Mason Jar Quinoa Salad with Green Thai-Style Dressing (GF and Vegan)

Mason Jar Quinoa Salad with Green Thai-Style Dressing (GF and Vegan) - Perfect for lunch on the go!

Mason Jar Quinoa Salad with Green Thai-Style Dressing (GF and Vegan) - Perfect for lunch on the go!

When I eat salad as a meal, not a side, I want it to be substantial so let’s face it: it’s basically gonna be cold carbs with some greenery mixed in; quinoa and roasted sweet potato are still delicious at room temp and keep well if you prep them ahead of time so they make up the base of this salad. Add in some leafies (baby spinach!), sweet crunch (pomegranate arils), extra veg (carrot) and a kick-ass dressing (sweet, sour and fresh) and you have yourself one excellent travelling lunch. Tip it all out into a bowl or pack it loosely so you can eat it straight from the jar and you’re good to go.

Notes:

– The recipe for the dressing makes more than you need so store any extra in a jar in the fridge for salads, chicken or fish.
– Make sure you use a gluten-free miso paste if you need to!
– Quinoa can be replaced with loads of things: cooked rice noodles, mung bean noodles, chickpeas, lentils, edamame, pearl barley, buckwheat or freekeh.
– If you assemble the salad a day ahead, chill it overnight to take with you the next day. Keep it as cool as possible when you’re travelling or at work/school.

Mason Jar Quinoa Salad with Green Thai-Style Dressing

5 from 2 votes
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Ingredients

Green Thai-Style Dressing (makes excess):

  • roughly 1 cup coriander , (cilantro), loosely packed / a large handful, stems and all
  • 1- inch piece of ginger , , peeled (use a spoon to scrape off the skin)
  • 1/4 red chilli , (or more to taste)
  • juice of 1/2 lemon
  • 2 tsp dried lemongrass , (optional)
  • 1/4 cup (60 ml) coconut milk
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 2 tbsp apple juice , , pomegranate juice or more coconut milk
  • 1 tbsp palm sugar or honey
  • 1 tsp brown miso paste

For the salad:

  • 3 tbsp Green Thai-Style dressing , (above)
  • 1 sweet potato , , peeled + cut into 1/2-inch cubes
  • 1/3 cup dry quinoa
  • 1 small carrot , , grated, julienned or spiralised
  • handful of pomegranate seeds , (optional)
  • large handful of baby spinach leaves
  • coconut oil
  • salt

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 180 C (350 F). Place a dollop of coconut oil onto a baking tray and put into the oven to melt (about 2 minutes). Meanwhile peel and cube the sweet potato then throw onto the baking tray and toss, covering it with the melted coconut oil. Sprinkle with salt and roast in the oven for 25-30 minutes.
  • Place all of the dressing ingredients into a blender and whizz up into a smooth sauce. Pour into a lidded jar and chill until needed. (This recipe makes excess dressing).
  • While the sweet potato is cooking, put the quinoa into a fine mesh strainer and rinse. Then tip into a small pot along with 2/3 cup (160 ml) water. Season with a pinch of salt and bring to the boil. Lower the heat, cover and simmer for 10 minutes. Turn off the heat and leave it to sit, covered for 5 minutes.

Assemble the salad in a jar:

  • 1st layer - 3 tbsp dressing
  • 2nd layer - carrot
  • 3rd layer - quinoa
  • 4th layer- sweet potato
  • 5th layer - pomegranate
  • 6th layer - as much spinach as you can pack in!
  • Screw on the lid and chill until needed.
  • Wehn you're ready to eat: shake the salad out of the jar into a bowl, or when assembling pack the layers loosely in a larger jar so you can dig straight in!
Tried this recipe?Let me know how it went! Mention @izyhossack or tag #topwithcinnamon!

56 thoughts on “Mason Jar Quinoa Salad with Green Thai-Style Dressing (GF and Vegan)”

  1. This is a great idea for an on-the-go lunch and that thai dressing sounds incredible! Pinning!

  2. It must be in the air, because I made a quinoa salad with roasted vegetables and a green dressing this week for our lunches too, though mine was more southwestern US inspired in flavor. I think your dressing might have to go on the next version.

