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Mediterranean salad in a jar

Course Salad
Cuisine American
Keyword italian vinaigrette, mason jar salad, meal prep lunch, tuna pasta salad
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Servings 2 salads
A red wine vinegar and herb dressing under tomatoes, cucumber, pepper, zucchini, tuna, beans, pasta and greens. Makes two entree salads.

Ingredients

Italian Dressing (yield: 3 cups, 24 servings of 2 Tablespoons each)

  • 1 cup Kroger olive oil
  • 1 cup Kroger red wine vinegar
  • 1 cup water
  • 2 cloves garlic ends removed, peeled and minced
  • ½ teaspoon Kroger dried oregano
  • ½ teaspoon Kroger ground black pepper
  • 1 teaspoon Kroger dried basil
  • 1/4 teaspoon Kroger dried thyme
  • 2 Tablespoons Kroger lemon juice

Salad (yield: 2 salads)

  • 2 Tablespoons red onion diced
  • 10 cherry tomatoes
  • ½ cup chopped cucumber
  • ½ cup chopped bell pepper
  • ½ cup chopped zucchini
  • ½ cup trimmed green beans (ends removed)
  • ½ cup no-salt-added cannellini beans drained and rinsed
  • ½ cup whole wheat rotini pasta cooked
  • 1/3 cup shredded low-fat mozzarella cheese
  • 4 ounces low-sodium albacore tuna packed in water, drained
  • 3 cups field greens
  • 2 Tablespoons pine nuts

Directions

  • Put all the dressing ingredients into a 4-cup jar that has a tight-fitting lid, and chill it.
  • Give the dressing a good shake before you use it.
  • Split the salad ingredients between two wide-mouth 1-quart mason jars.
  • To keep the textures right, build from the bottom up in this order: 2 tablespoons Italian dressing; red onion, cherry tomatoes, bell pepper; cucumbers, green beans, zucchini, cannellini beans; whole wheat fusilli pasta; cheese, albacore tuna; field greens, pine nuts.
  • At mealtime, shake the jar so the dressing spreads through the salad.

Notes

Keep refrigerated at 40°F (4°C) or below.
Assembled salads keep up to 5 days in the refrigerator with a tight-fitting lid. Safety: contains tuna (seafood); keep at 40 F or below and eat within 1 to 2 days.

Nutrition

Serving: 634g | Calories: 1270kcal | Carbohydrates: 37g | Protein: 16g | Fat: 119g | Saturated Fat: 19g | Trans Fat: 0g | Cholesterol: 18mg | Sodium: 318mg | Potassium: 911mg | Fiber: 7.6g | Sugar: 7.8g | Vitamin A: 5303IU | Vitamin C: 65mg | Calcium: 237mg | Iron: 4.7mg

Nutrition is an estimate per serving from USDA FoodData Central, for 2 salads; ½ cup chopped bell pepper counted as green bell pepper, ½ cup no-salt-added cannellini beans counted as canned great northern beans (one can 250 g), ½ cup whole wheat rotini pasta counted as cooked pasta, shredded low-fat mozzarella cheese counted as fresh mozzarella, field greens counted as green leaf lettuce, pine nuts counted as mixed nuts. Brands and portions vary, so use it only as an approximation.