California Salad in a Jar

This delicious California Salad in Jar starts with a homemade balsamic dressing and then layered with crisp vegetables, chickpeas, sundried tomatoes, goat cheese, and arugula. You can make this flavorful, healthy salad on Sunday to enjoy for lunch all week. 

California Salad in a Jar

This post contains affiliate links. I am an affiliate for Amazon Associates, and other brands, and earn a small commission on qualifying purchases. You’re by no means obligated to use my links but, if you do, thank you for supporting Organize Yourself Skinny.

I was inspired to make this layered salad after having a California salad at a local Greek restaurant. It was filled with grilled chicken, sun-dried tomatoes, chickpeas, onions, cucumber, tomatoes, blue cheese crumbles, and dressed with balsamic vinaigrette. It was bursting with flavor!

Mason jar salads are my specialty, so I decided to make a version of this Californa Salad that I can make ahead of time for lunch all week.

Reasons you’ll love this recipe

  • It’s a delicious healthy lunch recipe – Trust me, you’ll be looking forward to this salad all morning!
  • It’s filling – You don’t need to worry about being hungry an hour after eating this high-protein salad!
  • Easy to assemble – In less than 20 minutes, you’ll have a healthy lunch ready for the week. Oh, and there’s no cooking required.
  • Make-ahead – These salads stay fresh and tasty for five days!

Ingredients

ingredients to make a California salad in a jar recipe
  • Homemade balsamic dressing – You can use store-bought balsamic dressing, but making it homemade guarantees that it will be healthier because you’re using clean ingredients. 
  • Cherry tomatoes and baby cucumbers – Both of these hearty vegetables are delicious after marinating in the balsamic dressing.
  • Chickpeas – these add great texture, fiber, and protein. 
  • Goat cheese crumbles – this creamy cheese adds fantastic flavor to this salad. You can also use feta cheese or blue cheese crumbles. I recommend using a soft, tangy cheese.
  • Sun-dried tomatoes – I use the sun-dried tomatoes in a bag. They provide fantastic flavor and texture. You could use sun-dried tomatoes in oil, but you’ll need to account for the extra calories.
  • Sliced smoked deli turkey – To keep this salad simple, I went to the deli counter and purchased organic deli smoked turkey breast. My favorite is either Plainville Organic Smoked Turkey or Wegmans Organic Smoked Turkey. I recommend having the turkey sliced so you can cut it into pieces.
  • Arugula (not pictured) – The peppery flavor of arugula sends this salad over the top. 

FAQs

What is a California Salad?

The authentic version celebrates the popular foods of California – avocado, greens, apricots, goat cheese, and almonds. However, there are many versions of California salad – it’s mostly about bold flavors and fresh ingredients.

This version swaps out some of the original ingredients while still bursting with flavor.

How to keep a Mason Jar Salad fresh?

This is the most common question when it comes to making a mason jar salad. It’s all in the layering. Start with the dressing and end with the greens. Place heartier vegetables in with the salad dressing to act as a barrier, then layer in the rest of the ingredients. Tightly place the lid on the mason jar and refrigerate for up to 5 days.

Need more information on mason jar salads? Check out the How to Make Mason Jar Salads tutorial I put together, answering all of your salad in a jar questions.

layered california salad in a jar

Cooking Tips

You can layer in any of your favorite hearty vegetables – Red onions or bell peppers would both be delicious in this salad. Add these vegetables after the dressing layer.

You can add avocado – Many authentic California salads include avocado but adding this fruit to a mason jar salad can be tricky because, as we know, avocado can brown quickly.

If you want to add it in with the other salad ingredients then soak the chopped avocado in lemon juice prior to adding to the layers. This helps keep the avocado fresh all week. No guarantees but it will help. Put the avocado after the hearty vegetables in the jar.

Also, it helps to use red onion when using avocado. I don’t know the science behind it but something with the onions will help keep the avocado fresh.

Or you can slice the avocado fresh when you’re ready to eat the salad. The last option would be to freeze avocado slices and then take the amount out of the freezer a few minutes before you plan to eat it.

You can swap in chicken – I like keeping this salad recipe easy with deli turkey but if you prefer chicken then you can use any cooked chicken breast, shredded chicken, or even rotisserie chicken. This Italian Grilled Chicken is good in this salad too.

