This a salad in a mason jar recipe will keep you full!

The contents of the jars are entirely plant-based and vegan. They are also delicious! Vegan quinoa recipes are some of my all-time favorites.

Feel free to use any chickpeas, beans or grains to add to the mix.

Most of the time I make these kinds of salads, it’s just a case of throwing together what we have in the fridge.

It’s a great one to pre-make and take you with you to work or wherever you need to go. It’s an EASY lunch idea for the upcoming week.

I just don’t know about the whole mason jar thing. Is it just cooler than cool or are they actually a really f*cking good idea? They’ve risen up in popularity with the hipster crowd being served their cocktails/juices in them, mostly in trendy Wendy cafes.

BUT, environmentally speaking, they are great. Reusable and seem to last forever. They are also pretty versatile. ANYTHING that reduces the amount of single-use plastic in the world is great in my eyes. If you’re keen to cut back on plastic like I am, then check out The Top 20 Ways To Reduce Your Plastic Footprint In 2020.

Okay, so now that we’ve decided we DO like mason jars for their minimal environmental impact, let’s dig into the salad in a mason jar recipe.

Substitutions

The idea of this mason jar salad recipe is that it’s nutritious, easy to eat, fresh and delicious. It’s also high in vegan protein.

If you have any other ideas for ingredients then of course feel free to add them into the mix.

There is so much room in this recipe for your own creativity and variety. You have HEAPS of choice!

I love the idea of adding sun dried tomatoes or sliced up red peppers and adding to them to so many vegan recipes. Arugula would compliment the other ingredients as well.

You could also grab some sweet potatoes and slice them into cubes and bake in the oven. Then add to the jars once it’s cooled. Sweet potato really does go with EVERYTHING.

You could even try mixing it up with dressings, why not add an oriental twist and try it with this one from the AWESOME Asian Vegan Salad recipe.

If you’re out of quinoa or want to use an alternative, think brown rice, buckwheat, bulgar or noodles.

PLANT-BASED FOOD MADE SIMPLE

Eating plant-based doesn’t have to be complicated. This Complete Plant-Based Diet Foods List makes grocery shopping quick, easy and delicious.

Vegan Nutrition Info

This lunch is delicious but it’s also PACKED with protein. At almost 25g per serving, you’ll know you’re filling your plant-based protein quota for lunch.

This recipe is based on both quinoa AND chickpeas.

This means it’s a POWERHOUSE of not only protein but also many other nutrients.

I just love eating quinoa because it’s one of the few plant foods where you have ALL nine essential amino acids.

You can easily get them usually by eating a variety of plant foods but there are only a few that have all nine in. If you want to find out more about plant-based proteins a great place to start is Where Vegans Get Their Protein From.

The jars are also loaded with vitamin B6, B9 and vitamin C and magnesium. They are also high in fiber with almost 18g. Fiber is great for better digestion but also keeping you gut microbiomes happy, which you can read more about in The Best 8 Health Perks Of A Vegan Plant-Based Diet.

Method

It’s best to cook the quinoa as per the instructions on the packet. Perfect cooking can vary from grain to grain so who am I to tell you the right way to cook your quinoa. It’s best to completely cool the quinoa before adding it to the rest of the ingredients.

These taste best if they’ve been stored in the fridge. They are after all a salad. The coldness just adds to the freshness.

I recommend to make sure you finely chop the herbs. Just helps to mix them in properly to this salad in a mason jar recipe.

Top Tip

If you have spinach you could add it to the top at the end. I would recommend putting it in the top rather than mixing it in or at the bottom because then it’s more likely to retain it’s crispiness and freshness. If you put it in the bottom then you might find that the juices of the salad filter down and make the spinach soggy.

Can you imagine how awful that would be to have SOGGY SPINACH?

You would RUIN your salad. So let’s never think of it again and just add spinach to the TOP, not bottom of the jar mmmmmkay.

Chickpea Quinoa Protein Jazzy Jars

Serves: 2
Cuisine: American

Prep time: 25 mins
Cooking time: 0 mins

Ingredients

1 x cup uncooked quinoa

1 x can of chickpeas (drained and rinsed)

10 x cherry tomatoes

1 x quarter of a cucumber

1/3 x red pepper

2 x sprigs of cilantro

1 x spring of parsley

1 x fresh lime

1 x tablespoon white wine vinegar

Directions

Fill a saucepan with the right amount of water (on quinoa packaging) and bring to the boil, cook and rinse the quinoa and put to one side to cool down.
While the quinoa is cooking, grab a bowl and add the chickpeas. Slice the cherry tomatoes and add to bowl. Chop the cucumber and red pepper into small pieces and add to bowl.
Finely chop the cilantro and parsley and add to bowl. Squeeze the fresh lime and add the white wine vinegar to the bowl.
Once the quinoa is cooked, rinse thoroughly and leave to drain/dry for a few mins. Once the excess water is cleared add to the bowl and stir in all together.
Add to mason jars and pop in the fridge to cool. Serve cold for extra freshness and enjoy!

If you you’re looking for more vegan recipes with quinoa inspiration then check out AWESOME Asian Vegan Salad which also quinoa as the main ingredient. If you’re looking for another great option for lunch then also check out The BEST Vegan Lentil Bolognese or Mexican Three Bean Vegan Chili. All of these recipes plus the jars above are high in vegan protein and great for preparing and taking to work with you.

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