Strawberry Spinach Mason Jars (Printable)

Colorful mason jar salad with strawberries, spinach, almonds, and balsamic vinaigrette, great for quick meals.

# Components:

→ Balsamic Vinaigrette

01 - 4 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
02 - 2 teaspoons honey or maple syrup
03 - 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
04 - 1 small garlic clove, finely minced
05 - 1/4 teaspoon salt
06 - 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
07 - 6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

→ Salads

08 - 4 cups baby spinach, washed and dried
09 - 2 cups strawberries, hulled and sliced
10 - 1 cup cooked quinoa or cooked farro, optional
11 - 1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced
12 - 1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese or goat cheese
13 - 1/3 cup sliced almonds or chopped pecans, toasted
14 - 1/3 cup cucumber, diced, optional

# Directions:

01 - In a small bowl or jar, whisk together balsamic vinegar, honey, Dijon mustard, minced garlic, salt, and pepper. Slowly drizzle in the olive oil while whisking until emulsified. Set aside.
02 - Layer the salads in four wide-mouth mason jars. Start with 2 to 3 tablespoons of vinaigrette at the bottom of each jar.
03 - Add the red onion slices next, followed by cucumbers and cooked quinoa or farro if using. This prevents the greens from getting soggy.
04 - Layer the sliced strawberries over the grains, then add the feta cheese and toasted almonds.
05 - Top each jar with a generous handful of baby spinach.
06 - Seal the jars tightly and refrigerate until ready to eat. To serve, shake the jar or pour into a bowl and toss to combine.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • Five days of gorgeous lunches packed and ready means no more excuses to grab takeout when you're tired and hungry.
  • The balsamic vinaigrette is tangy enough to make you forget you're eating something healthy, and it gets better as it sits.
  • Layering in jars feels like a little act of self-care, plus people genuinely seem impressed when you pull out a beautiful salad instead of sad tupperware.
02 -
  • Wet spinach is your enemy—if you don't dry it completely after washing, you're adding extra water that dilutes the dressing and speeds up wilting, so use paper towels and take the extra thirty seconds.
  • Layering order is non-negotiable; I learned this the hard way when I got impatient and dumped everything in together, and by day two the spinach was a sad, collapsed mess while everything else was still fine.
03 -
  • Toast your own almonds or pecans in a dry skillet for three to four minutes—you'll taste the difference and they stay crunchier longer than pre-toasted store-bought ones.
  • Make extra vinaigrette and keep it in a jar in the fridge; it actually improves after a day as the flavors marry, and you'll find yourself using it on everything from roasted vegetables to grilled fish.
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