Mexican Salad in a Jar with a low fat Avocado Ranch Dressing

You have heard of Mason Jar Salads ? Right ? I just love this concept. Packing an on the go salad in a mason Jar is a great idea. Its an easy way to transport your vibrant veggies and meat salads meal without worries of dressing leaking into your bag. A great way to eat healthy, make ahead, pack and go salad for a picnic or a week day office lunch.

Mason jars are normally used in our household for canning but this is a great way to use the pint size or the quart size jars. The dressing goes in the bottom, veggies and other salad goodies are piled on top and the best part is all the layers stay seperate and dressing free till you toss the salad together in a bowl or plate. Now never eat a soggy salad again! I love the greens in my salad to be coated with the dressing but crispy and this salad in a jar concept is a perfect way to carry your salad lunch.

Now let me tell you how to layer the ingredients for the jar salad. First of all always take a wide mouthed Jar to facilitate packing and shaking the ingredients out. The basic idea when packing the veggies in jars is to start with the most heaviest and non absorbent ingredients with the dressing in the bottom of the jar and work your way upwards through the lighter ingredients until you end up with the salad greens on top. With the greens on top the best part is when you shake the contents and tip the jar in a bowl the greens are out first forming a bed for the salad. Cool..Isn’t it?

If you don’t want your salad greens on top, like my Mexican salad then make sure the greens are away from the dressing by layering few non absorbent ingredients in between which will act as a wall. I personally don’t believe in make ahead salads stored for 5 days in the refrigerator as most of them are propagating. Nutritionally it’s doubtful as the veggies lose their value and goodness as soon as they are cut. For me Salads are consumable the same day otherwise they go in the bin. But yes those pretty, colourful stripes sure do make healthy food look appetising. Will very soon jot out a post on how to layer a proper mason Jar salad soon.

Mexican Salad in a Jar with a low fat Avocado Ranch Dressing

Print Recipe

 A great way to eat healthy, make ahead, pack and go salad for a picnic or a week day office lunch.

• Coursesalad
• Cuisinemexican

Servings	Prep Time
2 portion	10 minutes

Servings Prep Time 2 portion 10 minutes

Mexican Salad in a Jar with a low fat Avocado Ranch Dressing Print Recipe  A great way to eat healthy, make ahead, pack and go salad for a picnic or a week day office lunch. Coursesalad Cuisinemexican Servings Prep Time 2 portion 10 minutes Servings Prep Time 2 portion 10 minutes

Ingredients

• 4 - 5 lettuce leaves shredded
• 1/2 Cup cucumber cubed
• 1/3 Cup kidney beans boiled with salt
• 1/3 Cup American Corn boiled with salt
• 1/2 Cup capsicum Cubed
• 1/3 Cup cheddar cheese shredded
• salsa For the
• 1 tomato medium ,chopped
• 1 onion small ,chopped
• 1 green chilli or Jalpeno, chopped
• 1/2 lime juiced
• 1 tbsp cilantro chopped
• to taste Salt Pepper and
• ranch dressing For the
• 1/2 avocado cut in big chunks
• 2 tbsps yoghurt or hung yoghurt Greek
• 3 - 4 cloves garlic small
• 1/4 Cup milk
• 1 tsp white vinegar
• 1/2 lime juiced
• 1 tsp dill dried
• 1 tsp parsley dried
• 1 tsp paprika
• to taste Salt and pepper

Servings: portion

Instructions

1. For the dressing blend all the ingredients together under dressing .
2. For the salsa add all the ingredients under salsa and mix.
3. Finally take a wide mouthed quart size Jar and arrange and layer the ingredients according to your choice but making sure to start the avocado dressing in the bottom and keep the lettuce away from the dressing.
4. End the layer with shredded cheese or lettuce and garnish with a little Cilantro and close the jar with ththe cap.
5. At the time of serving, shake the bottle to mix the dressing with the veggies,unscrew the cap and tip it over in bowl or plate and enjoy.

Recipe Notes

Notes:

• The salad can be eaten from the jar itself after shaking the contents but I personally find it dry.
• If you don't want to layer the dressing ,you can always carry the dressing in a seperate small jar.
• Just layer the ingredients according to your choice keeping the few important things in mind.
• Choose the veggies and meat according to your taste and play around with the dressing and layers.

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