Apple Walnut Salad in a Jar

I once had a friend who was staunchly against fruit on salad. She just refused to believe it could be delicious. In fact, she refused to even try it! I feel sorry for her, because adding fruit to a salad gives it just the right combination of sweet and savory, soft and crisp, tart and tangy. This apple walnut salad is a perfect example of how fruit can take a ho-hum boring salad to the next level!

This salad is a wonderful option for meal prep lunches—it’s healthy, it’s flavorful, and it’s easy to prep ahead. I like to serve it with my Pumpkin Blender Soup for the world’s easiest meal prep lunch!

What are salads in a jar, and why should I make them?

Salads in a jar have all the components of a fresh salad layered in, you guessed it, a jar. Just pour into a bowl at lunchtime, and enjoy a big dose of veggies! They are a great meal prep option, and since the flavor varieties are endless, you’ll never get bored. If you want to know more, we have a comprehensive post with all the information you need to build a perfect mason jar salad.

But wait, how do I keep my salad from getting soggy?

The trick to keeping this Apple Walnut Salad in a Jar crisp and fresh is to keep the wet ingredients (the dressing and apple!) separated from the greens. As long as you keep the jar upright until lunchtime, you should be good to go!

Won’t the apple get all brown and gross looking?

Never fear, lemon juice is here! Treat the apple with a lemon juice wash (like I did below) or Fruit Fresh to prevent browning, and you’ll have a crisp apple in your salad. But even that won’t keep the apple crisp and un-brown for very long. If you add the apple to the jar, I recommend eating within 24-36 hours. If you want to have it last longer, add the apple right before serving.

What should I serve this apple walnut salad with?

My Blender Pumpkin Sage Soup (also in a jar!) and this Apple Walnut Salad make a fantastic combo that’s so darn easy to pull together! The soup is literally just open some cans, pour in a blender, add some spices, blend, and then pour it into a jar. And the salad is such a glorious combo of flavors, textures, and colors!

How long will this salad be good for?

While the lemon juice or Fruit Fresh will help prevent your apple from oxidizing, it will only buy you a day, maybe two. If you plan on mixing the chopped apple into the jar, I’d only make this a day or so in advance. Otherwise, you can get up to five days out of it, if you plan to add the apple right before you eat.

What’s the best salad dressing for this mason jar salad?

I love the tangy and sweet taste of Honey Mustard salad dressing in this jar. Another option: the Cinnamon-Maple Vinaigrette from our Pomegranate and Persimmon Spinach Salad would be amazing, too!

Do I have to use blue cheese in this apple walnut salad?

We call for either crumbled blue cheese or crumbled goat cheese in this salad—both add a wonderful creamy texture and tangy flavor.

What’s the best salad green to use for this salad?

I like using baby kale for this salad, but baby spinach is also a wonderful option. A high quality spring mix would also do the trick. Enjoy!