You can use other vinaigrettes – Balsamic dressing is my favorite with California Salad, but a lemon vinaigrette, Italian dressing, or green goddess dressing is good too.

Use your favorite greens – Spring mix, baby spinach, or even baby kale are great choices if you don’t want to use arugula.

You can include nuts – For more protein and some crunch, add some sliced almonds, walnuts, pecans, or your favorite nut. I recommend adding nuts on top of the greens in the mason jar salad or sprinkle on when you’re ready to eat.

Supplies

How to Make a California Salad in a Jar

step by step collage for making a mason jar California salad.
  • Start by putting together the homemade balsamic dressing ingredients together. I like to use a 16-ounce mason jar or a small bowl for this.
  • Divide the salad dressing between the five mason jars. This will equal about 2-3 tablespoons of dressing between each salad. If you want to use less dressing then store the leftover dressing in an airtight jar in the refrigerator. 
  • Next, layer in the rest of the salad ingredients. Start with the tomatoes and continue with the cucumbers, chickpeas, sun-dried tomatoes, sliced turkey, cheese, and end with the arugula.
  • Place the lid on tightly and put the jars into the refrigerator.
  • When you’re ready to eat the California Salad, give the jar a good shake and then dump it into a large salad bowl. 
5 california salads in mason jars

Storage Tips

These California Mason Jar Salads will stay fresh in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

You cannot freeze these salads.

California Salad in a Jar

California Salad in a Jar

This delicious California Salad in Jar starts with a homemade balsamic dressing and then layered with crisp vegetables, chickpeas, sundried tomatoes, goat cheese, and arugula. You can make this flavorful, healthy salad on Sunday to enjoy for lunch all week. 

.wprm-recipe-rating .wprm-rating-star.wprm-rating-star-full svg * { fill: #ffffff; }

5 from 2 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: Lunch, lunch recipe

Cuisine: American

Keyword: califorina salad, california mason jar salad, california salad in a jar

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 20 minutes

Servings: 5 people

Calories: 454kcal

Author: Organize Yourself Skinny

Ingredients

Homemade Balsamic Salad Dressing

  • 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
  • 1 small garlic clove grated or finely minced
  • 1 teaspoon Italian Seasoning
  • 4 teaspoons melted honey

For the salad

  • 1 pint cherry or grape tomatoes sliced in half
  • 5 small cucumbers sliced
  • 1 15-ounce can of chickpeas
  • 3 ounce package of sun-dried tomatoes
  • 10 tablespoons goat cheese crumbles
  • 1/2 lb medium-sliced organic smoked deli turkey breast
  • 5 ounce package of arugula

Instructions

  • Start by putting together the homemade balsamic dressing ingredients together. I like to use a 16-ounce mason jar or a small bowl for this.  

  • Divide the salad dressing between the five mason jars. This will equal about 2-3 tablespoons of dressing between each salad. If you want to use less dressing then store the leftover dressing in an airtight jar in the refrigerator.

  • Next, layer in the rest of the salad ingredients. Start with the tomatoes and continue with the cucumbers, chickpeas, sun-dried tomatoes, sliced turkey, cheese, and end with the arugula.

  • Place the lid on tightly and put the jars into the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

  • When you’re ready to eat the California Salad, give the jar a good shake and then dump it into a large salad bowl.

Notes

Ingredient note
Sometimes the small cucumbers come in packages of 6 or 7. Just divide all of the cucumbers between the salad jars.
Storage tips
These California Mason Jar Salads will stay fresh in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
You cannot freeze these salads.

Nutrition

Serving: 1salad | Calories: 454kcal | Carbohydrates: 38g | Protein: 19g | Fat: 27g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Cholesterol: 42mg | Sodium: 636mg | Fiber: 8g | Sugar: 14g

More Healthy Mason Jar Salad Recipes

Have you tried this California Salad in a Jar recipe yet? If so, I’d love for you to rate this recipe and leave a comment below. We all learn from each other’s experiences. Also, it would be awesome if you could share a picture on Instagram and tag it #organizeyourselfskinny. I can’t wait to see it.

Sharing is caring!