Make-Ahead Spinach Salad in a Jar

Prep these salads once and eat for the week! Make sure to firmly pack the spinach into each jar and they will stay fresh all week. Also a great use for leftover quinoa!

• Preparation Time: 20 mins
• Cooking Time: 20 mins
• Total Time: 40 mins
• Calories: 396 Calories

Ingredients

• 2 cups water
• 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
• 1 cup quinoa
• 5 (16 oz) pint jars
• 3 tablespoons fresh squeezed orange juice
• 5 cups tightly packed fresh spinach
• 5 tablespoons chopped walnuts
• 0.25 teaspoon salt
• 0.125 teaspoon black pepper
• 0.25 cup light olive oil
• 0.5 cup crumbled goat cheese
• 0.25 teaspoon curry powder
• 0.25 teaspoon grated orange zest
• 0.66666668653488 cup dried cherries

Recipe Instructions

Step 1

Bring water and quinoa to a boil in a saucepan. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until quinoa is tender, 15 to 20 minutes. Allow to cool.

Step 2

Whisk orange juice, vinegar, orange zest, salt, curry powder, and pepper together in a small bowl. Slowly drizzle in olive oil, whisking continuously until well blended.

Step 3

Line up 5 pint jars in an assembly line fashion.

Step 4

Place 1 1/2 tablespoons of dressing into the bottom of each jar. Place 1/2 cup cooked quinoa into each jar, and top with 2 tablespoons cherries. Add 1 1/2 tablespoons goat cheese on top of the cherries. Top with 1 cup of spinach per jar and pack down tightly to remove air pockets; jars should be filled to the top. Finish each jar with 1 tablespoon walnuts. Cover jars and refrigerate until ready to eat.