

Dressing in a small bowl

While your veggies are drying, you can prepare the dressing. Peel the garlic and mince it finely, adding it directly to an extra mason jar. Add the oil, sesame oil, soy sauce, rice vinegar, honey, and lime juice to the mason jar. Seal the lid tightly and shake until well combined. Set aside.

Step 3 – Layer the Salads

Different layers of Mason Jar salad. Each vegetable has its own layer

Line your mason jars on the counter and get ready to fill them up! Start with the dressing. Use about 3 tablespoons in each jar. Next add the edamame, peppers, and carrots. Top the veggies with kale and cilantro. and a sprinkle of cashews. 

Step 4 – Garnish and Enjoy Later!

Garnish (nuts etc) on top of a mason jar salad

Sprinkle the salad with cashews. If you’re not going to eat the salad for a day or two, wait to add the cashews until a few hours before you eat or they will lose their crunch. Place the lids on the jars, tighten, and pop them in the fridge for a quick and easy meal all week long!

Cookware Used

Here are all the items that help make this mason jar salad recipe so quick, simple, and fresh.

Mason Jars: An obvious necessity. Opt for wide-mouth jars if you can. This makes adding ingredients much easier. I recommend 32-ounce jars to ensure everything fits with room for shaking.

Chef’s Knife: Since most of the work in this recipe is chopping veggies, a sharp, high-quality chef’s knife is my tool of choice.

Flexible Cutting Board: These lightweight and flexible boards make it easy to chop ingredients and dump them directly into your mason jars. 

How To Serve A Mason Jar Salad

There are two ways to serve a mason jar salad. You can twist the lid off, pour the salad contents into a bowl and toss to incorporate everything Or, if your jar is large enough, you can shake everything to combine before adding it to your bowl. 

I prefer the shaking method as it cuts down on the possibility of spilling food while trying to stir everything together. 

How Long Do Mason Jar Salads Last

This Thai chopped salad will last up to 5 days in the refrigerator. The shelf life of other make-ahead mason jar salads will depend on the ingredients. Lettuce and other greens last for up to 5 days. Most veggies will last 5-7 days. Vinaigrette dressings last for 5 days, while yogurt dressings can last up to 7. 

The only ingredients that decrease the shelf life of these salads are avocado, which lasts for about 2 days when prepared properly, and bean sprouts which last 2-3 days. 

Other Mason Jar Salad Recipes To Try

This Thai chopped salad is my favorite mason jar salad recipe, but there are quite a few others that I like to put in rotation. Here are some additional quick and easy salad recipes for you to try. 

Southwest Mason Jar Salad

Start with a southwest salad dressing using greek yogurt, taco seasoning, and a squeeze of lime juice. Layer with cherry tomatoes, black beans, corn, romaine lettuce, and cilantro. Top with a handful of shredded cheddar cheese and crushed tortilla chips. 

Italian Mason Jar Salad

Add Italian dressing to the bottom of the jar. Start your layers with tomato, cucumber, pitted olives, and red onion. Add a layer of romaine lettuce and chopped Italian parsley. Top with torn pieces of fresh mozzarella or some freshly grated parmesan cheese and seasoned croutons.

Now, It’s Your Turn!

Mason Jar Thai Chopped salad served and ready to eat.

Hopefully seeing how easy and convenient this mason jar salad was to make will motivate you to do a little prep work yourself this week! These salads are perfect for busy weekdays or even weeknights when your dinner plans just didn’t quite work out. 

Kids can help layer the ingredients and shake the salads before serving, a fun way to get them involved and hopefully eat a few extra veggies. Don’t be afraid to try different ingredients and different dressings. The beauty of mason jar salads is that you can make them fit your preferences!

Print

Mason Jar Thai Chopped Salad

This mason jar Thai chopped salad has colorful and fresh ingredients, a flavorful dressing, and a convenient storage process that allows for quick and easy eating. There is no cooking required for this recipe and you can make a handful of these jars to eat all week.

  • Author: Beatriz Garcia
  • Prep Time: 15 minutes
  • Cook Time: 0 minutes
  • Total Time: 15 minutes
  • Yield: 4 Mason Jars 1x
  • Cuisine: Asian
  • Diet: Vegan

Ingredients

Units Scale

For the Salad

  • 7 cups baby kale, chopped
  • 2 red bell peppers, diced
  • 3 cups shredded carrot
  • 2 cups frozen edamame, thawed
  • 1 cup cilantro, chopped
  • Cashews, optional

For the Dressing

  • 2 garlic cloves
  • 1/3 cup olive or canola oil
  • 1 tablespoon sesame oil
  • 3 tablespoons soy sauce
  • 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
  • 2 tablespoons honey or maple syrup
  • 3 tablespoons lime juice
  • 3 tablespoons water
  • Pinch of red pepper flakes, optional

Instructions

Wash and Chop the Veggies

Wash and dry all of your veggies and greens thoroughly. I recommend doing this an hour or so ahead of time to ensure all of the ingredients are dry.

Roughly chop the baby kale, dice the peppers into ½-inch pieces, and finely chop the cilantro. Get your other ingredients into bowls ahead of the layering step.

Prepare the Dressing

While your veggies are drying, you can prepare the dressing. Peel the garlic and mince it finely, adding it directly to an extra mason jar. Add the oil, sesame oil, soy sauce, rice vinegar, honey, and lime juice to the mason jar. Seal the lid tightly and shake until well combined. Set aside.

Layer the Salads

Line your mason jars on the counter. First add the dressing. Use about 3 tablespoons in each jar. Next add the edamame, peppers, and carrots. Top the veggies with kale and cilantro. and a sprinkle of cashews.

Garnish and Enjoy Later!

Sprinkle the salad with cashews. If you’re not going to eat the salad for a day or two, wait to add the cashews until a few hours before you eat or they will lose their crunch. Place the lids on the jars, tighten, and pop them in the fridge for a quick and easy meal all week long.

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 410 g
  • Calories: 590 kCal
  • Sugar: 17.7 g
  • Sodium: 1037 mg
  • Fat: 40 g
  • Saturated Fat: 6 g
  • Trans Fat: 0.02 g
  • Carbohydrates: 46.4 g
  • Fiber: 12.2 g
  • Protein: 21.3 g
  • Cholesterol: 0 mg

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