After a long weekend of holiday eating, I have decided to go with something lighter today, Lemony White Bean Salad-in-a-Jar. Yes, another salad. After all it’s spring, and all of the sudden the greens are plentiful and I actually crave them. And this particular salad, Lemony White Bean Salad-in-a-Jar, has some bonus features. This salad is portable AND is able to be made ahead of time. That means it is great for work, great for bringing to a dinner party, great to bring on a picnic (yep -I hold out great hope that picnic weather is coming soon!).
I was inspired to make this salad while perusing Melissa D’Arabian’s cookbook SuperMarket Healthy. It seemed so simple and refreshing. This salad also features some of my favorite flavors. Creamy white beans to add protein. A light lemony dressing to coat the greens. Crispy croutons to provide crunch. Salty parmesan cheese to finish it off. I have to admit I was bit skeptical of the whole salad-in-a-jar concept but I can truly say that for this salad it worked great. I opted to use a large jar (like this one from the Container Store) and keep the salad together for serving at a dinner. When we were ready to eat, I just shook the jar and then poured the entire salad into a serving bowl. A few quick tosses and a sprinkle of croutons and presto-the salad was ready! I bought the croutons I used this particular time, but I have made them before, and you could easily make them using the crouton portion of this recipe. The next time I make this salad, I plan on portioning it out into smaller jars so that I can take them to work.
Now that I am a believer in the salad-in-a-jar concept, share your favorites!

Lemony White Bean Salad-in-a-Jar
Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 2 Tablespoons olive oil
- 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 15 ounce can cannellini beans rinsed and drained
- 3-4 cups mixed salad greens I used an organic spinach/arugula mix from Earthbound Farms
- 1/2 cup parmesan cheese grated
- 1 cup croutons
Instructions
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Combine Dijon mustard, lemon juice, garlic, olive oil, red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper in a 16 ounce (pint) jar (I use Ball canning jars, but any jar will do).
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Shake jar until dressing well combined.
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Fill a large jar first with the beans.
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Add the dressing.
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Place the salad greens into the jar.
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Sprinkle the grated parmesan cheese on top of the greens.
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Cover tightly and refrigerate
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When ready to eat the salad, shake the jar to combine and then pour into a serving bowl.
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Toss a few times to fully combine.
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Add the croutons on the top.
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Serve and enjoy.
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