Quinoa Chicken Salad in a Mason Jar

Say “good-bye” to the sad desk salad, say “hello” to this gorgeous, satisfying, Quinoa Chicken Salad in a mason jar.

This simple recipe is a snap to meal prep, so you’ll have four awesome desk salads for the week in no time.

Ingredients

• 3 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar

• 2 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice

• 1/2 tsp. raw honey (or pure maple syrup)

• 1 tsp. Dijon mustard

• 1 Tbsp. + 1 tsp. olive oil extra virgin

• 2 cups cooked quinoa

• 4 cups sliced cucumbers

• 4 cups halved cherry tomatoes

• 3 cups grilled chicken breast boneless, skinless, sliced

• 1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese

Instructions

1. To make dressing, combine vinegar, lemon juice, and honey in a medium bowl; whisk to blend.

2. Add mustard; mix well.

3. Slowly add oil while whisking; mix well. Evenly divide dressing between 4 one-quart Mason jars. Set aside.

4. Evenly layer quinoa, cucumbers, tomatoes, chicken, and cheese on top of dressing in jars. 

5. Serve immediately or cover and refrigerate for up to 3 days. Shake before serving. 

6. Variation (Add 1 green container per serving): Add 4 cups fresh baby spinach. 

Spinach Salad with Quinoa, Garbanzo Beans, and Paprika Dressing

This colorful salad is a show-stopper — make it for your next potluck or picnic, or amaze your family for dinner any night of the week.

The recipe makes 12 portions, and you’re going to want to eat them all. Even after it’s dressed, this salad stores well for up to three days!

Quinoa and chickpeas give it a hearty serving of protein. We love the juicy tomatoes and cucumber, but the stars of the recipe are the piquant paprika dressing and the full cup of torn mint leaves.

Ingredients

• 1½ cups dry quinoa

• Water

• Sea salt (to taste; optional), divided use

• ¼ cup sherry wine vinegar

• 2½ tsp. paprika

• Ground black pepper (to taste; optional)

• 2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil

• 4 cups raw baby spinach leaves, washed, dried

• 2 (15-oz.) cans chickpeas (garbanzo beans), drained, rinsed

• 1 medium cucumber, unpeeled, chopped

• 2½ cups halved cherry (or small heirloom) tomatoes

• 1 cup fresh mint leaves

• 1½ cups coarsely crumbled feta cheese, divided use

Instructions

1. Place quinoa in a large saucepan; add water to cover by 1-inch. Season with salt if desired. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low; cover and gently boil for 15 to 16 minutes, or until quinoa is tender. Drain if there is excess liquid. Chill, covered in the refrigerator, for 4 hours or until cool.

2. Combine vinegar, and paprika in a small bowl. Season with salt and pepper if desired; slowly whisk in oil to blend. Set aside.

3. Combine spinach, chickpeas, cucumber, tomatoes, mint, and 1 cup cheese in a large bowl; mix well.

4. Add cooled quinoa to spinach mixture; toss gently to blend.

5. Drizzle dressing over salad; toss gently to blend. 

6. Sprinkle remaining ½ cup cheese over salad; serve immediately.
   

Lentil and Feta Salad

This lentil salad is a winner in so many ways. It takes a little bit of effort to chop all of those fresh veggies and herbs, but once you’re done, you’ve got enough food for a week’s worth of meals.

Eat it in winter, spring, summer, or fall. It’s a good vegetarian source of protein and fiber and has only 221 calories per serving.

Ingredients

• ⅓ cup fresh lemon juice

• 2 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

• ½ tsp dried thyme (or 1½ tsp. chopped fresh thyme)

• sea salt (or Himalayan salt) and ground black pepper (to taste; optional)

• 3 cups cooked lentils

• ½ cup crumbled feta cheese

• 1 medium cucumber finely chopped

• 3 medium celery stalks finely chopped

• 2 cups quartered cherry tomatoes

• 1 medium red bell pepper finely chopped

• ¾ medium red onion finely chopped

• ½ cup fresh parsley chopped

• ¼ cup cup fresh mint leaves chopped

Instructions

1. Combine lemon juice, oil, and thyme in a small bowl; whisk to blend.

2. Season with salt and pepper if desired. Set aside.

3. Combine lentils, cheese, cucumber, celery, tomatoes, bell pepper, onion, parsley, and mint in a large bowl; mix well.

4. Drizzle with dressing; toss gently to blend. Refrigerate, covered, for at least 1 hour (and up to 12 hours).

5. You can eat it after an hour, but the next day is the best!

Watermelon and Feta Salad With Mint

This refreshing watermelon and feta salad is a great addition to any meal this summer — and it’s only 172 calories per serving!

Ingredients

• 2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil

• 2 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice

• 1/4 tsp. sea salt

• 1/4 tsp. ground black pepper

• 1 dash hot pepper sauce, like Tabasco (optional; to taste)

• 3 1/2 cups cubed watermelon

• 2/3 cup crumbled feta cheese (about 2 1/2oz.)

• 3 Tbsp. sweet onion (like Maui or Vidalia), chopped

• 1/3 cup fresh mint leaves, chopped

Instructions

1. Combine oil, lemon juice, salt, pepper, and hot sauce (if desired) in a medium bowl; whisk to blend. Set aside.

2. Combine watermelon, cheese, onion, and mint in a large serving bowl.

3. Drizzle with dressing; toss gently to blend.

Southwest Chicken and Black Bean Salad

Goodbye, sad salad. This vibrant Southwest Chicken and Black Bean Salad is bursting with flavor, makes meal prep a breeze, and stays fresh for days.

Ingredients

• 3 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar

• 2 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice

• ½ tsp. lemon pepper

• 4 tsp. extra-virgin olive oil

• 2 cups black beans

• 3 cups sliced orange bell peppers

• 3 cups sliced red bell peppers

• 1 cup thinly sliced red onion

• 2 cups chopped tomatoes

• 3 cups sliced grilled chicken breast

• ½ cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese

• 1 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Instructions

1. To make dressing, combine vinegar, lemon juice, and lemon pepper in a medium bowl; whisk to blend.

2. Slowly add oil while whisking; mix well. Evenly divide dressing between 4 one-quart Mason jars. Set aside.

3. Evenly layer beans, bell peppers, onion, tomatoes, chicken, cheese, and cilantro on top of dressing in jars. 

4. Serve immediately or cover and refrigerate for up to 3 days. Shake before serving. 

Simple BLT Salad

Ingredients:

• 2 handfuls of romaine lettuce
• 1 medium tomato chopped cup
• 4 slices of turkey bacon chopped

I personally love ALL the Bolthouse dressings.

Extra tips to save time and calories: I like to get the bags of lettuce already washed and chopped and mini tomatoes all I have to do is rinse off. When I make my turkey bacon I’ll make a full package at a time and put the rest in the refrigerator for the following day. I’m all about saving time.

Calorie tip: Put the salad dressing on the side and dip instead of pouring the dressing all over your salad. You'll be surprised at how much less dressing you’ll use the calories you’ll save.