The best meal prep salad recipes are ones packed with colorful crunchy veggies, lean protein and an fresh homemade dressing. This meal prep salad makes for an easy packed lunch since it is made in mason jars, plus it won’t get soggy! It is gluten free and can be made dairy free or vegan with an easy adjustment.
You can make this Meal Prep Salad in just 15 minutes! It is made with simple, affordable ingredients and won’t break the bank…I’d argue this meal prep actually saves you money! I’d rather bring this than buy a $18 New York City Salad every day!
If you love easy weeknight meals with tomatoes, you’ll love my Mediterranean chopped salad and my gluten free salad with steak.
This meal prep salad is perfect for an on the go lunch or even just a quick dinner. You don’t have to be on the go or in an office to enjoy a meal prepped meal! The idea is that the salad is already portioned out for you. I only used 6 main ingredients, a quick homemade vinaigrette dressing, and BAM that’s it. It all comes together in less than 15 minutes.
I whipped this Meal Prep Salad up with what I already had in my fridge and pantry. It is a great clean-out-your-fridge recipe! I needed a quick meal and didn’t have time to make anything from scratch or turn on my oven. There is truly almost no work required!
Why you’ll love this Meal Prep Salad
- This Meal Prep Salad recipe is allergy friendly. This salad is naturally gluten free. You can use dairy free cheese for an easy dairy free recipe!
- Whether you’re planning a summer road trip and want to be prepared with a healthy option to enjoy on the drive, in the office or simply just to enjoy at home already portioned out for you!
- The 15 minutes it takes to throw together is really just for all the chopping of the vegetables.
Ingredients & Substitutions
Tuna: I used tuna for my protein since I already had a can in the pantry and didn’t want to make another protein. If you have time to grill chicken, shred a rotisserie chicken, grill some salmon or make some steak that would work great here too!!
Veggies: Any fresh and crunchy veggies work great here! I used cucumber, onions, lettuce and tomato!
Cheese: I used feta cheese. You can use dairy free feta for a dairy free recipe.
Dressing: Choose between tossing your mediterranean chopped salad with a store bought greek dressing or make your own homemade greek dressing in less than 5 minutes! Trust me, it’s worth taking a few minutes to prep it and whisk it together for the freshest, good-for-you dressing.
How do I make this Meal Prep Salad?
In a separate small bowl, whisk together 3 tablespoons olive oil, 3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, and the juice of 1 lemon. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Add the dressing to the bottom of the mason jar first. This will prevent the lettuce from getting soggy.
Layer the onion, cucumber, and chopped tomato next.
Add in the tuna, olives and the feta.
Then add the layer of lettuce on the top.
Expert Tips & Tricks
Always chop your veggies the same size. A chopped Meal Prep Salad is a salad that has all of its ingredients chopped into small pieces. That way, you don’t need to use a knife to cut the big pieces while you are eating. PLUS you get a little bit of every ingredient in each bite.
Adjust the salad to your liking. More dressing? More lemon? Less Tuna? It is all up to you! When it comes to making salads, you are of course the expert on what you like. Feel free to adjust this recipe to accomodate the star of the show, YOU!
What’s the best way to chop a chopped salad?
I just use a sharp knife and a cutting board to chop the veggies by hand. You can also use a mandoline or a vegetable chopper.
Why is my salad soggy?
Don’t let your Meal Prep Salad get soggy! The best way to keep this Meal Prep Salad from getting soggy is to store the dressing separately, add a folded paper towel into your container to absorb moisture and only dress the salad right before serving!
Can I use a different protein?
Yes of course! I use tuna in this recipe because it is what I had on hand and is high in protein. You can also use grilled chicken, shredded chicken, steak or salmon!
How Do I Serve this salad?
This Meal Prep Salad recipe can be served and store in mason jars, perfect for on the go! If you are meal prepping, bring it to work or on the go you can even eat it out of the mason jar too!
How do I Store this salad?
To store, I refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
Why is this called a Meal Prep Salad?
Because it is perfect to make ahead of time for meal prep!! You can store in easy mason jars to keep the salad fresh and easy to bring with you when you’re at work, on the road or running errands. This Meal Prep Salad can easily be made up to 3 days in advance, which makes it perfect for meal prep!
Looking for more gluten free salad recipes?
If you make this recipe and enjoyed it, I would really appreciate a review! You can find me on Instagram, Facebook, Tik Tok and Pinterest. Purchase my cookbook Easy Allergy Free Cooking. Join my exclusive weeknight meal plan group for 5 weekly 30-minute dinner recipes. The weeknight meal plan also has an accompanying podcast as well! I would love for you to follow along!
Meal Prep Salad (Gluten Free)
Ingredients
- 1 can tuna
- 2 cups romaine lettuce chopped
- 1 cup cucumber diced
- 1 tomato diced
- 1/4 cup white onion diced
- 1 cup chickpeas rinsed and drained
- 1/4 cup olives
- 1/4 cup Feta cheese or dairy-free feta
- 3 tbsp Olive oil
- 3 tbsp Balsamic vinegar
- 1/2 Lemon juiced
- 2 tsp Garlic powder divided
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- In a separate small bowl, whisk together 3 tablespoons olive oil, 3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, and the juice of 1 lemon. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Add the dressing to the bottom of the mason jar first. This will prevent the lettuce from getting soggy.
- Layer the onion, cucumber, and chopped tomato next.
- Add in the tuna, olives and the feta.
- Then add the layer of lettuce on the top.
- Serve immediately.
Nutrition
Love this recipe? You can sign up here to receive easy meal plans, exclusive new recipes and updates!
Leave a Reply