  3. This looks and sounds delicious. I’ve never heard of a green curry salad dressing before, so I’m pumped to try this out! Love your creativity!

  4. Brilliant idea, and almost looks too pretty to eat! Do you have to keep the jar upright, or does the carrot keep the dressing from seeping into the rest and making it soggy?

    • Keep it upright! yep, the dressing is at the bottom with a ‘carrot barrier’ to stop everything from going soggy 🙂

  5. O my dear one !!! You have conquered the demon that looks desperately for goodness, and only comes up with processed ham and mayo lettuce wrap… Eureka !!! with just a few chunks of chicken, my protein quotient can be satisfied as well as the freshness I am craving. AND , we have Mason jars !!
    o, this is going to be lovely.
    laur in st louis, MO

  6. So cool!! Really, I like the combination so much! Not sure wether I am gonna take it with me, but it also makes an amazing lunch at home))

  7. I HAVE to try that dressing! I have a thing for dressings. Especially thick ones you make in the blender <3 Yum!

  8. Yum! That looks really good – I love the idea of mason jar salads. Such a good idea for a lunch on the go! xxx

  9. Another GORGEOUS post, Izy. No, seriously, keep it up and keep ’em recipes coming, along with the breathtaking photographs, of course 🙂
    And now, not to be picky, but I can’t help myself: you forgot to mention the sweet potato between the quinoa and pomegranate; just thought I’d let you know, in case you’d want to edit that.

  10. This looks amazing Izy!! Definitely trying this out for lunch and that dressing looks insane! I’m sure it would be great with zoodles too!

  11. Had to look up what an aril was, but ok now I KNOW.

    “An aril also called an arillus, is any specialized outgrowth from the funiculus (attachment point of the seed) (or hilum) that covers or is attached to the seed”

  12. This looks beautiful and I love the concept. I can’t wait to try this dressing…I love everything Thai!! xo

  13. This looks insane Izy – I’m a massive salad lover so I need to try this out and we need to have a salad picnic!

  14. Yes to traveling salads! This sounds like an excellent combination. I might up the protein content a bit with some cooked white beans or chickpeas too. And then? NOM. 🙂

  15. Your trip just reminded me of that BBC version of North & South. Aside from Richard Armitage as John Thornton (SWOON), the whole trip to the “north” sounds so exhilarating and crazy fun. Go have a blast! Meanwhile, I have miso paste. I shall sit down with this gorgeous salad and NOM while popping in my BBC DVD….

  16. Wow, sounds delicious! I’ll have to try that dressing post-haste! I love the combination of sweet potato and pomegranate – sounds delish. 🙂

  17. I am super picky about lunch, too- especially if I’m taking it with me to go! I usually pop a salad with some roast veg + squeeze of lemon juice and olive oil in tupperware, and that works out pretty well. I have yet to truly appreciate salad in a jar because I like my salads well mixed but not mushy and soggy. With that said, it seems like you’ve solved the problem via carrot, which I LOVE! Have fun in Leeds and I hope your hands don’t freeze!

  18. I love the idea of a salad in a jar. I’ve seen them a couple of times on pinterest and they’re so cute! 🙂

  19. I avoid sandwiches at lunch too! Your salad has the best flavors and those colors are gorgeous 🙂

  20. I need to be way better about lunches on the go and this mason-jar one looks just up my (also sandwich-hating) alley!

  21. Hey , hi from the UK.
    Im absolutely loving the idea of a salad in a jar. Yeah I know it isn’t new but I must have had my head buried In the sand.
    Im on the case.
    Cheers
    Alan.

  22. 5 stars
    I finally made this and the dressing is AMAZING! For the sweetener I used palm sugar and it was a nice blend. The entire salad blended perfect with the dressing. I added chickpeas and tuna for more protein and filling. I wasn’t able to shack it but I poured it in a bowel and viola! I made 4 of these for the week and it really helped me with managing my calories. Thank you for this! ?

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