Southwestern Chopped Salad in Mason Jar

A salad so beautiful, you’ll barely want to eat it! But you’ll definitely want to because this southwestern chopped salad is full of flavor, thanks to an easy to make dressing and tons of great vegetables.

 

Beautiful layers of flavor and nutrition make this mason jar salad a meal prep dream come true! You’ll look forward to this vegetarian southwestern chopped salad waiting for you in your fridge.

Mason jar salads are all the rage lately, and for good reason! The dressing waiting at the bottom is kept separate from the other ingredients, preventing the horrors of a soggy salad. They are perfect for meal prep on the weekend and easy weekday meals, all ready to go with no soggy salad. Have you tried my caprese zucchini noodle and farro mason jar salad? Try it with that basil in your garden you need to use!

Let’s talk about the dressing on this salad for a minute. All you need are two simple ingredients, Rachel Cooks partner Old El Paso‘s enchilada sauce and Greek yogurt. It’s full of flavor thanks to the enchilada sauce (you can use mild or medium, whatever you prefer) and the yogurt makes it so creamy.

Layered on top of the dressing in the mason jar is your favorite grain. I use freekeh in mine, but quinoa would be amazing and brown rice would be fantastic, too. On top of the grain, add black beans – they provide protein so you’ll be full all afternoon.
Lastly are all the beautiful vegetables. I use green onions, tomato, jicama, red cabbage, bell peppers, corn and cilantro. When you’re ready to eat, you just need to dump it in a bowl and mix it all together.

P.S. This salad doesn’t have to be made in a jar. You can put the ingredients in a bowl, add the dressing, mix it together, and eat it right away.

Happy lunching!

Did you make this? Be sure to leave a review below and tag me @rachelcooksblog on Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest!

Recipe

Get the Recipe: Southwestern Chopped Salad in Mason Jar

4.80 from 5 votes

Prep Time: 15 minutes mins

Total Time: 15 minutes mins

1 salad

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This southwestern chopped salad has an easy dressing and tons of vegetables – it’s almost too pretty to eat. ALMOST. But it’s worth every beautiful bite.

Ingredients

For Dressing (makes enough for 4 salads)

• ▢ 1/2 cup Old El Paso Red Enchilada Sauce (from a 10 ounce can)
• ▢ 1/4 cup plain Greek yogurt

For 1 Mason Jar Salad

• ▢ 3 tablespoons dressing
• ▢ 1/2 cup cooked and cooled freekeh
• ▢ 1/2 cup black beans, drained and rinsed
• ▢ 2 tablespoons diced green onions
• ▢ 1 roma tomato, seeds removed, diced
• ▢ 1/2 cup diced jicama
• ▢ 1 cup shredded red cabbage
• ▢ 1/4 cup diced red bell peppers
• ▢ 1/2 cup fresh sweet corn
• ▢ Cilantro to taste

Instructions

• In a small bowl or measuring cup, whisk together Old El Paso Red Enchilada Sauce and Greek yogurt until combined.
• Place 3 tablespoons of dressing in the bottom of a 1 quart mason jar. Follow with your favorite grain (freekeh is pictured, but quinoa or rice would be great too – choose what fits your personal needs/tastes).
• Follow with remaining ingredients, creating beautiful layers. Place in fridge until ready to serve, or up to 3-4 days depending on freshness of the produce used.
• When ready to serve, pour into a bowl and mix to combine all ingedients.

Notes

• This is a very flexible recipe – if you can’t find all the vegetables, it will still be great. I recommend definitely using red cabbage for its terrific crunch though.
• This is a great recipe for meal prep on the weekends – the salad keeps great in the fridge due to the layering.
• You don’t have to make this salad in a jar. You could just put all the ingredients in a bowl and mix it up.

Nutrition Information

Serving: 1jar salad, Calories: 426kcal, Carbohydrates: 89g, Protein: 21g, Fat: 2.5g, Saturated Fat: 0.4g, Cholesterol: 1mg, Sodium: 681mg, Fiber: 25g, Sugar: 20g

This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators.

© Author: Rachel Gurk

Disclosure: I’m excited to partner with Old El Paso this year to bring you fresh and flavorful recipes. Thank you for supporting Rachel Cooks by reading about brands we love and use in our own home.

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