MASON JAR SALAD WITH CREAMY POPPY SEED DRESSING
A healthy diet relies on a consistent, balanced variety of fruits and vegetables over time, not just when you’re feeling a cold coming on, which is why it’s so important to ensure positive eating habits. Busy days, even when I’m working from home, can lead me to skip meals which isn’t a good strategy for anyone. To head my tendency off at the pass, I often prepare this colorful salad on the weekend, and store it in mason jars in my fridge, for a quick bite on busy days.
It’s easy to see why this Mason Jar Salad with Creamy Poppy Seed Dressing from Half the Sugar, All the Love has been so popular with readers. Its vibrant colors are beautiful, and we really do eat with our eyes first. It’s also a winner because this hearty salad is packed with fiber (15g in one serving!), can be easily made ahead (hello, time saver!), and the dressing is sweetened with pears which give it a sweet and creamy texture without added sugar or cream. So much to love here.
MASON JAR SALAD WITH CREAMY POPPY SEED DRESSING
Serves 2 as a main dish or 4 as a side salad
Crispy, chewy, crunchy, and tender—this colorful salad has a variety of textures to keep things interesting. The combination of farro, pumpkin seeds, and Parmesan cheese provides plenty of savory flavor as well as protein—without meat. Creamy Poppy Seed Dressing brings it all together with less than half the sugar of a store-bought dressing. This salad can be easily doubled.
Ours = 1/4 teaspoon added sugar
Theirs = 1 3/4 teaspoons added sugar
For the dressing
1 medium very ripe Bartlett pear (about 7 ounces), cored and diced (skin left on)
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons white wine vinegar
1 tablespoon finely chopped shallot
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
2 teaspoons honey
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 1/2 teaspoons poppy seeds
For the salad
1/2 cup farro
1/8 teaspoon plus a pinch of salt
1 cup diced, peeled butternut squash (cut in ½-inch pieces)
1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 cup Creamy Poppy Seed Dressing (see recipe below)
1/4 cup pomegranate seeds
3 ounces lacinato kale, ribs removed, leaves very thinly sliced (about 3½ loosely packed cups)
4 ounces Brussels sprouts (6 to 8 sprouts), root ends trimmed, very thinly sliced (about 1¼ cups)
1/4 cup roasted salted pumpkin seeds
2 tablespoons shaved Parmesan cheese
To make the dressing:
1. Place the pear, oil, vinegar, shallot, mustard, honey, salt, and pepper in a blender. Blend until smooth and creamy, about 1 minute.
2. Add the poppy seeds and pulse to combine. Transfer the dressing to an airtight container and refrigerate until ready to use. The dressing will keep in a jar or airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
To make the salad:
1. Preheat the oven to 400°F.
2. Place the farro in a strainer and rinse with cold water. Transfer the farro to a small saucepan with 1 1/2 cups water and 1/8 teaspoon of the salt. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer, partially covered, until tender, about 30 minutes. Return the farro to the strainer to drain any excess water. Spread the farro on a plate and let it cool completely.
3. Meanwhile, line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil and place the butternut squash on top. Drizzle the squash with the oil and sprinkle with a pinch of salt. Toss gently until the pieces are evenly coated. Roast the squash until lightly browned and tender, about 20 minutes, stirring the squash halfway through cooking. Let the squash cool completely.
4. To assemble each salad, pour 2 tablespoons dressing into the bottom of a wide-neck quart-size Mason jar. Add half of the farro, followed by half of the squash, 2 tablespoons of the pomegranate seeds, half of the kale, half of the Brussels sprouts, 2 tablespoons of the pumpkin seeds, and 1 tablespoon of the Parmesan cheese. Repeat with another wide-neck quart-size Mason jar and the remaining ingredients. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
5. To serve, empty the contents of the jar into a bowl and toss well; serve immediately.
Note: If serving this recipe as a side salad at home, place all the prepared ingredients except for the cheese in a large serving bowl and toss to combine. Sprinkle with the cheese and serve immediately.
What Kids Can Do
Kids can help assemble the jars.
Make Ahead
Prep and assemble all the components, including the dressing, up to 2 days ahead of time and store in the jars in the refrigerator for a quick grab-and-go lunch.
Nutrition Information (1 main dish serving):
Calories: 457 | Added sugar: ¼ teaspoon or 1g | Carbohydrates: 68g | Sodium: 634mg | Saturated fat: 5% of calories or 3g | Fiber: 15g | Protein: 16g
Excerpted from Half the Sugar, All the Love by Jennifer Tyler Lee and Anisha Patel, MD, MSPH. Photographs by Erin Scott. Workman Publishing ©2019.
- 1 medium very ripe Bartlett pear (about 7 ounces), cored and diced (skin left on)
- ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 3 tablespoons white wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped shallot
- 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
- 2 teaspoons honey
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1½ teaspoons poppy seeds
- ½ cup farro
- ⅛ teaspoon plus a pinch of salt
- 1 cup diced, peeled butternut squash (cut in ½-inch pieces)
- 1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil
- ¼ cup Creamy Poppy Seed Dressing
- ¼ cup pomegranate seeds
- 3 ounces lacinato kale, ribs removed, leaves very thinly sliced (about 3½ loosely packed cups)
- 4 ounces Brussels sprouts (6 to 8 sprouts), root ends trimmed, very thinly sliced (about 1¼ cups)
- ¼ cup roasted salted pumpkin seeds
- 2 tablespoons shaved Parmesan cheese
- Place the pear, oil, vinegar, shallot, mustard, honey, salt, and pepper in a blender. Blend until smooth and creamy, about 1 minute.
- Add the poppy seeds and pulse to combine. Transfer the dressing to an airtight container and refrigerate until ready to use. The dressing will keep in a jar or airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- Preheat the oven to 400°F.
- Place the farro in a strainer and rinse with cold water. Transfer the farro to a small saucepan with 1½ cups water and ⅛ teaspoon of the salt. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer, partially covered, until tender, about 30 minutes. Return the farro to the strainer to drain any excess water. Spread the farro on a plate and let it cool completely.
- Meanwhile, line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil and place the butternut squash on top. Drizzle the squash with the oil and sprinkle with a pinch of salt. Toss gently until the pieces are evenly coated. Roast the squash until lightly browned and tender, about 20 minutes, stirring the squash halfway through cooking. Let the squash cool completely.
- To assemble each salad, pour 2 tablespoons dressing into the bottom of a wide-neck quart-size Mason jar. Add half of the farro, followed by half of the squash, 2 tablespoons of the pomegranate seeds, half of the kale, half of the Brussels sprouts, 2 tablespoons of the pumpkin seeds, and 1 tablespoon of the Parmesan cheese. Repeat with another wide-neck quart-size Mason jar and the remaining ingredients. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
- To serve, empty the contents of the jar into a bowl and toss well; serve immediately.
