Perfect for a summer picnic or a healthy lunch on the go, this curried apricot quinoa salad jar is fun, colorful, and bursting with sweet and savory flavors. A great make-ahead salad for busy days.

Perfect for a summer picnic or a healthy lunch on the go, this curried apricot quinoa salad jar is fun, colorful, and bursting with sweet and savory flavors. A great make-ahead salad for busy days.

Whether you’re into meal prep or need a need a ready-made, grab-and-go lunch for a busy day at work, the salad jar always comes to the rescue. This genius idea consists in layering salad ingredients in a glass jar in a certain order ton ensure it keeps your salad fresh when serving (there’s nothing worse than a soggy salad, right?). When serving, invert into a bowl and you get a delicious, healthy salad, loaded with fresh flavors.

Perfect for a summer picnic or a healthy lunch on the go, this curried apricot quinoa salad jar is fun, colorful, and bursting with sweet and savory flavors. A great make-ahead salad for busy days.

While the layering process is always the same, there are endless mason jar salad recipes available out there. The one I suggest today is on the sweet and savory side, featuring some dry apricots alongside salty feta cheese, and other common ingredients you find in a salad jar, such as cooked quinoa and baby spinach. Add a little crunch to it, with some sliced almonds, and you’ve got it all.

Why you’ll love this quinoa salad jar:

  • A great lunch on the go ✔
  • Perfect for meal prep ✔
  • 100% Vegetarian ✔
  • Healthy and nutritious ✔
  • Naturally gluten-free ✔
  • Bursting with summer flavors ✔

Perfect for a summer picnic or a healthy lunch on the go, this curried apricot quinoa salad jar is fun, colorful, and bursting with sweet and savory flavors. A great make-ahead salad for busy days.

What goes into this quinoa salad jar?

  • Quinoa. This is the grain used in the recipe. It’s vegetarian, nutritious, and a great source of protein. You can cook it up to a few days in advance if needed.
  • Dried apricots. They are the sweet addition to this quinoa salad jar, bringing some summer flavors, Moroccan-style, or almost. Don’t have dried apricots? Replace with raisins, cranberries, or other dried fruits of choice.
  • Feta cheese. I say yes to cheese, always! Crumbled feta works perfectly in a salad jar, but you could also use fresh goat cheese (crumbled) if desired.
  • Sliced almonds. They add some crunchiness to the salad, don’t skip them (unless of course you don’t like them or are allergic). Almonds also work very well with apricots!
  • Baby spinach. It’s the green touch of the salad. It’s good for you and I promise it will be delicious in the salad as well, once tossed with the other ingredients and the dressing.

Perfect for a summer picnic or a healthy lunch on the go, this curried apricot quinoa salad jar is fun, colorful, and bursting with sweet and savory flavors. A great make-ahead salad for busy days.

A subtle lemon curry dressing

The lemon-curry dressing is the little something that takes the salad to the next level, with slightly spicy flavors and some refreshing lemony flavors. Combine all the ingredients together in a small jar, shake to emulsify, and your dressing is ready to use. Easy!

How to assemble the salad jar?

It’s all about the layers! Layers are key in a mason jar salad: it’s what keep the ingredients fresh for several hours and several days, so you can enjoy a delicious, fresh salad for lunch that did not get soggy over time. Here are the key steps to assembling salad jars perfectly:

  1. Assemble your ingredients.
  2. Spoon in the dressing on the bottom.*
  3. Add in the grains and/or protein.*
  4. Layer in everything else.
  5. Finish it off with the leafy greens.
  6. Seal and store in the fridge!

* In this version, I suggest you combine step 2 and 3 and add them all at once in the jar. The reason? The apricots will not get soggy (unlike most veggies, like cucumber, tomatoes, etc.) and your salad will remain fresh when serving.

Which jar size should I use?

I found that a 750 ml mason jar is the perfect size for an individual serving of salad. I used a wide-mouth 750 ml (24 oz) Le Parfait Jar with a sealing cap and a metal lid that screws.

How to serve and eat a salad jar?

