A summery mason jar salad featuring a delicious white bean basil mix, fresh veggies, whole grain spelt berries, and an herbed vinaigrette. It’s the perfect light, healthy, plant-powered lunch! Vegan and gluten-free.

It’s like the lunch fairy landed on my doorstep and blessed me with her wisdom.

I always knew mason jar salads existed, but I never really got into them. The concept made so much sense. Layer everything in a jar then dump the contents in a bowl, fork it, and call it lunch. With seventy nine empty mason jars in the pantry and an endless supply of salad ingredients on hand at all time, what the hell was I waiting for? The lunch fairy?!

WELL. For some reason I had a hankering for salad-in-a-jarring last week and (after a lengthy Google search) ended up making these Mason Jar Chickpea Farro, and Greens Salad from Cookie and Kate, which inspired the version you stumbled upon today. They were delish in every sense of the word and from then on, I decided I would make some variety of mason jar salads for lunch each Sunday.

Best lunch decision I evah made.

I realized after moving that I have a lifetime supply of Bob’s spelt berries in my pantry. Not the worst problem to have. In addition to the delightfully chewy texture of these little whole grains, spelt berries are also packed with plant-powered protein and fiber. If you don’t have any on hand, try wheat berries (you can find them in the bulk bins), quinoa, brown rice, or whatever whole grain you fancy. If you don’t do grains, leave them out.

I love having a complete meal in a bowl, so the jar concept was no exception. You’ve got your bean salad, whole grains, raw veggies, and plenty of greens. The best part is that this recipe is super customizable. Use whatever beans you have on hand (chickpeas, black beans, whatever) along with whatever veggies and greens you prefer!

If you feel like whipping up a salad at home is a challenge, I’m so with you. I find that for some reason when all the ingredients are separate in my fridge, making a salad is about as appealing as running a half marathon in rubber flip flops. So do yourself a favor. Take some time on Sunday to prep five of these bad boys and enjoy a grab-and-go lunch every day of the work week! I packed one of these salads with some kind of muffin or a couple no-bake bites, celery and hummus, and an organic Gala apple to round it out. Flavors and textures galore.

To your taste buds, belly, and wallet…you’re so very welcome.

White Bean, Basil & Arugula Mason Jar Salad

Author: Alexis
Yield: 5 1x
Category: Salad

Print Recipe

A summery mason jar salad featuring a delicious white bean basil mix, fresh veggies, whole grain spelt berries, and an herbed vinaigrette. It’s the perfect light, healthy, plant-powered lunch!

Ingredients

For the dressing:

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1/4 cup fresh basil leaves, packed
1/4 cup fresh parsley (stems are fine), packed
1 garlic clove
1 tsp pure maple syrup
3/4 tsp salt
lots of freshly ground black pepper

For the white bean salad:

2 cans cannelini beans or chickpeas, drained and rinsed
2 stalks celery, chopped
1 medium bell pepper, chopped
1/2 red onion, diced
1/3 cup fresh parsely, chopped
1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped
Pinch of salt and pepper

For the other layers:

3/4 cup dry wheat berries or spelt berries, cooked (sub quinoa for gluten-free)
3/4 cup shredded carrots (optjonal)
1 cup grape or cherry tomatoes, chopped
5oz pkg arugula (or greens of choice)

Instructions

Cook grain of choice according to package directions. Set aside to cool.
Meanwhile, place dressing ingredients in a blender (I used my Nutribullet). Dump into a large mixing bowl. Add cannellini beans, celery, bell pepper, red onion, herbs, and a good pinch of salt and pepper. Stir to combine.
Portion bean salad evenly into 5 mason jars. Next portion the cooked wheat berries into jars, followed by carrots, tomatoes, and arugula.
Once ready to eat, shake and dump into a large bowl.