Nothing shaped my childhood more than the traditional layered salad that was served at the salad buffet at every family celebration. Meal prep salad is the layered salad of our generation.
You can choose exactly what you want to add to your salad and what you want to focus on: fresh vegetables, protein, or complex carbohydrates? The choice is yours.
With this build-your-own approach, you can put together your perfect salad here. Simply choose as many ingredients as you like from the individual sections and put them in a tightly sealed jar or container.
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Zubereitung
Feel free to season these ingredients with suitable herbs, spices & co. for an extra-tasty salad. You can find ideas for this further below.
Recipe Note
I love a fresh and flavorful salad for lunch - but I often simply don’t have the time to go into the kitchen during my lunch break and chop vegetables. The solution: meal prep salad! Prepared salads in cute-looking jars that are not only delicious, but also genuinely time-saving and provide important nutrients.
The Best Salad-in-a-Jar Ideas
I’ve tried all the combinations and have become a real expert when it comes to salad-in-a-jar recipes. Here are my favorites:
Greek Meal Prep Salad:
Greek pasta, tomatoes, cucumbers, bell peppers, and vegan feta give this salad classic its characteristic flavor. Onions and garlic, along with a few hot peppers, round out the flavor.
Italian Pasta Salad as a Meal Prep Salad Recipe:
Pasta of your choice, spinach, fresh or sun-dried tomatoes, garlic, and a generous portion of Italian herbs will make you feel "La Dolce Vita". Freshly toasted croutons add extra crunch.
Oriental Couscous Salad as a Meal Prep Salad:
Couscous - ideally heavily seasoned with cumin and paprika powder - carrots, roasted chickpeas, and crunchy pomegranate seeds. That’s the best combination!
Mediterranean Chickpea Salad:
Chickpeas (ideally seasoned with Mediterranean spices and baked), cucumber, tomato, red onions, and fresh mint for an extra burst of freshness offer something completely different.
Quinoa Salad Meal Prep:
Quinoa, spring onions, vegan feta, cucumbers, tomatoes, and bell peppers - that’s all you need. Psst: Fresh pomegranate seeds also work wonderfully in this salad.
Info: Our meal prep salad is vegan, but of course you can also use animal-based ingredients if you like!
Meal Prep for Specific Goals
Are you pursuing a specific goal with your meal prep? Then you’ve come to the right place:
Quick Salad in a Jar:
Really short on time? Then simply pour boiling water over couscous and season it with salt and your choice of spices (my recommendation: paprika, curry, cumin). Toss a few types of vegetables into a food processor. Carrots, for example, work well. Chop the vegetables in intervals (be careful not to turn them into a purée) and put everything in a jar. This way, you can make a delicious salad in just a few minutes and a few simple steps. And best of all: There’s hardly any washing up!
Low-Carb Meal Prep Salad:
You can also make your salad low-carb by leaving out a carbohydrate source and choosing low-carb options for your vegetables and other ingredients.
An example: leafy greens, cucumber, herbs, and tomatoes with a few roasted seeds.
Meal-prep salad with protein:
Yes, a salad can also be part of a high-protein diet. Feel free to combine various protein-rich ingredients and have a protein roll with your salad.
Low-calorie salad:
For a "low calorie" salad, choose low-calorie ingredients such as cucumber and leafy greens, and do not drown your salad in an oily dressing. A little reminder: Calories provide your body with energy, and you need energy for your everyday life!
Salad dressings for your meal-prep salads
Your salad will never be boring again! Use one of these salad dressing ideas or mix up a delicious dressing yourself.
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Classic vinaigrette:
3 tbsp olive oil, 1 tbsp vinegar (white wine vinegar, raspberry vinegar, or balsamic vinegar), 1 tsp mustard, herbs of your choice, salt & pepper, optionally 1 tsp sweetener of your choice. -
Exotic peanut dressing:
2 tbsp peanut butter, juice of one lime, 1 tbsp soy sauce, a little ginger & garlic, 2-3 tbsp water -
Fresh yogurt dressing:
3 tbsp soy yogurt, 1 tsp lemon juice, 1 tsp olive oil, fresh chives, salt & pepper -
Spicy herb dressing:
3 tbsp olive oil, 1 tbsp white wine vinegar, 1 tsp mustard, plenty of fresh herbs of your choice, garlic, salt & pepper, optionally 1 tsp sweetener of your choice. -
Oriental tahini-lemon dressing:
2 tbsp tahini, juice of half a lemon, 1 tsp sweetener of your choice, garlic, a few tbsp water, salt & pepper -
Fruity raspberry dressing:
3 tbsp rapeseed oil, 0.5 tbsp raspberry vinegar, a few puréed raspberries, salt & pepper -
Creamy mayo dressing:
3 tbsp vegan mayo, 1 tbsp vinegar of your choice, 1 tsp mustard, a little vegetable broth, salt & pepper
Tips
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One of the most important aspects of our meal-prep layered salad is, of course, the layering! If you want to layer your meal-prep salad, the right order is key. Start with heavy foods that are very rich in carbohydrates or protein. Then add sturdy, firm vegetables and other ingredients. The higher up you go, the more "delicate" and softer your ingredients can be. This ensures that your baby spinach does not get crushed by heavy potatoes.
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How do you keep meal prep salad crisp?
If you don’t add dressing, follow the layering rules, and store your salads in jars in the refrigerator, you’re already doing almost everything you can to keep them crisp. If you add ingredients with a high water content, such as cucumbers, you can also lightly drain them before layering by salting them and letting them sit briefly. Pour away the resulting liquid. This way, the ingredients release less water during storage, which could make your pasta soggy and mushy. -
Prepare a salad several days before eating it and keep it fresh? It can be done! To do so, choose ingredients that are as fresh as possible (if your bell pepper is already severely wrinkled, it may not survive a few extra days in the jar), work with clean hands in a clean kitchen, and always store your salads tightly sealed and chilled. This way, your salads will keep for several days. If you want to keep your salad longer, you should avoid ingredients that spoil quickly or add them fresh on the day you eat it.