While the salad jar looks pretty with all its different layers, it can be pretty difficult to eat it directly from the jar and get all the delicious flavors all at once. For this reason, the best way to serve and eat a salad jar consists in inverting the jar into a bowl, toss well to make sure the dressing is evenly distributed, and eat it. You get flavors and freshness all at once. Delicious!

Perfect for a summer picnic or a healthy lunch on the go, this curried apricot quinoa salad jar is fun, colorful, and bursting with sweet and savory flavors. A great make-ahead salad for busy days.

Storing instructions

Once your quinoa salad jar is sealed and screwed, you can store it in the refrigerator for up to 4-5 days. However I recommend against freezing because of the fresh ingredients used in the recipe.

More summer salad recipes:

Perfect for a summer picnic or a healthy lunch on the go, this curried apricot quinoa salad jar is fun, colorful, and bursting with sweet and savory flavors. A great make-ahead salad for busy days.

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Curried Apricot Quinoa Salad Jar

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Perfect for a summer picnic or a healthy lunch on the go, this curried apricot quinoa salad jar is fun, colorful, and bursting with sweet and savory flavors. A great make-ahead salad for busy days.
  • Author: Delphine Fortin
  • Prep Time: 10 mins
  • Cook Time: 15 mins
  • Total Time: 10 mins
  • Yield: 2 x 750 ml jars 1x
  • Category: Salad
  • Cuisine: Healthy
  • Diet: Vegetarian

Perfect for a summer picnic or a healthy lunch on the go, this curried apricot quinoa salad jar is fun, colorful, and bursting with sweet and savory flavors. A great make-ahead salad for busy days.

Ingredients

Scale

For the salad:

  • 1 cup (180g) quinoa, uncooked (or 2 cups cooked quinoa)
  • ½ red onion, minced
  • 5.3 ounces (150g) dried apricots, chopped roughly
  • 5.3 ounces (150g) feta cheese, crumbled
  • ½ cup (75g) sliced almonds
  • 5 cups (5.3 ounces/150g) baby spinach

For the dressing:

  • ⅓ cup (80 ml) olive oil
  • 3 Tablespoons apple cider vinegar
  • 1 Tablespoon lemon juice
  • 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
  • ½ teaspoon curry powder
  • Salt and black pepper, to taste

Instructions

  1. Start with the dressing. Whisk all ingredients together in a small bowl. Taste and adjust seasoning if desired.
  2. Prepare the quinoa salad. On a medium pot placed over high heat, add quinoa and double its volume of water. Bring mixture to a boil, then cover, reduce heat to low and cook for 15 minutes. Remove from heat and fluff quinoa with a fork. Cover and allow quinoa to sit in the pot for 10 minutes. Allow to cool.
  3. Transfer cooked and cool quinoa to a large mixing bowl, alongside with the onions and apricots. Pour the dressing over and toss until combined.
  4. To assemble the salad jars, evenly divide the apricot quinoa salad between 2 wide-mouth 750 ml mason jars. Then evenly divide the feta cheese, almonds, and baby spinach on top. Seal with lid and store in the refrigerator until ready to eat.
  5. When serving, pour contents of the mason jar into a bowl. Stir around to help get dressing distributed and enjoy!

Notes

Important note. Most salad jar recipes suggest you add the dressing at the bottom, before layering the other ingredients, starting with the quinoa. Because this recipe doesn’t use raw, crunchy vegetables (such as cucumbers for instance), it’s perfectly safe to mix together the quinoa, apricots and red onions with the curry dressing all at once. If it’s easier for meal prep, you can always go for the classic layering version, starting with the dressing at the bottom of the jar.

Did you make this recipe?

Lastly, if you make this Curried Apricot Quinoa Salad Jar, be sure to leave a comment and give this recipe a rating, letting me know how you liked it. And of course, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Thank you and enjoy!

Perfect for a summer picnic or a healthy lunch on the go, this curried apricot quinoa salad jar is fun, colorful, and bursting with sweet and savory flavors. A great make-ahead salad for busy days.