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  • Prep-time: / Ready In:
  • Makes 4 jars

This Mason jar salad is a great make-ahead meal to enjoy at home or on the go. A creamy pesto dressing anchors layers of rainbow veggies and hearty grains for a portable meal that will satisfy all your cravings for fresh produce. Feel free to switch it up with whatever greens, grains, and toppings you have on hand! Just add a lid and it will keep well in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. 

Tip: For the dressing, soak cashews in very hot water for 15 minutes. Drain the water and rinse the nuts before blending with the rest of the dressing ingredients.

Ingredients

  • ½ cup soaked raw cashews (see tip in recipe intro)
  • ⅔ cup loosely packed fresh basil leaves
  • 1 clove garlic
  • 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast
  • ¼ teaspoon onion powder
  • ¼ teaspoon sea salt
  • ⅔ cup unsweetened, unflavored plant-based milk
  • 6 cups fresh baby spinach
  • 4 cups cooled cooked wheat berries
  • 2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
  • 1 medium summer squash, quartered lengthwise and cut into ½- inch slices
  • 1 cup shredded carrots
  • ½ cup chopped red onion
  • Sea salt, to taste
  • Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Instructions

  1. For Pesto Dressing, in a small blender or food processor combine the first six ingredients (through sea salt). Cover and blend until smooth, gradually adding plant-based milk. Dressing will be thin.
  2. In four 1-quart wide-mouth Mason jars, pour a few tablespoons of dressing into the bottom. Then layer the next seven ingredients (spinach through onion) in the order given. Season with salt and pepper.
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Comments (6)

(4.5 from 2 votes)
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Tara Blackstone1 year ago
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Sounds like a great idea.

Sharon Gideon1 year ago
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What are wheat berries and where would I purchase?

Dalyla1 year ago
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The portions seem very big. Will that fit into one jar? There are 13 cups in the recipe

Chelsea Nicole1 year ago
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It says to divide into four one-quart jars.

Deborah Bolin1 year ago
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Possibly a silly question, but I’ve never eaten summer squash and wonder if you cook the stuff you put in salads. I didn’t see if it said anywhere in the recipe if it’s raw or not. PS…the recipe sounds so good!

THANKS!!

carol Glassie1 year ago
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no don’t cook your summer squash will be zucchini or yellow squash. No questions are sillly : )))

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Nancy Macklin, RDN

Nancy Macklin has a bachelor of science in dietetics from Iowa State University and a Master of Science in health services administration from the University of Saint Francis. Macklin worked as a hospital-based clinical dietitian, providing counseling for diabetes, heart disease, and weight loss and as a food service director in health care dining sites. She now serves as a test kitchen dietitian, developing 500+ recipes per year. She is a member of the Academy for Nutrition and Dietetics and International Association of Culinary Professionals. Find her on LinkedIn.

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