Mexican Inspired Salad in A Jar Recipe

 

Mexican Inspired Salad in A Jar Recipe

Healthy and nutrient-packed Mexican taco salad in a Jar. Perfect for a quick lunch-on-the-go and can be made up to 5 days in advance!

CourseMain, Side

CuisineMexican

DietGluten Free, Vegan, Vegetarian

Freezer friendlyNo

Shelf life5 Days

Prep Time5 minutes

Total Time5 minutes

Servings1

Calories686kcal

Ingredients

• ¾ cups homemade salsa or use store-bought if preferred.
• ¾ cups red kidney beans
• ¾ cups sweet corn
• ½ avocado
• 1 lime
• cilantro a few leaves
• ¾ cups romaine lettuce
• a handful of tortilla chips use GF if needed, OR doritos, OR bake some tortilla strips in oven (GF or not)

For the Salsa:

• ½ cup cherry tomatoes
• 1 chilli pepper optional
• 1 red onion
• 1 tBsp olive oil
• 1 lime
• a few cilantro leaves
• a pinch of salt
• a pinch of chilli flakes optional

Instructions

• *Step 1. Prepare the salsa. Chop the tomatoes, red onion, and cilantro. Add them to the olive oil and lime juice. Add the salt and optional chili flakes and then mix together well.
• Step 2. Prepare the Avocado Layer. Mash the avocado together with a little lime juice and cilantro leaves for a very simple take on guacamole. Alternatively, use this Simple Authentic Guacamole.
• Step 3. Prepare the salad base. Do this by slicing your lettuce into thin strips.
• Step 4. Assemble the salad. For a layered taco salad, first, add the salsa to the jar (as the wettest ingredient it should always be at the bottom). Then add the beans, corn, avocado mash, and romaine lettuce. Finally, you'd add the tortilla chips to the top- however, feel free to keep them aside for now and add just before serving to avoid going soggy.

How To Store

• Keep your salad jar refrigerated and consume within 4-5 days. Make sure to keep the jar standing up, so the salsa juices don't mix with the rest of the ingredients. We don't want a soggy salad!

  Tip = You can also wait to add the tortilla chips in until right before it's eaten, that way there is no chance of any soggy-ness at all!

Notes

* When making ahead, I always prepare this taco/ nacho salad in a large jar (750ml). However, you can also prepare it into any container/bowl that you'd prefer.

• As beautiful as this looks like a layered taco salad- if you prefer your salad to be mixed up, use a jar large enough to allow extra space at the top. That way, when it comes to eating it, you can give the jar a bit of a shake and voila. Alternatively, you can serve it mixed in the jar or a bowl.
• If you decide to use a dressing for the recipe, keep it separate from the salad until right before serving. 
• If you're vegetarian feel free to add some cheese and sour cream to the salad. You can also use vegan alternatives for these ingredients, like this Simple Smoky Vegan Cheddar Cheese.

Read the blog post for additional ingredient suggestions and swaps. 

Nutrition

Serving: 1Jar | Calories: 686kcal | Carbohydrates: 96g | Protein: 22g | Fat: 32g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Sodium: 33mg | Potassium: 1966mg | Fiber: 27g | Sugar: 18g | Vitamin A: 4313IU | Vitamin C: 148mg | Calcium: 130mg | Iron: 7mg