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. Use extra spinach if necessary. A great use for leftover quinoa!

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

Ingredients

• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ¼ cup light olive oil
• 2 cups water
• ¼ teaspoon curry powder
• 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
• ⅛ teaspoon black pepper
• 1 cup quinoa
• ½ cup crumbled goat cheese
• ¼ teaspoon grated orange zest
• 5 (16 oz) pint jars
• 3 tablespoons fresh squeezed orange juice
• ⅔ cup dried cherries
• 5 cups tightly packed fresh spinach
• 5 tablespoons chopped walnuts

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.